It is normal in our country to experience cold weather in ber months (September -December). This indicates that Christmas is fast approaching. And because of this, most of us suffer from cough and colds. To some, serious respiratory disease affected them. Just recently, I was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a term used for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. I have been taking antibiotics for 4 days and used inhalers. I am thankful that I feel a lot better now.
Here are the list of some disorder that affect the respiratory system:
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic ailment caused by the inflammation of the air ways, bronchi, and bronchioles. This will affect the the way air enters and leaves the alveoli. When allergens come in contact with the inflamed airways, they will tighten and become narrow, making it difficult for one to breathe.
It's symptoms include coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, and tightness of chest. It may b caused by allergic reaction to pollen, cigarette smoke, dust , and other air pollutants.
To treat asthma, doctors recommend using inhalers. These devices contain gas that can relieve and prevent the symptoms of asthma.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a swelling of a tissue in one or both of the lungs. It is usually caused by a bacterium, but some may developed into complications caused by viral infections like chickenpox and measles.
Some symptoms of pneumonia are cough with yellow, green or bloody sputum, fever and chills, chest pain, and rapid breathing.
My daughter was diagnosed with pneumonia when she was 4 years old. It was hard for us, specially to her. After a week of treatment in the hospital, she began to have an appetite and start to gain weight.
Influenza
Influenza also known as flu is highly contagious. It is caused by viral infection. Flu is different from common cold. The symptoms of flu are more severe than common cold. It can also lead to more serious complications. It can be dangerous to infants, older adults, and people with chronic diseases.
Symptoms of flu are fever, body ache, chills, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and runny nose.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the lining of the bronchi. It may be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis is very common and often developing from respiratory infections caused by viruses. Chronic bronchitis is constant irritation of the bronchi due to smoking. Medical attention is immediately needed for chronic bronchitis
Signs of having bronchitis are cough, production of clear, white, yellowish or green sputum, fatigue and fever. If you have acute bronchitis, these symptoms stay for several weeks after the bronchitis resolve.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a respiratory disease caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a serious infectious disease. It can be spread from one person to another through coughs and sneezes. Active tuberculosis takes several medications for months to prevent development of antibiotic resistance. If tuberculosis is not treated properly, it can lead to death.
Some symptoms of of tuberculosis are coughing up blood, fatigue, weight loss, and loss of appetite.
Emphysema
Emphysema is a disease that occurs when the alveoli in your lungs are destroyed. It turns the alveoli into large. irregular pockets with holes in the inner walls. This reduces the surface area of the lungs making you short of breathe. The main cause of emphysema is exposure to irritants like cigarette smoking and air pollution.
The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breathe. You can have this disease for many years without noticing it. When the shortness of breathe greatly affects your daily tasks, go see a doctor. Other symptoms of emphysema are a fast heartbeat and a decrease in mental alertness.
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lungs. It is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. A person who smokes oe exposed to secondhand smoking has a high risk of having a lung cancer.
Signs of lung cancer involve nagging cough sometimes with blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, hoarseness, and weight loss.
Like any other cancer, lung cancer is hereditary. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015. She was not smoking, she was living a healthy lifestyle, no vices or whatsoever. So we were shocked after knowing that she had cancer and it is in the late stage already. She had undergone surgery to remove the cancer cells but only worsen her situation. Right after the operation, she was brought immediately to ICU. After a week she was comatose. And After 3 months of battling cancer, she died.
Prevention is better than Cure
It is good to know that there are ways to protect ourselves from these respiratory diseases. The following are some of the ways that I mention:
Don't smoke
smoking is likely to develop respiratory ailments. People who smoke die earlier than those who don't smoke.
Avoid passive smoking
You should also avoid passive or secondhand smoke. It has a harmful effect in the respiratory system since cigarettes have many chemicals that can damage your respiratory tract and arteries.
Exercise regularly
Exercise helps increase your lung capacity and improve your heart muscle. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight that prevents you from a high risk of heart disease.
Keep a healthy diet
Avoid too much saturated fats and cholesterol in diet. Eat lean meat, beans, and fish, Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Avoid respiratory infections
Do your best to avoid people who have cold or flu. Always wash your hands and carry a small bottle of alcohol to kill germs. If you have cold, make sure to stay hydrated to make your mucus thin and facilitate its drainage.
Control stress
I totally agree to this. Stress can lead to so many disease not just respiratory disease. We should look for healthy ways to minimize or deal with stress.
As i mentioned earlier, I was diagnosed with COPD just recently. So i have come up with this kind of topic. I hope it can be of help to those who suffer from these diseases.
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