Lung Disease & Respiratory System

Lung Disease and Respiratory System

Diseases, pollutants and genetics can affect your respiratory health. The simple cold - which is caused by more than 200 different viruses - inflames the upper respiratory tract, resulting in a cough, runny nose and sneezing. A more severe cough combined with mucus is a sign of bronchitis, where the membranes lining the bronchial tubes become inflamed. The inflammatory lung disease asthma affects more than 20 million people, making airways constrict when exposed to irritants like dust, pet dander and cigarette smoke. Pneumonia, another inflammation of the lungs, can occur because of a bacterial or viral infection. People suffering from cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disease, frequently battle bacterial infections and airways clogged with thick and sticky mucus.

Recently Answered

QWhat are the symptoms of bronchitis?

2 Answers

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A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered
Signs and symptoms of bronchitis, a condition that occurs when the bronchial tubes in the lungs become inflamed, include:

cough that produces mucus (may be without mucus the first few days)

soreness in the chest

fatigue

mild headache

mild body aches

low-grade fever (less than 102°F)

watery eyes

sore throat
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QWhat does an aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) center do?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answered on behalf of Brigham and Women's Hospital

A team of allergists and otolaryngology specialists work together at Brigham and Women's aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) center. Watch Tanya Laidlaw, MD, describe the services offered at her AERD center.

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What Does an Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) Center Do?
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QCan decongestants help get rid of a cough?

2 Answers

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A Dr. Gerard W. Frank, MD , Pulmonary Disease, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

Decongestants work by opening up the nasal passages and reducing inflammation. Sometimes a decongestant will help with a cough. However, decongestants can increase blood pressure, so doctors are reluctant to recommend them for patients who have hypertension (high blood pressure).

There are many decongestants on the market (Sudafed and Actifed, for example). Further, antihistamine medications that have a 'D' at the end of name, such as Allegra-D and Claritin-D, contain decongestants as well.

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QWhat research is there on aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD)?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answered on behalf of Brigham and Women's Hospital

Two ongoing clinical trials at Brigham and Women's Hospital are on aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). In this video, Tanya Laidlaw, MD, describes the research on antiplatelet therapies and dietary control to improve treatments.

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What Research Is There on Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD)?
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QWhat lifestyle habits have the most effects on lungs?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Ahmed S. El-Bershawi, MD , Critical Care Medicine, answered on behalf of Riverside Community Hospital

Lifestyle habits such as smoking affect the lungs the most. In this video, Ahmed El-Bershawi, MD, a pulmonologist at Riverside Community Hospital, adds that household pets like birds can affect your lungs as well.

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What Lifestyle Habits Have the Most Effects on Lungs?
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QWhen should I call my doctor if I have acute bronchitis?

1 Answer

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A RealAge answered
If you think you have acute bronchitis, you should call your doctor to be diagnosed and to rule out a more serious medical condition. You should also call your doctor if your symptoms (sore throat, wheezing, coughing, chest congestion, body aches) last more than two weeks and/or if you experience any of the following symptoms:

coughing or wheezing that worsens when you lie down or exercise

shortness of breath

a high fever

a cough that produces blood

a cough that causes a bad taste in your mouth (a possible sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD)

Acute bronchitis is an infection of the tubes that carry air into your lungs (the bronchial tubes), which causes those airways to swell and produce mucus, making it difficult to breathe normally. Acute bronchitis is often caused by a cold or other viral infection and usually resolves within two weeks. However, since the symptoms associated with acute bronchitis may also be symptoms of other conditions such as pneumonia, asthma, or GERD, you should see your doctor to make sure you don't need other medical treatment.
QWhat is acute bronchitis?

2 Answers

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A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

Acute bronchitis, or chest cold, is a condition that occurs when the bronchial tubes in the lungs become inflamed. The bronchial tubes swell and produce mucus, which causes a person to cough.

This often occurs after an upper respiratory infection like a cold. Most symptoms of acute bronchitis (chest pain, shortness of breath, etc.) last for up to 2 weeks, but the cough can last for up to 8 weeks in some people.

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QAre lungs from donors who died from drowning safe for transplants?

1 Answer

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A The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered

People receiving lungs from donors whose cause of death was asphyxiation or drowning have similar outcomes and long-term survival as those receiving lungs from traditional donors. For most people with end-stage lung disease, transplant offers the only hope for survival; however, there remains a critical organ shortage, especially for people on the lung transplant list. Increasing the potential donor pool would help reduce the number of people who die while on the waiting list and help expand this lifesaving treatment to those who need it.
QAre all coughs contagious?

2 Answers

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A Dr. Gerard W. Frank, MD , Pulmonary Disease, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

All coughs are not contagious. However, someone who has had a cough for less than a week may be contagious, particularly if the cough is caused by a virus. When the cough has gone on for more than a week or two, whatever infection was there has probably passed, and what’s left is just the inflammation.

The most worrisome situation would be the chronic cough caused by tuberculosis (TB), where the patient is continually spewing germs out into the air. Fortunately, TB is not very common.

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QWhat is a pulmonologist?

1 Answer

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A RealAge answered
A pulmonologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the lungs, bronchial tubes and respiratory tract. A doctor may spend 10 years training to become a pulmonologist, according to the American College of Physicians, starting with seven or more years of medical school and postgraduate training to become board-certified in internal medicine, followed by two to three years of studying conditions specific to the respiratory system. Some doctors are pediatric pulmonologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating breathing and lung problems in children.

Some of the many conditions that a pulmonologist may treat include:

asthma

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

sleep apnea

cystic fibrosis

pneumonia

lung cancer

tuberculosis

emphysema

chest infections

complications of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)