Lung Disease Overview

 

Lung Disease Overview:

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Contents of this Article:

Respiratory Lung Disease

Alveolar Lung Disease

Interstitial Lung Disease

Vascular Lung Disease

Pleural Lung Disease

Chest Wall Lung Disease

One of the most common diseases. In the United States alone, tens of millions of people suffer from lung disease. Smoking, infections, and genes are responsible for most lung diseases.

 

Your lungs are part of a complex system that inflates and relaxes thousands of times each day to bring in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. A problem with any part of this system can lead to lung disease.

 

Lung Disorders Affecting the Airways

The trachea (trachea) branches into tubes called bronchi, which become smaller tubes in the lungs.

 

 

The airways are constantly inflamed and spasm, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. This lung condition makes it impossible to exhale normally, leading to difficulty breathing.

Chronic bronchitis. This form of her COPD is accompanied by a prolonged productive cough.

Emphysema Lung damage from this form of COPD can trap air in the lungs. The problem of blowing air is his trademark.

Acute bronchitis. This sudden infection of the respiratory tract is usually caused by a virus.

Cystic Fibrosis. This condition makes it difficult to clear mucus from the bronchi. This leads to repeated pulmonary infections.

Lung Disorders Affecting Air Sacs (Alveoli)

The airways divide into small tubes (bronchioles) that end in collections of air sacs called alveoli. These air sacs make up most of the lung tissue. Lung disorders that affect the alveoli include:

 

Pneumonia. Infection of the alveoli, usually by bacteria or viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Tuberculosis Gradually worsening pneumonia caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Emphysema This occurs when the weak connections between the air sacs of the lungs are damaged. Smoking is the usual cause. (Emphysema also limits airflow and affects the airways.)

Pulmonary Edema. Fluid leaks from small blood vessels in the lungs into and around the air sacs. One form is caused by heart failure and pulmonary vascular back pressure. In another form, a lung injury causes fluid to leak out.

 

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lung cancer. It takes many forms and can start anywhere in the lungs. It most commonly occurs in or near the air sacs, which are the main parts of the lungs.

This is serious, sudden damage to the lungs from a serious illness. COVID-19 is an example. Many people with ARDS need a machine called a ventilator to help them breathe until their lungs heal.

Pneumoconiosis. This is a category of conditions caused by inhaling anything that damages the lungs. Examples include black lung disease caused by coal dust and asbestosis caused by asbestos dust.

Lung Disorders Affecting the Stroma

The stroma is the thin, delicate lining between the alveoli. Small blood vessels pass through the interstitium, allowing gas to flow between the alveoli and the blood.

 

 

This is a group of lung diseases that includes sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and autoimmune diseases.

Pneumonia and pulmonary edema may also affect the stroma.

 

Pulmonary disease affecting blood vessels

 It pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. Disease can also develop in these blood vessels.

 

Pulmonary embolism (PE). A blood clot (usually in a deep vein in the leg called deep vein thrombosis) breaks and travels to the heart and into the lungs. Blood clots lodge in pulmonary arteries, often causing shortness of breath and low blood oxygen levels.

Pulmonary hypertension. Many medical conditions can cause pulmonary arterial hypertension. If your doctor can't find a cause, they call it idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Lung Disorders Affecting the Pleura

The pleura is a thin membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the chest wall. A small layer of fluid on the surface of the lungs slides the pleura along the chest wall with each breath. Pleural lung disease includes

 

pleural effusion. Fluid collects in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. This usually leads to pneumonia and heart failure. Large pleural effusions can make breathing difficult and may require drainage.

Pneumothorax. Air can get into the space between the chest wall and the lungs and cause the lungs to collapse.

Mesothelioma. This is a rare cancer that forms in the pleura. 

Chest Wall Pulmonary Disease

 Muscles connect the ribs and help the chest expand. With each breath, the diaphragm moves down and the chest expands. Disorders that affect the chest wall include

 

Having extra weight on your chest and belly can make it harder for your breasts to expand.

Neuromuscular disease. Breathing may be difficult if the nerves that control the respiratory muscles are not working properly. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and myasthenia gravis are examples of neuromuscular pulmonary diseases