Respiratory diseases
Respiratory diseases include all diseases of the respiratory organs and the airways. Doctors differentiate between respiratory diseases according to their time course, their cause or the location of the damage. As a rule, respiratory diseases only affect certain parts of the airways - for example with rhinitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis or pneumonia. Read here what other respiratory diseases there are, how they are diagnosed and how they are treated.
Under respiratory diseases, doctors summarize all diseases that affect the upper and lower respiratory tract. Usually it is inflammation of the nasopharynx, the paranasal sinuses, the windpipe, the bronchi or the lung tissue.
Lung diseases: what are the causes and what are the causes of lung diseases? How do they express themselves and how are lung diseases treated? You can find out all of this here! Learn more
Respiratory diseases from A to Z
A.- Acute bronchitis
- Allergic rhinitis
- Allergic asthma
- Alveolitis
- Asbestosis
- Aspergillosis
- asthma
- Atelectasis
- Bronchiectasis
- COPD
- Chronic bronchitis
- Chronic tonsillitis
- Covid-19: infection with the coronavirus
- diphtheria
- Epiglottitis
- cold
- flu
- Sore throat
- hoarseness
- hay fever
- cough
- Laryngitis
- Throat cancer
- whooping cough
- Maxillary sinus infection
- Legionnaires' disease
- Pulmonary embolism
- Emphysema
- lung infection
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Lung cancer
- Pulmonary edema
- Tonsillitis
- Mesothelioma
- Cystic fibrosis
- NSCLC: non-small cell lung cancer
- Sinus infection
- Pleural effusion
- Pneumothorax
- Pseudo croup
- RS virus
- Sore throat
- SCLC: Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
- Sarcoid
- Sleep apnea
- sniffles
- Swine flu
- silicosis
- Summer flu
- Spastic bronchitis
- Dust lung
- Frontal sinus infection
- tuberculosis
- Bird flu
Acute and chronic respiratory diseases
Doctors divide respiratory illnesses into acute respiratory illnesses and chronic respiratory illnesses according to their time course.
Acute respiratory diseases include common colds, runny nose, bronchitis, or sore throat or tonsillitis. These diseases are usually caused by bacteria or viruses. In many cases they are mild and usually heal within one to two weeks.
If acute respiratory diseases do not completely heal, they can turn into chronic. The recovery is then usually extremely long - in some cases the disease even persists. Chronic respiratory diseases are often associated with tissue damage and permanent functional impairment.
pictures Acute or chronic bronchitis? The differences: Acute bronchitis is often the cause of an excruciating cough. Read here when the disease is chronic. Learn more
Obstructive and restrictive diseases
If there is a narrowing or even an occlusion of the airways, doctors speak of obstructive airway diseases. This means that the air can only be inhaled or exhaled with difficulty because the air flow is disturbed. Such so-called ventilation disorders range from mild forms such as snoring to more severe symptoms such as sleep apnea (impaired breathing), asthma (impaired breathing) or the progressive lung disease COPD.
If the blockage remains for a longer period of time, this can be accompanied by "overinflation" of the alveoli (pulmonary emphysema), which makes gas exchange in the lungs more difficult and causes lasting damage to the lung tissue.
Doctors refer to restrictive respiratory diseases as all those diseases that are associated with restricted elasticity of the lungs or the chest - this usually significantly reduces the total capacity - i.e. the total volume - of the lungs.
Lung tissue changes can also occur with restrictive respiratory diseases, which make air exchange in the alveoli more difficult.
Upper and lower respiratory diseases
Doctors also differentiate between respiratory diseases according to the location of the damage. They divide the human respiratory tract as follows:
Upper respiratory tract: This includes the nose and nasal passages, the paranasal sinuses and the entire pharynx.
Lower airways: They include the larynx, windpipe, bronchi and the lungs themselves.
