4 of the most common lung disorders and diseases

SALT LAKE CITY — Whether life-threatening or not, lung problems can drastically alter your quality of life. Four of the most common lung disorders and diseases are asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and COPD.

Here’s a quick reference list to help you determine which ailment you may be suffering from and how it’s treated.

Asthma

Asthma is “a disorder that causes airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing,” the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed website states. Most people with asthma have a personal or family history of allergies.

Symptoms: An asthma attack can be triggered by a variety of physical or environmental changes. Symptoms include:

• Cough (with or without mucus)
• Intercostal retractions (when skin and ribs pull inward while breathing)
• Shortness of breath that gets worse with physical activity
• Wheezing

Treatment: Treatment for asthma includes, but is not limited to: allergy medication, inhalers, home nebulizers, mucus-reducing agents, lifestyle changes and avoidance of airborne irritants if possible.

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is a respiratory disease in which the mucus membrane in the lungs and bronchial passages becomes inflamed. As the irritated membrane swells and grows thicker, it narrows or shuts off the airways in the lungs, resulting in coughing spells.

#acute_bronchitis

“The disease comes in two forms,” WebMD states, “acute (lasting from one to three weeks) and chronic (lasting at least three months of the year for two years in a row).”

In many cases, bronchitis can lead to pneumonia. And if mucus becomes too thick, it can create mucus plugs, which can be deadly.

Symptoms: WebMD lists the following as common symptoms of acute bronchitis:

• Hacking cough that persists for five days or more
• Clear, yellow, white or green phlegm
• Absence of fever, although a low-grade fever may occasionally be present
• Soreness in the chest

Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

• Persistent cough that produces clear, yellow, white or green phlegm (for three months, two years in a row)
• Sometimes wheezing, sometimes breathlessness
• Feeling very tired

Treatment: Doctors often prescribe antibiotics and mucus-reducing agents as the main course of treatment.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lungs that mainly affects the air sacs known as alveoli. The condition is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteria.

Symptoms: Symptoms of pneumonia include:

• Fever (with sweating and shaking chills)
• Cough that produces thick, sticky fluid
• Chest pain while breathing, coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue and muscle aches
• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Treatment: Typically, treatment of pneumonia depends on the underlying cause. Presumed bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics; viral pneumonia simply takes time to heal. But because viral pneumonia can progress into a bacterial pneumonia, it should be watched closely by a doctor. If pneumonia is severe, the affected person is generally admitted to a hospital.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

COPD is a long-term lung disease that refers to both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It will usually occur in people who smoke or are around secondhand smoke, industrial areas with air particles or mining.

Symptoms: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute lists the following as common symptoms of COPD:

• An ongoing cough or cough that produces a lot of mucus (also known as “smoker’s cough”)
• Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity
• Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe)
• Chest tightness

Treatment: Treatment for COPD will vary according to the degree of disease. If you remove yourself from its cause, the disease will stop progressing but will not go away completely because the lungs have been scarred. In most cases, the patient will need supplemental oxygen and steroid inhalers.

If you suspect you are suffering from one of these conditions, make an appointment to see your doctor. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you’ll start to feel better.

Next week: Four more serious lung diseases and the damage they'll do to your body.

Suzanne Carlile, "Nurse Suzy," has been a nurse since 1982. Her main focus is critical care and nursing education. She holds a master's degree in nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, and a member of NNSDO Intermountain West Chapter.

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