I found this interesting, it is sometimes easy to think that there are only a couple of lung diseases/issues that can affect us. This list appears to be extensive and gives some enlightenment as to why diagnosis may represent a challenge, particularly for a non specialist.
-------------------------------
Lung conditions are myriad, writes Louis Roller, who takes us through a range of conditions pharmacists are likely to seeLung diseases are some of the most common medical conditions in the world. At least one in 10 Australians have lung disease; some 2.3 million have asthma, 1.4 million over 40 have some form of airflow limitation.
More than 11000 Australians are diagnosed with lung cancer and around 700 with pleural mesothelioma each year.
Fourteen per cent of all deaths in Australia are caused by lung disease, including COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, influenza and pneumonia.
Indigenous people die of lung disease at a rate up to three times of non-indigenous populations and in the case of COPD, five times that of non-indigenous people.
Lung disease is often undiagnosed, as people are not aware of important symptoms such as breathlessness/wheeze, productive cough (sputum, blood), fatigue, chest pain and/or tightness.
Most lung diseases are caused by smoking, infections, and genetics.
Airway diseasesAsthma: The airways are persistently inflamed, and may occasionally spasm, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. Allergies, infections, or pollution can trigger asthma symptoms.
COPD: Lung conditions defined by an inability to exhale normally, which causes difficulty breathing.
Chronic bronchitis: A form of COPD characterised by a chronic productive cough.
Emphysema: Lung damage allows air to be trapped in the lungs in this form of COPD and is exemplified in difficulty blowing air out.
Acute bronchitis: A sudden infection of the airways, usually by a virus.
Cystic fibrosis: A genetic condition causing poor clearance of mucous from the bronchi. The accumulated mucous results in repeated lung infections.
Lung diseases affecting the alveoliPneumonia: An infection of the alveoli, usually by bacteria.
Tuberculosis: A slowly progressive pneumonia caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Emphysema results from damage to the fragile connections between alveoli. Smoking is the usual cause. Emphysema also limits airflow, affecting the airways.
Pulmonary oedema: Fluid leaks out of the small blood vessels of the lung into the alveoli and the surrounding area. One form is caused by heart failure and back pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs; in another form, direct injury to the lung causes the leak of fluid.
Lung cancer has many forms, and may develop in any part of the lungs. Most often this is in the main part of the lung, in or near the alveoli. The type, location, and spread of lung cancer determines the treatment options.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): Severe, sudden injury to the lungs caused by a serious illness. Life support with mechanical ventilation is usually needed to survive until the lungs recover.
Pneumoconiosis: A category of conditions caused by the inhalation of a substance that injures the lungs. Examples include black lung disease from inhaled coal dust and asbestosis from inhaled asbestos dust.
Blood vessel diseaseThe right side of the heart receives low-oxygen blood from the veins. It pumps blood into the lungs through the pulmonary arteries. These blood vessels can suffer from disease, as well.
Pulmonary embolism (PE): A blood clot (usually in a deep leg vein, deep vein thrombosis) breaks off, travels to the heart, and is pumped into the lungs. The clot lodges in a pulmonary artery, often causing shortness of breath and low blood oxygen levels.
Pulmonary hypertension: Various conditions can lead to high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. This can cause shortness of breath and chest pain. When no cause is identified, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Pleura diseaseThe pleura is a thin lining that surrounds the lung and lines the inside of the chest wall. A tiny layer of fluid allows the pleura on the lung’s surface to slide along the chest wall with each breath. Diseases of the pleura include:
Pleural effusion: Fluid collects in the normally tiny pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Pneumonia or heart failure is usually responsible. If large, pleural effusions can impair breathing, and should be drained.
Pneumothorax: Air may enter the space between the chest wall and the lung, collapsing the lung.
Mesothelioma: A rare form of cancer that forms on the pleura. Mesothelioma tends to emerge several decades after asbestos exposure.
The chest wallThe chest wall also plays an important role in breathing. Muscles connect the ribs to each other, helping the chest to expand. The diaphragm descends with each breath in, also causing chest expansion.
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome: Extra weight on the chest and abdomen makes it difficult for the chest to expand. Serious breathing problems can result.
Neuromuscular disorders: Poor function in the nerves controlling the respiratory muscles causes difficulty breathing. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and myasthenia gravis are examples of neuromuscular lung disease.
Pharmacists can assist patients by going through with them, The Lung Foundation’s checklist of symptoms.
See also: Therapeutic Guidelines: Respiratory, Version 5, 2015.
Associate Professor Louis Roller, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Monash University, was the 2014 recipient of the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award.
ajp.com.au/education/clinical-pharmacy/clinical-tips-lung-conditions-explained/
