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| Common Respiratory Disorders |
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| The disorders of the respiratory system that includes the lungs and the respiratory tract are called the respiratory disorders. These disorders may be classified as communicable and non-communicable diseases. The communicable disorders are caused by the disease causing germs or the pathogens and are transmitted from infected persons to the healthy ones. The non-communicable diseases are caused by various factors such as the environment, profession, etc. |
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| Tuberculosis |
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| Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is spread among the humans through air-borne droplets. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Fever |
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| ii) Cough |
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| iii) Chest pain |
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| iv) Bloody sputum |
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| Cure |
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| TB can be treated with drugs such as streptomycin, para-amino salicylic acid, rifampicin, etc. |
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| Prevention |
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| i) Vaccination - Bacillus-Calmette-Guarin (BCG) vaccination is given to infants to prevent TB. |
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| ii) Spread of awareness - Spitting on the roads should be avoided. |
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| iii) Isolation of TB patients |
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| Pneumonia |
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| Pneumonia is caused by the bacterium Diplococcus pneumoniae. It is spread among the humans through air-borne bacterial cysts spread by the sputum. |
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| Symptoms |
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| Collection of lymph and mucous in the bronchioles and alveoli, can lead to death. |
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| Cure |
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| Pneumonia can be treated with antibiotic drugs such as penicillin, flucloxacillin, etc. |
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| Prevention |
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| Isolation of infected persons prevents the spread of pneumonia. |
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| Aspergillosis |
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| Aspergillosis is caused by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. It is spread among the humans through air-borne fungal spores. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Formation of aspergilloma, a ball like structure due to germination of the fungal spores. |
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| ii) Necrosis of lung tissues. |
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| iii) Bloody sputum |
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| Cure |
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| Aspergillosis can be treated with drugs such as amphopericin and flucytosine. |
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| Prevention |
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| Isolation of infected persons can prevent the spread of aspergillosis. |
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| Influenza |
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| Influenza is caused by the virus Myxovirus influenzae. It is spread among the humans through air-borne virus particles. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Sneezing |
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| ii) Cough |
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| iii) Bronchitis |
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| iv) Bronchopneumonia |
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| Cure |
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| Influenza can be treated with antibiotic drugs. |
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| Prevention |
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| Isolation of infected persons prevents the spread of influenza. |
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| Diphtheria |
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| Diphtheria is caused by the bacterium Cornyebacterium diphtheriae. It occurs in children below the age of 5 years and is spread among the humans through air-borne droplets. Stick test is used to diagnose diphtheria. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Inflammation of mucus membrane of nose, throat and tonsils. |
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| ii) Blockage of respiratory tract. |
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| iii) Bloody nasal discharge. |
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| Cure |
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| Diphtheria has to be treated with antitoxins within 24 hours of appearance of symptoms. Antibiotics like penicillin and erythromycin are given. |
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| Prevention |
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| i) Vaccination - DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) vaccination is given to infants within six months of birth to prevent diphtheria. It is also called triple antigen. |
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| ii) Isolation of infected babies. |
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| Pertussis |
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| Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It mostly occurs in children below the age of 5 years and is spread through air-borne droplets and by contact. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Mild fever |
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| ii) Severe coughing |
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| iii) Whoops - inspirations with loud crowing sound. |
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| iv) Vomitting |
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| v) Mucus blocking the respiratory tract |
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| Cure |
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| Pertussis has to be treated with antibiotics erythromycin. |
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| Prevention |
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| i) Vaccination - DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) vaccination is given to infants within six months of birth. |
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| ii) Isolation of infected babies. |
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| Lung cancer |
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| Cancer is the result of uncontrolled division of certain cells. It is localized in the initial stages. The uncontrolled divisions produce structures called the tumours. If the tumours are present in the lungs, then it is called lung cancer. It is one of the chief killers among men. |
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| Most of the cancer cases among men are lung cancers. |
