Respiratory Disorders

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Original Editor - Lucinda hampton

Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton, Simisola Ajeyalemi and Kim Jackson  

Introduction

We take our breathing and our respiratory health for granted, but the lung is a vital organ that is vulnerable to airborne infection and injury, from the external environment because of its constant exposure to particles, chemicals and infectious organisms in ambient air.

There are two types of respiratory diseases and disorders: Infectious and Chronic.

1. Pulmonary infections are most commonly bacterial or viral. In the viral type, a pathogen replicates inside a cell and causes a disease, such as the flu.People with weakened lungs and immune systems are more vulnerable to infectious respiratory conditions
2. Chronic lung diseases, fall into one of two main classes: Obstructive or Restrictive.

Global Burden

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability in the world.

• About 65 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 3 million die from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide.
• About 334 million people suffer from asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood affecting 14% of all children globally.
• Pneumonia kills millions of people annually and is a leading cause of death among children under 5 years old.
• Over 10 million people develop tuberculosis (TB) and 1.4 million die from it each year, making it the most common lethal infectious disease.
• Lung cancer kills 1.6 million people each year and is the most deadly cancer.
• Globally, 4 million people die prematurely from chronic respiratory disease. At least 2 billion people are exposed to indoor toxic smoke, 1 billion inhale outdoor pollutant air and 1 billion are exposed to tobacco smoke.

Chronic Respiratory Disorders

Chronic respiratory diseases are a group of chronic diseases affecting the airways and the other structures of the lungs.

Obstructive Conditions: involve blocked or narrowed airways, making it difficult for the lungs to exhale and exchange old air for fresh air. eg.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Asthma, Bronchiectasis , Cystic fibrosis.

Restrictive Conditions: reduces the volume of air that the lungs can hold. Lungs can lose their elasticity or the ability to expand.eg

Pulmonary fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, Lung cancer

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