11.4 Disorders of the Respiratory System Flashcards
Name the 6 disorders of the upper respiratory tract in the textbook.
- common cold
- pharyngitis
- tonsilitis
- laryngitis
- sinusitis
- ottis media
What is the common cold?
relatively mild viral infections of the upper respiratory tract characterized by sneezing, runny nose, and mild fever
What causes the common cold?
many different viruses, most commonly rhinoviruses
How long do most common colds last?
a few days to a week, when the immune response is able to eliminate the virus
What can’t be used to treat the common cold?
antibiotics don’t help because colds are caused by viruses
What can be used to ease the symptoms of the common cold?
- decongestants
- anti-inflammatory medications
What is pharyngitis?
inflammation of the throat, usually because of an infection
What can be involved in pharyngitis if they haven’t yet been removed?
tonsils
What is strep throat?
a pharyngitis caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes that can lead to a generalized upper respiratory infection and even a systemic (affecting the body as a whole) infection
What are the symptoms of strep throat?
- severe sore throat
- high fever
- white patches on dark-red pharyngeal or tonsillar area
How can strep throat be treated?
most cases can be successfully treated by antibiotics
What is tonsillitis?
when the tonsils become inflamed and enlarged
What are tonsils?
aggregates of lymphoid tissue in the pharynx
What are adenoids?
the tonsils in the posterior wall of the nasopharynx
When can a tonsillectomy be performed?
if tonsillitis occurs frequently and the enlarged tonsils make breathing difficult, the tonsils can be removed surgically
Why are fewer tonsillectomies performed today than in the past?
because we now know that the tonsils help initiate immune responses to many of the pathogens that enter the pharynx therefore they are an important part of the body’s immune system
What is laryngitis?
an inflammation of the larynx with accompanying hoarseness, often leading to the inability to talk in an audible voice
How does laryngitis usually disappear?
after resting the vocal cords and treating any infection present
What can grow on the vocal cords when you have laryngitis?
benign growths, or polyps that interfere with their ability to control the vocal cords
Who are laryngeal polyps most likely to occur in?
people who put their vocal cords through excessive wear and tear, such as singers
What is sinusitis?
an inflammation of the cranial sinuses
What are the cranial sinuses?
the cavities within the facial skeleton that drain into the nasal cavities
How does sinusitis develop?
when nasal congestion blocks the tiny openings leading to the sinuses
What percentage of upper respiratory infections are accompanied by sinusitis?
up to 10%, and allergies may also play a role
What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
- postnasal discharge
- headache
- facial pain that worsens when the patient bends tomorrow
What does successful treatment of sinusitis depend on?
addressing the cause of the inflammation and restoring proper drainage of the sinuses
What may help remove irritants and rinse out mucus in sinusitis?
rinsing the sinuses by instilling a warm saline solution into one nostril and out the other
What is ottis media?
an inflammation of the middle ear
Why is ottis media considered an upper respiratory tract disorder when the ear is not a part of the respiratory tract?
especially in children, nasal infections can spread to the ear by way of the AUDITORY (eustachian) TUBES
Where do the auditory (eustachian) tubes lead?
from the nasopharynx to the middle ear
What are the symptoms of ottis media?
- pain (primary symptom)
- sense of fullness
- hearing loss
- vertigo (dizziness)
- fever
How can ottis media be treated?
if the cause is bacterial, antibiotic therapy is usually really effective
if the cause is viruses or allergies, antibiotics are not effective
How can ottis media be surgically treated?
tympanostomy tubes are surgically placed in the eardrums of children with multiple recurrences to help prevent the buildup of pressure in the middle ear and the possibility of hearing loss
these tubes normally fall out over time
Name the 4 disorders of the lower respiratory tract (disorders of the trachea and the bronchi) in the textbook.
- choking
- acute bronchitis
- chronic bronchitis
- asthma
What is choking?
one of the simplest but most life-threatening disorders that affects the trachea
How can someone with not trained medical experience help someone who is choking?
Heimlich manoeuvre: grab around the waist from behind and forcefully pull both hands into their upper abdomen to expel whatever is lodged
How can a trained medical personnel also help someone who is choking?
tracheotomy: by inserting a breathing tube by way of an incision made in the trachea called a tracheostomy
Who may need a permanent tracheostomy tube installed?
people whose larynx or trachea has been damaged or destroyed, usually as a result of smoking
What is acute bronchitis?
an inflammation of the primary and secondary bronchi
What is acute bronchitis usually preceded by?
a viral infection that has led to a secondary bacterial infection
What typically happens with acute bronchitis?
a nonproductive cough has become a deep cough that produces more mucus and perhaps pus
How can acute bronchitis be treated?
typically can be successfully treated with antibiotics
What is chronic bronchitis?
airways are inflamed and filled with mucus
What is common with chronic bronchitis?
a cough that brings up mucus
What happens with chronic bronchitis?
bronchi have undergone degenerative changes, including the loss of cilia and their normal cleansing action
infection is more likely to occur
What is the most frequent cause of chronic bronchitis?
smoking, and exposure to environmental pollutants can also be a contributing factor
What is asthma?
disease of the bronchi and bronchioles that is marked by wheezing, breathlessness, and sometimes a cough and coughing up of mucus
What happens with asthma?
airways are unusually sensitive to specific irritants, which can include a wide range of allergens (ie. pollen, animal dander, dust, cigarette smoke, industrial fumes, cold air)
What happens when airways are exposed to an irritant with asthma?
smooth muscle in the bronchioles undergoes spasms
What do most people with asthma have?
some degree of bronchial inflammation that reduces the diameter of the airways and contributes to the seriousness of an attack
What can prevent or treat asthma attacks?
