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Lung Disease
Increasing level of pollution has made breathing in urban areas very difficult, raising the incidence of respiratory problems. Out of the world's top 20 cities with polluted air, 13 belong to India and according to the World health Organisation (WHO) report published in 2011, lung diseases rank 2ndin the list of top 20 causes of death. Naturally, lung disease is a big health issue that needs to be addressed. Here are some facts about lung disease you should know about.
To understand the condition of your lungs, you need to first understand how the lungs function. Lungs are soft organs present on both right and left side of the chest. They are protected by a had covering called the ribcage. Each lung is made of sections called lobes. The main function of the lungs is to make oxygen available for purifying blood and to and eliminate carbondioxide from impure blood or deoxygenated blood. So when you breathe, air travels down your windpipe (trachea). The windpipe bifurcates with each branch entering each of the lungs. Into the lungs, the windpipe is further branched to tubes called bronchioles that end in small sacs called alveoli, where the inhaled air reaches for delivering oxygen.
A lung disease or disorder occurs in the various structures of lungs and disrupts its functioning. It can vary from a mild common cold to life-threatening conditions like pneumonia and cancer. Lung disease can be caused by infections, inflammation, obstruction of airways, decreased lung function, problems related to pulmonary circulation, etc. Smoking, infections, air pollution, genetics, exposure to asbestos, etc. Can cause various lung diseases.
TypesThe common as well as rare types of lung disease include -
Causes'In any form of lung disease mainly the breathing gets affected,' says Dr Animesh Arya, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Medicine, Delhi based Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. Here are some common forms of lung diseases he explains. 1. Asthma:It is the most common lung disease triggered by allergies, infections and pollutants that harm the airways and cause inflammation. 2. Acute bronchitis: Bronchitis is the inflammation of the air passage. Acute bronchitis is caused by viral or bacterial respiratory infections. 3. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): It a group of diseases that causes breathing difficulties and interfere with the exhalation process of breathing. 4. Chronic bronchitis: It is a type of COPD caused mainly due to smoking. 5. Emphysema: It is a COPD caused by environmental factors and may also be triggered by allergens or organisms that cause diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis. Apart from these common forms of lung diseases, other rare lung diseases include: 6. Cystic fibrosis: It is rare lung disease caused by genetic mutation that results in excess mucus production causing blockage of airways. 7. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): It is a medical emergency caused as a result of lung injury due to a severe illness. 8. Lung cancer: It can affect any part of the lung. It is mainly caused due to smoking. Here are 10 common symptoms of lung cancer you need to know. 9. Interstitial lung disease: This is a group of diseases affecting the interstitium, a thin lining separating the air sacs.
Symptoms'Bronchitis, asthma, COPD, lung infections and pulmonary fibrosis have similar symptoms even though they are very different in nature,' says Dr Arya. He lists a few common symptoms of lung diseases:
In most cases, chronic cough, chest pain and breathing difficulties necessitate a lung function test. But your doctor might first take a look at the results of your blood test that may indicate whether you have any kind of lung infection. Otherwise, based on your symptoms your doctor might recommend the following lung function tests for you, as explained by Dr Arya.
'If any of the above mentioned symptoms persist for a long time, it is better to consult a doctor immediately for diagnosis,' says Dr Arya. The management of lung disease depends on the type of lung disease you're diagnosed with but largely medication is the main treatment option for lung disease patients.
Heart Disease: Types, Causes, And Symptoms
There are many types of heart disease, and each one has its own symptoms and treatment. For some, lifestyle changes and medicine can make a huge difference in improving your health. For others, you may need surgery to make your ticker work well again.
Find out about some of the common types of heart disease and how to prevent them as well as how they're treated.
CAD is the most common heart problem. With CAD, you may get blockages in your coronary arteries -- the vessels that supply blood to your heart. That can lead to a decrease in the flow of blood to your heart muscle, keeping it from getting the oxygen it needs. The disease usually starts as a result of atherosclerosis, a condition sometimes called hardening of the arteries.
Coronary heart disease can give you pain in your chest, called angina, or lead to a heart attack.
Some things that may put you at a higher risk of coronary artery disease are:
When you have an arrhythmia, your heart has an irregular beating pattern. Serious arrhythmias often develop from other heart problems but may also happen on their own.
With heart failure, your heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should to meet your body's needs. It is usually caused by coronary artery disease, but it can also happen because you have thyroid disease, high blood pressure, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), or certain other conditions.
Your heart has four valves that open and close to direct blood flow between your heart's four chambers, the lungs, and blood vessels. An abnormality could make it hard for a valve to open and close the right way. When that happens, your blood flow could be blocked or blood can leak. Your valve may not open and close right.
The causes of heart valve problems include infections such as rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or as a result of a heart attack.
Diseases of the heart valves include:
Any disease of the pericardium, the sac that surrounds your heart, is called a pericardial disease. One of the more common diseases is pericarditis or inflammation of the pericardium.
It's usually caused by an infection with a virus, inflammatory diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, or injury to your pericardium. Pericarditis often follows open heart surgery.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of your heart muscle, or myocardium. It gets stretched, thickened, or stiff. Your heart may get too weak to pump well.
There are many possible causes of the disease, including genetic heart conditions, reactions to certain drugs or toxins (such as alcohol), and infections from a virus. Sometimes, chemotherapy causes cardiomyopathy. Many times, doctors can't find the exact cause.
Congenital heart disease happens when something goes wrong while the heart is forming in a baby that's still in the womb. The heart abnormality sometimes leads to problems right after birth, but other times there aren't any symptoms until you become an adult.
Septal abnormalities are among the most common congenital heart problems. These are holes in the wall that separates the left and right sides of your heart. You can get a procedure to patch the hole.
Another type of abnormality is called pulmonary stenosis. A narrow valve causes a decrease in the flow of blood to your lungs. A procedure or surgery can open or replace the valve.
In some babies, a small blood vessel known as the ductus arteriosus doesn't close up at birth as it should. When this happens, some blood leaks back into the pulmonary artery, which puts strain on your heart. Doctors can treat this with surgery or a procedure or sometimes with medication.
Symptoms & Types
Patients who have osteoarthritis of the hip sometimes have problems walking. Diagnosis can be difficult at first.
Each foot has 28 bones and more than 30 joints. The following are the most common foot joints affected by osteoarthritis.
Here are answers to your questions about knee osteoarthritis, including how it's treated and what you can do at home to ease the pain.
The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large shin bone (tibia) forming the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) compartment.
Here's information about osteoarthritis of the hand, from what causes it to how it can be treated and how the pain can be managed.
Osteoarthritis of the spine is a breakdown of the cartilage of the joints and discs in the neck and lower back.
Your risk of developing osteoarthritis of the shoulder with its pain and physical limitations increases with age. But an injury, such as a dislocated shoulder, can lead to shoulder osteoarthritis even in young people.
Cervical spondylosis is also called cervical osteoarthritis. It is a condition involving changes to the bones, discs, and joints of the neck.
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