Respiratory
10 Nov
Respiratory medicine is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and illnesses that affect the lungs, chest and other structures and organs in the respiratory system. The respiratory system is made up of the lungs, diaphragm, trachea, nasal cavity, mouth, pharynx and the larynx; the system is divided into the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract consists of:
- Nose
- Sinuses
- Throat
- mouth
- Pharynx
- Larynx
The lower respiratory tract consists of:
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Alveoli
Respiratory conditions
Respiratory conditions are very common; many conditions are mild but some are very serious and can potentially be life-threatening. Examples of respiratory illnesses include:
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Common cold
- Sore throat
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
- Laryngitis
- Asthma
- Lung cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)- this was previously known as chronic bronchitis
- Tuberculosis
Treatment for respiratory conditions
There are many different types of treatment for respiratory conditions; for some illnesses, such as the common cold, there are no treatments to cure the illness because it is caused by a virus, but there are treatments that can ease the symptoms and make patients feel more comfortable.
For people with more serious, chronic illnesses, such as asthma, a long-term treatment may be used; most asthma sufferers have an inhaler with them at all times. Inhalers contain steroids which help to make it easier to breathe.
Treatment for lung cancer may include a combination of therapies; chemotherapy and radiotherapy are most commonly used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy involves taking drugs which destroy cancerous cells, while radiotherapy used specially determined doses of radiation to shrink or destroy tumours.
Treatment for conditions that cause chronic breathing difficulties may involve nebulisation; nebulisers are devices which administer medication by means of an individual inhaling the medication into their lungs. Nebulisers are an example of a medical innovation; nebulisers are commonly used by people with severe asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
In extreme cases, a lung transplant procedure may be carried out; lung transplant procedures involve replacing one or both lungs with the lungs of a donor. Lung transplants are not commonly carried out in the UK; around 120 transplant procedures are carried out in the UK every year. There is a severe shortage of donor lungs and therefore priority is given to people who will benefit from the procedure the most; this means that most donor lungs are given to people under the age of 60.
