15 Respiratory Diseases
15 00 Asthma
15 01 Bronchitis
15 02 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
15 03 Dry cough
15 04 Influenza
15 05 MERS-CoV
15 06 SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus disease)
Respiratory or lung diseases are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the common cold, influenza, and pharyngitis, to life-threatening diseases, such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, tuberculosis, acute asthma, lung cancer, and severe acute respiratory syndromes, such as COVID-19. Respiratory diseases can be classified in many ways, including by the organ or tissue involved, the type and pattern of associated signs and symptoms, or the cause of the disease.
When you have found your disease or condition, you look for the treatment color. The treatment colors are magenta (red-blue), blue, cyan (blue-green), green, yellow (red-green), and red. I give the treatment colors a number. Magenta = 0, blue = 1, cyan = 2, green = 3, yellow = 4, and red = 5. Asthma would then be categorized as 15-00-2. Here, the last digit, the treatment color, is cyan. The first two digits are the disease/condition group (Respiratory Diseases are 15). The next two digits (Asthma is 00) are the illness within the group, and the last digit (cyan is 2) is the treatment color.
When you use the projector, click on your treatment color, and a large image of it will appear. Make the color cover the whole page and project it onto yourself. When you use the LED light bulb, you choose your color manually.
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It is one of the most common long-term diseases in children, but adults can also have asthma. Asthma causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early morning. If you have asthma, you have it all the time, but you will have asthma attacks only when something bothers your lungs.
We don’t know all the things that can cause asthma, but we know that genetic, environmental, and occupational factors have been linked to developing asthma.
Bronchitis is an infection of the central airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. As a result, the central airways branch off on either side of your windpipe (trachea).
They lead to smaller and smaller airways inside your lungs called bronchioles. The walls of the central airways produce mucus to trap dust and other particles that could otherwise irritate.
Most cases of bronchitis happen when an infection irritates and inflames the airways, causing them to produce more mucus than usual. Your body tries to shift this extra mucus through coughing.
Bronchitis is classified into two categories: acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is a group of diseases and conditions that produce an inflammatory response in the lungs. The inflammation occurs along the lining of bronchial tubes, which act as a passageway for air to reach the lungs. It results in shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Although this disease can cause irreversible damage to the airways, appropriate treatment and prevention strategies can minimize further lung damage.
A cough is a reflex action that clears your airway of irritants and mucus. There are two types of coughs: productive and nonproductive. A productive cough produces phlegm or mucus, liberating it from the lungs. A nonproductive cough, known as a dry cough, doesn’t produce phlegm or mucus.
Many things, from allergies to acid reflux, can cause a dry cough. But, in some cases, there’s no apparent cause.
Regardless of the cause, an ongoing dry cough can significantly impact your daily life if it worsens at night.
Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system —nose, throat, and lungs. Influenza is commonly called the flu, but it’s not like stomach “flu” viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.
For most people, the flu resolves on its own. But sometimes, influenza and its complications can be deadly. People at higher risk of developing flu complications include young children under age five, especially those under six months, adults older than 65, and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. In addition, pregnant women and women up to two weeks after giving birth are at risk, and people who have chronic illnesses, such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes.
MERS-CoV, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), is a respiratory illness caused by a virus belonging to the coronavirus family. According to records, the incubation period (between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) for MERS is two to fourteen days.
MERS-CoV ranges from mild to severe. Some people experience no symptoms similar to mild upper respiratory infections.
MERS-CoV can lead to respiratory or kidney failure and is sometimes fatal. People are most at risk of serious illness if they are older adults or have a weakened immune system or a chronic disease, such as diabetes or lung disease.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention.
Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop severe illnesses. However, anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.
The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or breathe.