Respiratory Disease
Causes, & Major Types
respiratory disease, any of the diseases and disorders of the airways and the lungs that affect human respiration.
Diseases of the respiratory system may affect any of the structures and organs that have to do with breathing, including the nasal cavities, the pharynx (or throat), the larynx, the trachea (or windpipe), the bronchi and bronchioles, the tissues of the lungs, and the respiratory muscles of the chest cage.
emphysema
The respiratory tract is the site of an exceptionally large range of disorders for three main reasons: (1) it is exposed to the environment and therefore may be affected by inhaled organisms, dusts, or gases; (2) it possesses a large network of capillaries through which the entire output of the heart has to pass, which means that diseases that affect the small blood vessels are likely to affect the lung; and (3) it may be the site of “sensitivity” or allergic phenomena that may profoundly affect function.
asthma
This article discusses the signs and symptoms of respiratory disease, the natural defenses of the human respiratory system, the methods of detecting respiratory disease, and the different diseases of the respiratory system. For more information about the anatomy of the human respiratory system and the process of respiration, see human respiratory system.
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