A respiratory disease - especially of the lower airways - can seriously impair the vital gas exchange in the alveoli. This ability to exchange gases in the alveoli is the process in the body that “charges” the blood with oxygen and releases carbon dioxide from the blood.
Inflammation of the airways is a common cause
Inflammation is the most common cause of respiratory disease. The reasons for this can be varied:
Infections: Certain pathogens colonize parts of the respiratory tract and thus disrupt the respiratory function. Depending on the severity of the mostly acute respiratory disease, they are usually temporary. Examples can be acute bronchitis, pneumococcal infection (pneumonia) as well as influenza (flu). Severe courses usually occur with whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, croup or chronic tuberculosis.
Lung tissue changes: The lung tissue can change as a result of pneumonia. After a (extensive) pneumonia, part of the lung tissue is replaced by connective tissue (pulmonary fibrosis). In rare cases, pneumonia can also promote the formation of bulges on the bronchial branches (bronchiectasis). Bronchiectasis then disrupt the lungs' self-cleaning mechanisms and in turn lead to recurring local infections.
The deposition of certain inorganic compounds also causes lasting damage to the natural structure of the lungs (dust lung). These can be certain mineral or metallic fine dust particles - such as asbestos, quartz dust as well as antimony, tin or iron dust. The (long-term, regular) inhalation of cigarette smoke also puts a strain on the lungs and, if the smoking behavior remains very pronounced, usually leads to various chronic diseases - for example, the colloquially known "smoker's cough" to chronic bronchitis and finally to irreversible COPD.
Contact with allergens: Even allergenic substances can cause inflammation of the airways if they are hypersensitive (allergy). Pollen or house dust irritate the respiratory tract in those affected, so that in some cases allergic asthma or - for example, if mold, bird feathers or wood dust are inhaled frequently - allergic alveolitis can develop. Fine dusts, (ground-level) ozone or various nitrogen oxides are further (chemical) irritants.
Genetically caused respiratory diseases: These are congenital diseases that are also assigned to the group of hereditary diseases. A prominent example is the metabolic disease cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis). Affected people produce respiratory secretions that are more viscous than is the case in healthy people. As a result, these secretions increasingly settle in the bronchi and cannot be excreted ("coughed up") by the body. This increases the risk of pneumonia and other infections, among other things.
Other causes of respiratory disorders
In addition to the inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, there are other causes of respiratory diseases. For example, neurological disorders that affect the breathing center in the brain. Doctors then speak of neuromuscular ventilation disorders. They can appear as a side effect of Guillain-Barré syndrome or as a result of myasthenia gravis.
However, a (temporary) malfunction of the respiratory center can also be due to a lack of minerals - for example, a permanently lowered phosphate level (hypophosphataemia) or a persistent magnesium deficiency.
Symptoms of respiratory diseases
Respiratory diseases can manifest themselves through a variety of symptoms. The following complaints often occur:
- Cough
- Secretion formation with expectoration (sputum)
- Whistling sound when breathing (stridor)
- Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
- Chest pain (chest pain)
- Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
- disturbed breathing rhythm
- Sore throat, hoarseness (aphonia, dysphonia) and itchy throat
Diagnosis of respiratory diseases
If a respiratory disease is suspected, an ENT doctor or pulmonologist is usually the first point of contact. Your doctor will ask when the symptoms start, the intensity and frequency of your symptoms, and clarify any existing illnesses.
This medical history will be followed by a physical exam. In many cases, doctors will listen to your airways with a stethoscope (auscultation). This makes it possible to determine characteristic noises when inhaling and exhaling, which provide your doctor with important information about the disease at hand - such as rattling noises or deep humming. Your doctor may also pound your chest (thorax) (percussion) and feel it (palpation).
It is also possible that your doctor will take a swab from your nasopharynx to have this sample examined in the laboratory. Your doctor may also take a blood sample.
Doctors use so-called imaging processes for more sophisticated diagnostics. For example, you can take an x-ray or perform a computed tomography (CT) - alternatively a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT).
