Respiratory disease

A disease affecting the airways or other parts of the respiratory system, including the lungs. It can impair breathing, gas exchange, or both.

Respiratory system: The organs and structures that move air and exchange gases between the body and its surroundings. Respiratory diseases affect one or more parts of this connected system.
Asthma: A chronic respiratory disease involving variable airway narrowing, inflammation, and heightened responsiveness. It illustrates episodic airway obstruction that can improve spontaneously or with treatment.
Airway inflammation: An immune response in the airways that can cause swelling, mucus production, and increased sensitivity. It narrows air passages and contributes to symptoms in several respiratory diseases.
Spirometry: A lung-function test that measures how much air a person inhales or exhales and how quickly. It detects airflow limitation and helps assess diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Airway: A passage that carries air between the atmosphere and the gas-exchanging regions of the lungs. Inflammation or obstruction here narrows the route air must travel.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A chronic lung disease marked by persistent airflow limitation, commonly associated with tobacco smoke exposure. It contrasts with episodic obstruction through persistent limitation of airflow.
Bronchoconstriction: A tightening of smooth muscle around the bronchi that narrows the airways. It can sharply restrict airflow during an asthma episode.
Chest radiography: Medical imaging that uses X-rays to produce pictures of the chest, including the lungs and heart. It can reveal patterns such as lung opacities, though it does not identify every cause.
Alveolus: A microscopic air sac in the lung where oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse between air and blood. Damage to these sacs can directly disrupt gas exchange.
Pneumonia: An infection that inflames the air sacs of one or both lungs, which may fill with fluid or pus. It shows how infection in gas-exchanging tissue can impair oxygenation.

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Indoor air pollutionNarrower topic: Many consequences of indoor pollution fall within this broad group of illnesses.