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RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND BREATHING:

The Respiratory system is one of the most crucial systems in our body. The Respiratory system includes the nose, throat, voice box and the lungs all which allows us to breathe. Breathing is a process that brings oxygen in the air into our lungs and moves throughout our body. When we inhale, we breath in oxygen (O2) and our chest expands as our lungs are filled with oxygen and when we exhale, we breath out Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and our lungs deflate when the air escapes and the oxygen is converted into carbon dioxide. Without the respiratory system, we would not be able to perform this process but there are a lot of diseases that could harm the respiratory system.

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COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) The two main types of COPD are Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. It also includes Asthma and other forms of bronchiectasis. The most common signs of any type COPD are shortness of breath, wheezing, frequent coughing and chest tightness.

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ASTHMA

Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways bronchial tubes allow air to come through our lungs.

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When a person breathes, the oxygen goes through the nose or mouth to the trachea. The trachea is basically tubes that leads two different ways, the left and right bronchi where we inhale and exhale. The inside of the tube is could be called the lumen, it is where the air actually goes through. If you have asthma the lumen is going to be smaller which means the smooth muscle around it is contracting and clamping down the lumen. Since it a muscle it can have force and change the shapes of things around it. The inside of the airways of someone who has Asthma would look different compared to someone who does not have asthma.

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Since the muscle gland is tightening the airways it makes it harder for air to move in and out of the lungs causing symptoms such wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Any asthma symptom is serious and can become deadly if left untreated. These asthma symptoms can be triggered by pollen, ragweed, dust mites, smoke etc. About 1 in 12 (25 million) people in the US have asthma and roughly 5,4 million people in the UK.

EMPHYSEMA

Emphysema is a disease that occurs in the lungs and damages the alveoli. Alveoli (the plural for alveolus) is a hollow cavity found in the lung parenchyma. Lung alveoli looks like small clusters at the end of respiratory tree (trachea)

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It damages alveoli which can also be small sacs that promotes oxygen exchange between the air and the bloodstream that are destroyed. Therefore, the main symptom of Emphysema is shortness of breath. Smoking is the leading cause for Emphysema and doctors strongly recommend to quit smoking if you are diagnosed with Emphysema. Cough, sometimes caused by mucus and wheezing may also be symptoms and over time you might notice that your tolerance of exercise is decreasing. Emphysema usually develops slowly. Another sign is pursed lip breathing. If you have Emphysema you will struggle to exhale completely in attempt to exhale trapped air. A person with this disease purse their lips together and leave a small opening, when exhaling the lips blocks the airflow, increasing the pressure in the collapsed airways and opens them allowing the trapped air in the lungs to empty. Emphysema also falls under COPD. About 3,1 million Americans are diagnosed with Emphysema.

CHRONIC BRONCHITIS

Chronic Bronchitis is basically caused by too much mucus. It is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airway that carries air to the lungs. The inflammation of the tubes produce a lot of mucus and it causes a cough that brings up the mucus. Chronic Bronchitis falls under COPD. The two main types of bronchitis are acute and chronic.

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The symptoms include low fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty to breath, chest tightness and of course coughing. It could be a long-term disease or a disease that never really goes away. It is important to quit smoking and avoid second hand smoking. Chronic bronchitis could also be defined by a cough that occurs every day with sputum production that lasts for at least 3 months, 2 years in a row. More than 10 million people are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and in most cases people are over the age of 45.

LUNG CANCER

Lung Cancer (malignancy of the lungs) is a serious disease caused by a lung tumour characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. The two types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Cigarette smoking is a principal risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Extreme exposure to tobacco can also lead to lung cancer. Lung Cancer cannot be cured but it can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy as well as new experimental therapy. Generally the treatment for lung cancer is poor, most of the time doctors find the disease when it is already at an advanced stage.

Five-year survival is roughly 54% for early stages in lung cancer but only 4% in the advanced stage. The symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent and worsening cough, change of voice quality and hoarseness, coughing up blood, chest pain, the list goes on. Lung cancer is the number one is the number one cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide. Cigarette smoking is a principal risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Extreme exposure of tobacco can also lead to lung cancer. Generally the treatment for lung cancer is poor, most of the time doctors find the disease when it is already at an advanced stage. Lung cancer is the number one is the number one cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide.

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SMOKING IS A SERIOUS CAUSE OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES

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FINAL NOTE

Most respiratory diseases share common symptoms and if you notice any of the symptoms you should immediately contact a doctor. Respiratory diseases are a serious a matter and some are terminal. It is important to know about the diseases and the signs and symptoms. I have made a short summary with pictures explaining the diseases. There are a lot more respiratory diseases but I have decided to focus mainly on COPD and Lung Cancer. All the resource links are down below and if you wish to donate or support these diseases. Please visit the following websites. Thanks for Reading, have a nice day!