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| Lung cancer is caused by smoking and inhaling some industrial pollutants. Due to increase in smoking habit and pollution, there is rapid increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Lung cancer kills about 1 million people every year. |
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| Cancer causing substances are called carcinogens. In tobacco the carcinogen is benzpyrene. Some of the industrial pollutants that are carcinogenic are mustard gas, chromium compounds, etc. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Severe chest pain |
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| ii) Coughing |
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| iii) Bloody sputum |
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| Cure |
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| Cancer is only curable in the initial stages. There are two types of therapies involved for cancer, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. |
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| Radiation therapy involves using powerful light rays to burn the cancerous tissue. |
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| Chemotherapy also destroys the cancerous tissue selectively but with the help of chemicals. Some of the chemicals used are methotrexate, cyclophosphamide and vincristine. |
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| Prevention |
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| i) Avoid smoking |
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| ii) Adequate care to be taken in the industries to protect the workers from the harmful effects of the carcinogenic pollutants. |
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| Emphysema |
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| Emphysema is caused due to excessive smoking. Smoking stimulates the production of proteinases that interfere with the working of the interstitial proteins like elastin. This results in damage to the alveolar walls and therefore seriously affects the lung capacity. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Over-inflation of alveoli |
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| ii) Rupture of alveolar walls that form the pulmonary bullae (these are the thin-walled air spaces). |
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| iii) Decreased respiratory surface area and pulmonary ventilation. |
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| Cure |
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| i) Expectoration should be encouraged. |
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| ii) Regular exercise. |
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| Prevention |
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| Avoid cigarette smoking. |
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| Chronic Bronchitis |
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| Bronchitis refers to the irritation of the bronchus and 'chronic' means long occurring. Thus chronic bronchitis is due to exposure over a long time to irritants like cigarette smoke and industrial pollutants. These irritants cause increase in the number of goblet cells and production of mucus in the bronchi and the bronchioles and decrease in the ciliary action of the epithelial cells. This leads to accumulation of mucus in the air passages that constricts these passages. |
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| Symptoms |
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| i) Colds during winter months |
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| ii) Persistant coughing |
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| iii) Wheezing |
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| iv) Breathlessness |
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| v) Tightness of chest |
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| vi) Scanty, mucoid sputum, sometimes streaked with blood. |
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| Cure |
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| Bronchodilators such as nebulised salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, etc. can be used to clear the air passages. Use of respiratory stimulants like Doxapram hydrochloride also help. Antibiotics such as amoxycillin and ampicillin are also used in the treatment. |
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| Prevention |
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| Avoiding cigarette smoking and exposure to industrial pollutants are the only ways of preventing chronic bronchitis. |
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| Allergies |
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| Allergy is defined as the body's hypersensitive reaction to a foreign substance that it comes in contact with or that enters the body. |
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| The foreign substance that causes allergy is called the allergen. |
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| There are various types of allergens causing a variety of allergies. Pollen grains, fur, dust, venom, certain foods and medicines may act as allergens. |
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| The allergens act as antigens and stimulate the body's defence mechanisms viz., production of mucus, antibodies, etc. |
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| Some of the common allergies caused are |
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| Hay fever |
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| Certain allergens like pollens and plant spores cause increased secretion of mucosa of nose, throat, etc. and conjunctivitis. This is called hay fever. |
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| Asthma |
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| If the reaction is more severe and the range of allergens is more wide it is called asthma. |
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| Symptoms of asthma |
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| i) Narrowing of bronchi |
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| ii) Bronchiospasm |
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| iii) Breathlessness |
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| Asthma-causing allergens |
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| i) Dust |
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| ii) Pollen grains of plants like the Parthenium, commonly called congress plant. They are the main cause of allergy. |
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| iii) Pet animals |
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| iv) Foods like fish, egg, red wine, corn, wheat, etc. |
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| v) Medicines like aspirin |
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| vi) Pollutants like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, smoke, etc. |
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| Cure |
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| Antihistamines like phenindamine, diphenhydramine and cyclizine etc. are used in the treatment of asthma. In some cases steroids are also used. However, steroids are known to have side effects. |
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| Prevention |
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| The allergens can be identified by tests such as patch test, skin prick test or by avoidance. Once identified, these allergens should be avoided. |
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