The lungs are vital organs in the human body that play an important role in the respiratory system. Therefore, lung disease can certainly interfere with the sufferer’s daily life. One of the diseases in the lungs that you may have heard quite often is asthma.
Yes, asthma occurs due to inflammation and narrowing of the respiratory tract. Besides asthma, there are other lung diseases that are most common.
This article will review the most common types of lung diseases and their causes. That way, you can be more alert and can maintain optimal lung health .
Types of Lung Disease and Their Causes
There are several diseases that attack the lungs and are quite common, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, and so on.
To get to know the various types of lung disease, you can listen to the reviews below.
1. Tuberculosis
The first type of lung disease is tuberculosis (TB or TB) . As the name suggests, the cause of this lung disease is an infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis .
When it enters and infects the lungs, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria can make sufferers feel short of breath and experience a chronic cough.
Tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease. Therefore, both sufferers and the people around them need to be aware of this disease.
Not only the lungs, TB infection can also attack other organs , such as the spine, lymph nodes, brain, intestines, to the heart.
2. Pneumonia (Wet Lung)
The next disease that attacks the lungs is pneumonia or wet lung . Pneumonia is a type of ARI or Acute Respiratory Infection in the form of inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli).
Pneumonia is often called wet lung because this disease makes the air sacs in these organs filled with fluid or pus.
The cause of this lung disease is a viral or bacterial infection.
Some of the symptoms of wet lung disease include:
- Often experience coughing and accompanied by the appearance of yellow, green, or even bloody mucus
- Hard to breathe
- Pain in the chest
- Fever
3. Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a disease in the form of abnormal cell growth in the lungs. The cause of lung cancer is a gene mutation from the cells in that organ.
In addition, smoking habits, both active and passive, were found to be one of the most common risk factors that can trigger lung cancer .
4. Asma
Asthma that occurs in the lungs is often referred to as bronchial asthma. Bronchial asthma is a disease that causes the airways to and from the lungs to narrow, swell, and produce excess mucus.
The cause of bronchial asthma is still not clear.
However, genetics and environmental influences (air pollution, exposure to allergens, viral infections, etc.) are known to be triggering factors for this lung disease.
Symptoms of this lung disease include:
- Wheezing or wheezing
- Hard to breathe
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
5. Emphysema
Emphysema is a type of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. Similar to lung cancer, emphysema is most commonly caused by smoking habits that have been carried out for years by sufferers.
Emphysema occurs because the walls of the alveoli or air sacs are damaged.
6. Bronchitis
The most common disease of the lung organ that occurs next is bronchitis. Yes, bronchitis is related to the bronchial tubes in the lungs.
To be precise, bronchitis occurs due to inflammation in the walls of the bronchial tubes.
The cause of bronchitis is a viral or bacterial infection, such as Rhinovirus , Adenovirus , Influenza , Coronavirus , and so on.
7. Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a disease that occurs due to a blood clot that blocks one of the arteries in the lungs.
This causes the lungs to not be well drained by blood and makes the sufferer experience shortness of breath, pain in the chest, and coughing up blood.
Thus a review of various lung diseases that can be conveyed.
If you feel that there is a disturbance in the respiratory tract, immediately consult a doctor to get early treatment.
That way, medical action can be taken to avoid the occurrence of complications of other, more serious diseases.