Disorders of the Respiratory System

The respiratory system consists of the trachea, alveoli, bronchi, bronchioles, and lungs with pleura and pleural cavity. Lungs are a complex structure that is responsible for gaseous exchange. Oxygen is inhaled while carbon dioxide is exhaled through the lungs. Therefore, when some respiratory system disorders affect both the upper and lower respiratory tract, it causes breathing difficulty and a low oxygen level in the bloodstream. Chronic respiratory diseases lead to hypoxia and hypercapnia in millions of people. There is the failure of other functions such as thermoregulation, metallic functions, and immune response due to several manifestations.

Major Respiratory Disorders

Lung Circulation Disease

Problems associated with the pulmonary vasculature, transitional circulation, and regulation of pulmonary vascular tone lead to pulmonary vascular disorders. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one example of the disease of the respiratory system—the coagulation in the blood vessels in the pathophysiology of lung circulation disease.

 There is an increase in the blood pressure of the blood vessels present in the lungs, which leads to pulmonary and systemic diseases. The increased pulmonary pressure can occur due to left heart disease and heart failure. In the worst cases, the patients may have paediatric lung disease, thromboembolic disease, and paediatric cardiovascular disease.

Lung Tissue Disease

Many types of Lung diseases can cause progressive scarring of lung tissues. Some examples of lung tissue diseases of the respiratory system include Interstitial Lung disease, sarcoidosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Inflammation of the lung tissues makes the lungs hard to inflate the air by expanding. It also leads to difficulty breathing the air as the airway is scarred. 

The tissues lost the ability to stretch because of the clumps formed in the lymph nodes and lungs. The granulomas later heal, but lungs become stiff if it does not heal. The lung stiffness can directly result in dry cough and wheezing sounds.

Airway Disease

The other disorders of the respiratory system are airway disease. These kinds of diseases occur when bronchial tubes are affected. The tubes get narrowed and obstructed. As a result, patients have less ability to inhale oxygen into the lungs. It is the common pattern of lung diseases that are chronic or acute. The most common airway diseases of the respiratory system examples are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and emphysema. These are the inflammatory diseases of the airways which can be reversible or irreversible.

Causes of Respiratory Disorders

The most common reasons for respiratory disorders are smoking, asbestos, genetics, family history, and bacteria. The topmost bacteria are Legionella pneumoniae, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Haemophilus; they inflame the lungs, block the airway and consolidate the tissues. Most people have irreversible scarring. Therefore, in such patients, a lung transplant is required. Clinicians check for the cause of the respiratory system disorders through a chest x-ray, blood examination, sputum culture, blood culture, etc. Pulse oximetry has been useful to know the level of oxygen.

Symptoms of Respiratory Disorders

Symptoms mostly depend on the affected tract of the respiratory system and the severity. Some of the symptoms based on severity are as follows:

Symptoms in less severe disorders of the respiratory system

• Shaking chills and fever
• Malaise
• Difficulty in breathing
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Wheezing sound
• Increased heart rate or tachycardia
• Headache
• Runny Nose

Symptoms in highly severe disorders of the respiratory system

• Pleural chest pain
• Cough with pus, blood, and mucous
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Aching of joints and muscles
• Heart palpitations
• Swelling in the limbs
• Heart failure
• Damage of liver
• Lung bleeding

Treatment of Respiratory Disorders

The major kind of treatment given in the lung diseases are as follows:

• Bronchodilators
• Corticosteroids such as prednisone
• Antibiotics (Innopran, Pacerone, Ethambutol)
• Oxygen therapy
• Lung transplant
• Chemotherapy drugs like Methotrexate
• Chest Physiotherapy
• Plenty of rest and fluids

Conclusion

Lung disease is a leading cause of death due to severe complications. It can be prevented by the early diagnosis of respiratory system disorders; doctors prescribe oxygen therapy, lung transplant, and IV fluids in such severe cases. If the patient belongs to a young age group, close monitoring of the infection is recommended. The recovery time depends from individual to individual. Getting vaccines such as COVID vaccines, BCG, MMR will help prevent respiratory tract infections.