lung diseases Essay example

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LUNG DISEASES

The lungs are one of the most vital parts of your body which lie on either side of your heart and fill the inside of your chest. Around 10,000 litres of air move in and out of your lungs every day. Every breath you take contains foreign bodies and germs, not just the oxygen in it so the lung has a physical and chemical defence system that is used to stop unwanted substances from getting into the body. Two thin layers of tissue called the pleura cover each lung. They allow the lungs to contract and relax by sliding over one another when you breathe. Each lung weighs around 1lb but the left lung is a little smaller than the right as the right has more space and does not have to share its space with the heart, unlike the left lung which does. Every part of your body needs oxygen from the air to survive. It is carried around the body by red blood cells in the bloodstream. Oxygen cannot get into the blood directly, through the skin, a complicated system is present in the lungs to absorb it from the air and transfer it into the bloodstream. So, if the lungs systems are not functioning correctly it can cause many health problems and complications. I will be talking about the different types of lung diseases, their symptoms, the course of infection and the transmission of the lung diseases.
There are a lot of things that can cause harm to your lungs and give you lung diseases later on. One of these risk factors is smoking. Smoking is very hazardous to your health and has been linked to many diseases such as lung disease, cancer, heart and circulation diseases and osteoporosis to name but a few. Smoking can damage the tiny air sacs (alveoli) and airways in your lungs. The damage induced by smoking to your blood vessels will see your heart rate and blood pressure increase which puts you at risk of heart disease and or a stroke. It affects your reproductive system and sex organs but is more greatly recognised as the biggest cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD is a disease caused by obstruction to airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the conditions of COPD, and they frequently co-exist so physicians prefer the term COPD. Bronchitis means 'inflammation of the bronchi'. These are the tubes or airways which carry oxygen from the air through the lungs. This inflammation increases mucus production in the airways, producing phlegm which makes you cough. Emphysema is where the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs lose their elasticity. This reduces the support of the airways, causing them to narrow. It also means the lungs are not as good at getting oxygen into the body, so you may have to breathe harder. This can result in shortness of breath. It does not include other obstructive diseases such as asthma. It causes damage to the airways and lungs which leads to the development of this long-term condition. Smoking can also make symptoms worse for people with asthma and other lung conditions too. Stopping smoking is essential to prevent the development of COPD or slow down its progression. If you have a lung condition such as COPD, you are more likely to feel increasingly breathless if you smoke, or are exposed to second-hand smoke. COPD leads to damaged airways in the lungs, causing them to become narrower and making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. The word 'chronic' means that the problem is long-term. Children and babies who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop lung problems such as asthma, and are at risk of developing infections including pneumonia, bronchitis and ear infections. This is because their lungs are not yet fully formed.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that normally attacks the lungs. TB is contracted from one person to the next through the air you breathe and droplet infection through coughing. People with TB in their throat and lungs who talk, cough, sing or even laugh will release the
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