- beta-agonists: dilates the bronchioles, administered using an inhaler
- corticosteroids: help control the inflammation and prevent an attack
Name the 6 diseases of the lungs in the textbook.
- pneumonia
- pulmonary tuberculosis
- emphysema
- cystic fibrosis
- pulmonary fibrosis
- lung cancer
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Acute Bronchitis
airways are inflamed due to infection (acute) or due to an irritant (chronic) and coughing up brings up mucus and pus
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Asthma
airways are inflamed due to irritation and bronchioles constrict due to muscle spasms
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Pneumonia
alveoli fill with pus and fluid, making gas exchange difficult
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
tubercles encapsulate bacteria and elasticity of lungs is reduced
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Emphysema
alveoli burst and fuse into enlarged air spaces and SA for gas exchange is reduced
Common Bronchial and Pulmonary Diseases
Pulmonary Fibrosis
fibrous connective tissue builds up in lungs, reducing their elasticity
What is pneumonia?
an infection of the lungs in which the bronchi or alveoli fill with thick fluid
What are symptoms of pneumonia?
- high fever and chills
- headache
- chest pain
Rather than being a generalized ling infection, where can pneumonia be localized?
in specific lobules of the lungs
the more lobules involved, the more serious the infection
What can pneumonia be caused by?
several types of bacteria, viruses, and other infectious agents
Who do certain types of pneumonia strike?
individuals with reduced immunity
People with AIDS can be subject to a rare form of pneumonia that’s caused by what?
the fungus Pneumocystis carinii
What is pulmonary tuberculosis caused by?
the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis
What happens when M. tuberculosis invades the lung tissue in pulmonary tuberculosis?
cells accumulate around the invading bacteria, isolating them from the rest of the body
this accumulation of cells is called a tubercle
What happens if the body’s resistance is high in pulmonary tuberculosis?
the imprisoned organisms die
What happens if the body’s resistance is low in pulmonary tuberculosis?
the organisms eventually escape and spread
What happens if a chest X ray detects active tubercles with pulmonary tuberculosis?
the individual is put on appropriate drug therapy to ensure the localization of the disease and the eventual destruction of any live bacteria
How is it possible to tell if a person has ever been infected with tuberculosis bacteria?
with a TB skin test, in which a highly diluted extract of the bacteria is injected into the skin of the patient
a person who has never been exposed to M. tuberculosis shows no reaction
a person who has had or is fighting an infection shows an area of inflammation that peaks in about 48 hours
What is emphysema?
a chronic and incurable disorder in which the alveoli are distended and their walls damaged so that the SA available for gas exchange is reduced
What is emphysema often preceded by?
chronic bronchitis
What happens with emphysema?
air trapped in the lungs leads to alveolar damage and a noticeable ballooning of the chest
the elastic recoil of the lungs is reduced so the driving force behind expiration is also reduced
How might someone with emphysema feel?
out of breath, and may have a cough
What is COPD?
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
the 4th leading cause of death in Canada, and is usually associated with smoking
What 3 diseases/diorders are COPDs and why?
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthmas because they are often seen in the same patient and tend to recur
What is cystic fibrosis?
a lung disease that is genetic rather than infectious, although infections do play a role in the disease
most common life-threatening inherited disease affecting children and young adults in Canada
How does someone get cystic fibrosis?
1/25 Canadians carry the defective gene, but a child must inherit two copies of the faulty gene to have the disease
What does the gene that is defective in CF code for?
cystic fibrosis conductance transmembrane regulator (CFTR) which is a protein needed for proper transport of Cl- ions out of the epithelial cells of the lung
because this also reduces the amount of water transported out of the lung cells, the mucus secreted becomes very sticky and can form plugs that interfere with breathing
What are symptoms of cystic fibrosis?
- coughing
- shortness of breath
What does the treatment of cystic fibrosis involve?
clearing mucus from the airways by vigorously slapping the patient on the back as well as by administering mucus-thinning drugs
however, none of these treatments are curative
What is the median survival age for Canadians with CF and why?
around 48 years because the lungs can be severely affected
What are researchers attempting to develop to help treat CF?
gene therapy strategies to replace the faulty CFTR gene
What is pulmonary fibrosis?
common lung disease in which fibrous connective tissues builds up in the lungs, causing a loss of elasticity
What does the loss of elasticity with pulmonary fibrosis do?
restricts the ability of the lungs to expand during inhalation and so reduces the vital capacity and other lung volumes
Who does pulmonary fibrosis most commonly occur in?
elderly persons
What is the risk of pulmonary fibrosis increased by?
- environmental exposure to silica (sand)
- dust
- asbestos
What are the statistics of lung cancer?
- more prevalent in men than women
- leading cause of cancer death in both genders
- about 85% of lung cancers are associated with cigarette smoking
Describe the progressive steps by which the most common form of lung cancer develops.
- thickening of the cells lining the bronchi
- cilia are lost, making it impossible to prevent dust and dirt from settling in the lungs
- cells with atypical nuclei appear, followed by a tumour consisting of disordered cells with atypical nuclei
- metastasis: some of these cells break loose and penetrate other tissues
- cancer has spread
What happens after lung cancer has spread?
- original tumour may grow until a bronchus is blocked, cutting off the supply of air to that lung
- the entire lung collapses and the secretions trapped in the lung spaces become infected, and pneumonia or a lung abscess (localized area of pus) results
What is the only possible cure of lung cancer?
pneumonectomy: a lobe or the whole lung is removed before metastasis occurs
What treatment is required if the cancer has spread?
chemotherapy and radiation
