Respiratory Diseases Flashcards
What is asthma
Chronic long term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways
What is emphysema
- A type of lung disease which gradually damages air sacs resulting in progressive shortness of breath
- COPD
What is pneumonia
- An infection in one or both lungs caused by bacteria, infection, fungi or airborne irritant. Causes alveoli to fill with out and fluid interfering with gaseous exchange
- Can be; bacterial, viral or mycoplasma
- Lobar pneumonia affects one or more sections (lobes) of the lungs.
- Bronchial pneumonia affects patches throughout both lungs.
What is tuberculosis
- An infectious bacterial disease caused by the airborne bacteria ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’
- Active TB: sick + spread
- Latent TB: inactive state (no symptoms), doesn’t spread
- Latent develops into active
What is bronchitis
- An inflammation of the mucus membrane of the bronchial tubes
- Acute: short-term illness that often follows a cold or virus
- Chronic: long term illness, can be result of environmental factors or extended illness
- COPD
What is lung cancer
- A malignant tumour in the tissue of one or both lungs
- Primary cancer starts in lungs
- Secondary/metastatic cancer starts somewhere else and spreads to lungs
Causes/risk factors of asthma
- Smoking: irritates the airways
- Family history: inherit genes of asthma sufferer
- Allergies: can trigger asthma attacks
Causes/risk factors of emphysema
- Smoking: destroys lung tissue, causes inflammation and irritation of the airways
- Air pollution: inflames airways
- Age: older age means more destruction to lung tissue to produce emphysema
Causes/risk factors of pneumonia
- Caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites
- Smoking: damages hairs in lungs that help remove bacteria
- Age: over 65 and children; immune systems is less able to fight off infection
- Disease: having a disease that weakens your immune system; body unable to fight
Causes/risk factors of tuberculosis
- Caused by the bacteria ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’
- Age: increases with age
- Diabetes
- Low body weight
- > weaker immune system
Causes/risk factors of bronchitis
- Viruses, bacteria, other irritant particles
- Smoking: damages lungs
- Exposure to pesticides
- Exposure to air pollution
- > irritates airways and lungs
Causes/risk factors of lung cancer
- Smoking: damages cells that line the lungs
- Family history: genes
- Exposure to chemicals/toxins: damages
Symptoms of asthma
- Recurring periods of wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing (often at night / early morning)
Symptoms of emphysema
- Breathlessness first with exertion -> all the time
- Susceptibility to chest infections
- Cough and phlegm production
- Fatigue
- Blue tinge of skin (lack of oxygen)
Symptoms of pneumonia
“Chest pain Bacterial
- Dry cough
- Wheezing
- Nausea/vomiting
- Difficulty/rapid breathing
- Loss of appetite
- Headache Viral
- Muscle aches/pain
- Severe cough that may produce mucus
Symptoms of tuberculosis
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Chills
- Loss of appetite
Symptoms of bronchitis
- Coughing (mucus); will get worse every week in chronic
- Blocked/runny nose
- Wheezing
- Tight chairs
- Sore throat
- Body ache
- Breathlessness
- Headaches
Symptoms of lung cancer
- New dry cough
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Repeated pneumonia/bronchitis
- Coughing/spitting up blood
- Fatigue
Prevention for asthma
- Reducing exposure to asthmatic triggers
- Taking prescribed medication
Prevention for emphysema
- Don’t smoke
- Regular exercise if possible
- Avoid exposure to air pollution and second hand smoke
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
Prevention for pneumonia
- Don’t smoke
- Hygiene
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Get vaccinated each year
Prevention for tuberculosis
- TB (or BCG) vaccine; isn’t very effective
- Protective measures if working the people with TB
- TB drug treatment for prevention (chemoprophylaxis)
- Isolation from people with TB
Prevention for bronchitis
- Do not smoke
- Yearly flu vaccine
- Pneumonia vaccine
- Avoid lung irritation; smoke, air pollution, dust, fumes
Prevention for lung cancer
- Don’t smoke
- Eating lots of fruit & vegetables
- Regular exercise