The Basics Of Pulmonary Diseases

Pulmonary medicine refers to a branch of medicine that includes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses or conditions affecting the lungs and the respiratory tract. Some of the most important conditions that pulmonologists deal with are listed below.  

•Asthma: Refers to a chronic condition, the major problems being wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and shortness of breath due to inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which restricts airways.

•Bronchiectasis: A condition resulting from the dilation, or damage of bronchial airways which can lead to infection. 

•Bronchitis: This refers to inflammation of the airways, caused usually by infection and leads to coughing, wheezing, fatigue, a mild fever and shortness of breath.

•Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD is a group of pulmonary diseases which involve airway inflammation, lung tissue damage and obstruction of the tubes in the lungs. 

•Interstitial lung disease: ILD is a broad term for a group of chronic lung disorders, where symptoms vary depending upon the specific type of ILD. They are mostly characterised by breathlessness and dry cough.

•Occupational lung disease: This is an illness caused by exposure to toxic substances that irritate the lungs in the work environment, that trigger acute or chronic respiratory problems.

•Asbestosis: This refers to the progressive scarring of tissues in the lung as a result of exposure to microscopic fibres of asbestos and is common among construction workers and industrial labourers.

•Byssinosis: Also called brown lung disease, this is a chronic condition involving the obstruction of small airways which results in impaired lung function, caused due to the dust from hemp, flax or cotton processing.

•Farmers’ lung: This is a reaction caused due to an organism that grows on grains, straw, hay and other organic materials grown on farm. In its acute form, it occurs with flu-like symptoms. The chronic version develops gradually and causes progressive damage to the lungs.

•Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: Refers to an acute or chronic inflammation of the airways caused due to exposure to an inhaled allergen, leading to the air sacs of the lungs becoming inflamed.

•Silicosis: Caused by exposure to silica dust in mines and such environments, this causes scar tissue in the lungs and increases the risk for tuberculosis.

•Pulmonary fibrosis: This is the thickening and scarring of the lungs, especially the interstitium.

•Rheumatoid lung disease: This disease primarily affects the joints and surrounding tissues, but it can also damage the lungs by causing inflammation, accumulation of fluid, nodules and scarring.

•Sarcoidosis: Another inflammatory disease characterised by granulomas in the lungs and lymph nodes, and even other organs.

To know more about pulmonary illnesses or to seek treatment, consult the best hospital for Pulmonology Bhubaneswar or the nearest city.