Respiratory Issues

What effects our Respiratory System?

Coughs and Colds

Many different organisms can cause the common cold and cough and the symptoms often feel the same

All conditions are infections of the upper respiratory tract, they affect breathing passages above the lungs

Coughs and Colds Viruses are usually responsible for

these types of illnesses There are over a hundred different

types of viruses that cause coughs and colds

Unfortunately these viruses cannot be destroyed by antibiotics

Bacteria, such as staphylococcus will respond to drugs

Coughs and Colds Colds usually start with a virus attack—a

fever / inflammation of the nose lining and air-filled spaces called sinuses may become blocked or infected

Nasal linings produce lots of mucus, fill up and cause uncomfortable blockage of sinuses

Bacteria may also attack inflamed areas causing painful sinuses, coughing and sore throats

Coughs and Colds Sneezing occurs as the body tries to

get rid of irritation in air passages A fine spray of mucus and tiny water

droplets packed with infectious particles is produced

This sneeze spray may be shot out of the mouth at speeds of up to 100mph and travel as far as 6 ft. away from you

Coughs and Colds Sneeze spray can be easily inhaled by

another person, thereby spreading the infection

PLEASE, ALWAYS SNEEZE INTO THE CROOK OF YOUR ARM!

Wash your hands regularly too (with soap and warm water please, for the duration of a short song), particularly after blowing your nose

Strep

The throat/pharynx may become infected with streptococcus bacteria

Strep causes severe sore throats Tonsilitis (inflamed tonsils) Pharyngitis (inflammation of the back

of the mouth)

Influenza

Contagious virus Characterized by inflammation of the

respiratory tract Fever Muscle pain

Pertusis

Whooping Cough Cold like symptoms Highly contagious, spread through

coughing and sneezing May lead to pneumonia Nasal or throat culture,Swab test Antibiotic Treatment

Pneumonia Pneumonia is a severe inflammation

of the lungs The thin tissue around one’s air sacs

(alveoli) becomes badly swollen These spaces may also become filled

with fluid Pneumonia may be caused by

bacteria, viruses, fungi or by inhaling foreign matter

Tuberculosis

TB, Coughing Plague Infectious disease Characterized by the formation of

tubercles in lung tissue

Asthma

Comes from the Greek verb “ to pant or to breath hard”

Asthma is a chronic disease which millions of children and adults in the U.S. have

Many people with Asthma have allergies which cause symptoms such as a stuffy nose or rashes

Asthma People with Asthma may make wheezing or

whistling sounds because the air they breathe is forced through a narrow passage

Asthmatics may have trouble breathing and become hoarse from frequent coughing spells

Asthmatics may breathe in short, rapid breaths and experience occasional chest tightness

Asthma

Those with Asthma or allergies may not be able to smell or taste well

Infants who have an asthma flare up may not suck or drink strongly, breathe rapidly or have a blue tinge to their skin

Asthma

Most respiratory systems are incredibly efficient breathing machines

However, people who have Asthma have respiratory systems that do not always function quite right

Asthma Tobacco, pollen or other substances

such as dust mites or animal dander, irritates the membranes lining the the bronchial tubes

Membranes become red and swollen, narrowing the airways which lead into the lungs

Muscles in the bronchial tubes tighten up and make the airway even smaller

Asthma Asthmatics can’t always breathe in enough

oxygen or exhale enough CO2 People with Asthma must work extra hard

to breathe at times Secondhand smoke is particularly

dangerous for those with Asthma Health Watch Susan Dudley Gold, p.9 view

of persons lungs during an Asthma attack

Cancer

Cancer occurs when cells in the body begin to grow out of control.

Cells keep growing in a disorderly way and crowd out normal cells

There are many different kinds of cancer but they all have this out-of-control cell growth in common

Lung Cancer

Most Lung Cancers start in lining of the bronchi

Sometimes they begin in the trachea, brochioles or alveoli

Lung cancer often takes many years to develop

Lung Cancer

Leading cause of cancer death for Men and Women with average age of 60

In 2004, there were approximately 173, 770 new cases of cancer in the U.S.

And, approximately 160,440 people will die of the disease

Lung Cancer

There may be areas of pre-cancerous changes

If there are not masses or tumors they cannot be detected by x-ray and do not necessarily cause symptoms

Changes can be found by special testing of cells in the lining of the airways of lungs damaged by smoke

Lung Cancer Lung Cancer is so deadly because it

often spreads before it is found 2 main types:SCLC-small cell lung cancerNSCLC- non-small cell lung cancer 3 subtypes:Squamous cell carcinoma – usually

linked to smoking history, tend to be found centrally, near a bronchus

Lung Cancer Adenocarcinoma – usually found in

the outer region of the lung Large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma

– can appear in any part of the lung and tends to grow and spread quickly, resulting in poor diagnosis

Carcinoid tumors – can also occur in the lungs, they are slow growing and can often be cured by surgery

Resources

American Lung Association, www.lungusa.org

American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org

Epidemic, Eyewitness series Asthma and Allergy Foundation of

America, www.aafa.org