Lung diseases and injuries A-Z
- Alveolitis - Inflammation of the alveoli, often caused by an allergy to bacterial spores or dust, causes shortness of breath or cough with mucus.
- Asthma - difficulty breathing, from a Greek word. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory system. An asthma attack is usually caused by an allergic reaction to inhaled particles, such as pollen, or by physical exertion or stress.
- Asbestosis - Scarring of the lungs caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, causes shortness of breath and eventually leads to death.
- Bronchitis - Inflammation of the bronchi that connect the lungs to the trachea, causes a cough with abundant mucus. More common in smokers and people living in polluted areas.
- Emphysema - Severe dyspnoea caused by irreversible damage to the alveoli from smoking.
- Hemothorax - Accumulation of blood in the thoracic cavity between the lungs and ribs, caused by injury. It is manifested by pain and shortness of breath. The shortness of breath is caused by contraction of the lungs. Medical treatment is required, where the blood is removed and the lungs are able to re-expand. Malignancies
- Lung carcinoma
- Lung edema - Severe dyspnoea caused by fluid in the lungs.
- Pulmonary hypertension - Obstruction of the pulmonary vein by a thrombus.
- Pneumoconiosis - Severe lung damage in miners, caused by scarring of the alveoli after inhalation of coal dust.
- Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) - An inflammatory disease caused by bacteria (most often of the genus Streptococus), viruses (genus Herpes), rarely fungal.
- Pneumothorax - Chest pain and shortness of breath caused by the presence of air in the thoracic cavity between the lungs and ribs. Shortness of breath caused by contraction of the lungs. As with hemothorax, medical treatment is required, where air must be aspirated from the area to allow the lungs to re-expand.
COVID 19 and lungs
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can infect humans and animals. Some coronaviruses can cause diseases similar to the common cold, and others can cause more serious illnesses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Disorder Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
The most common symptoms include fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, myalgia, loss of smell and taste.
The most common clinical manifestation is pneumonia. Other health complications that patients may experience include ARDS, acute renal and cardiac damage, liver failure, or pneumothorax.