They also check the functionality and performance of your lungs, for example with spirometry. As a patient, you breathe in and out forcefully through your mouth with your nose closed. Doctors measure the breathing speed and the volume of air moved by your breath. Similar to spirometry, so-called spiroergometry can be used to determine your lung function under physical stress. Other methods are peak flow measurement or pulse oximetry.
Treatment of respiratory diseases
The respective therapy for respiratory diseases depends on the disease at hand. Treatment options cover a broad spectrum and range from the administration of special medication to training certain breathing techniques through to intensive medical artificial ventilation.
Antibiotics for bacterial infections
Diseases that result from bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. Doctors usually prescribe penicillin or related drugs for pneumonia caused by pneumococcal infection. Pneumonia caused by other bacterial strains - such as chlamydia, mycoplasma, or legionella - can be treated with macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin. The bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) - as another example - can be successfully treated with ampicillin or amoxicillin.
Antivirals against viral infections
In contrast, antibiotics have no effect on viral respiratory diseases. In such cases, so-called antivirals are available to doctors for serious infections. They stop viruses from multiplying in the body.
Examples are amantadine, acyclovir, lopinavir or oseltamivir. However, doctors rarely use these agents. The effectiveness of antivirals is often limited - and their administration is associated with side effects.
Other active ingredients for respiratory diseases
If a large amount of thick mucus forms in the course of the respiratory disease, treatment with expectorant or expectorant drugs - so-called secretolytics (e.g. acetylcysteine, bromhexine, ambroxol, guaifenesin) - can be useful.
For very strong, dry coughs, doctors can prescribe "cough suppressants" - so-called antitussives. These include the active ingredients codeine or dextromethorphan.
Respiratory therapy and ventilation
Patients with existing asthma or COPD can also benefit from breathing therapy. It includes exercises and techniques that make breathing easier and promote conscious body awareness.
If a patient's oxygen saturation drops due to a respiratory disease, their breathing can be supported. Doctors first use oxygen, which is supplied by means of a so-called nasal cannula, nasal mask or nasogastric tube. The aim of this non-invasive procedure is to enrich a patient's breath with pure oxygen.
The so-called CPAP method (continuous positive airway pressure) is a special case. It is used, for example, in the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. A sealed respiratory mask supports the breathing of affected patients by ensuring that the air pressure is always slightly increased in the airways - both when inhaling and exhaling. This is to ensure, especially when exhaling, that the airways do not "close".
If patients can no longer breathe independently in serious cases, doctors must use intubation and artificial ventilation (invasive ventilation) in an emergency. The patient is artificially ventilated through a tube in the windpipe. This hose keeps the airways open and thus ensures the oxygen supply in emergency situations.
How can I actively prevent respiratory diseases?
A large part of the respiratory diseases caused by infections occurs seasonally. The "cold season" often sets in with the cold and wet season. During this time, the immune system can be slightly weakened. In addition, most people then stay in closed rooms. Pathogens find ideal conditions there to spread.
The most effective way to prevent serious infection-related respiratory diseases is with a vaccination against the respective pathogen.
Wearing an FFP2 mask is also considered effective protection against infectious diseases. FFP2 masks significantly reduce the risk of droplet or aerosol infection. However, it remains to be seen whether FFP2 masks will also be socially accepted in public space after the corona pandemic.
Pay attention to hygiene
In addition, you should ensure adequate hygiene. Touching doorknobs or handles in the subway, in the department store or at the workplace can promote transmission through so-called smear infection.
Therefore, keep your hands away from your face and wash your hands after you have been out in public places.
Exercise and a healthy diet strengthen the immune system
To strengthen the immune system, you should ensure adequate exercise and exercise regularly. Consciously refraining from smoking also spares your lung tissue and enables your lungs to better protect themselves against pathogens.
In addition, you should eat a balanced diet. This means that you should ensure a varied, vitamin-rich diet that keeps your body productive and healthy.
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