These are modern healthier times but the incidence of respiratory diseases has not decreased. You would have thought that with better food, health and economic levels, people would have developed resistance to common respiratory disorders. But that has not happened. According to the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 121000 people worldwide are affected with lung disease. Lung cancer is one of the larger killers of people all over the world along with other respiratory diseases which come a close second. At present there are more than 35 million adult Americans who have some sort of lung disorder and that amount of people will increase over the next few years.

How It Happens?

The lungs are thin balloons which are responsible for filtering air and allowing only oxygen to enter the body and allow carbon dioxide to escape. As we breathe in air, it enters into the windpipe and the trachea and ultimately into the bronchial tubes. The entire respiratory system is dependent on the last part of the respiratory system called as the alveoli. The actual exchange of gases takes place in the alveoli which are nothing but thin walled balloons. But, under disease conditions, these thin walled balloons become thick and dense or filled with thick mucus. The thin wall of the alveoli is the main reason that gases can pass through easily.

With constant irritations from allergens like cigarette smoke, the cell wall becomes multi-cellular and thick. This interferes with the exchange of gases and causes the amount of oxygen entering the body to decrease. As the actual exchange of oxygen decrease, breathing becomes more and more difficult for the patient. This is the primary symptoms for all patients who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Along with the thickened walls, the alveoli also start to develop recurrent swellings and infections.

Cuses of Infections

No one really knows what causes respiratory diseases. There are several reasons for it but sometimes it can be a combination of all these factors which causes respiratory diseases. At least one lung disorder can also be blamed on contemporary medications and their side effects. For example, pulmonary hypertension which is characterized by high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery can be also caused due to the widespread use of diet drugs like fenphen or fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine. Many patients who were on the drug to lose weight developed symptoms of the lung disease. Although the drugs were later banned from regular use, they are still used illegally by patients to lose weight.

Infectious diseases can also cause lung disorders. Two of the world’s most dangerous diseases are pneumonia and tuberculosis which can severely damage the lungs and destroy the patient’s respiratory health almost permanently. But newer and better antibiotics have made it possible to control these diseases to a manageable condition.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is another extremely common lung condition found all over the world. Smoking or exposure to dangerous toxins can cause the lung tissue to get irreparably damaged. There is a permanent decrease in the breathing capacity of the patient.