Common Cold

Around two-hundred Respiratory System diseases that have most of the same symptoms.

The common cold is not deadly. However, it can lead to secondary infections that may be deadly.

Symptoms: runny nose, cough, aches, sneezing, sometimes fever and sore throat. Sometimes burning skin.

Diagnosis: One usually does not go to the doctor for a cold virus UNLESS it turns into a secondary infection.

Treatment: drink lots of warm and cold fluids every hour; take Tylenol for pain.

Causes: Colds are very contagious. Touching anything that has cold germs, then touching your eyes, nose, or
mouth can cause you to catch this illness. Not washing hands regularly during cold season can cause you to
catch a cold.

Bronchitis

A Respiratory System infection of the bronchial tubes and sometimes the lungs.

Symptoms: Sometimes fever, sore chest, chills, trouble breathing, greenish-rusty mucous coming up through
the throat from the bronchial tubes

Diagnosis: The doctor listens to your chest and may take a chest x-ray. He does a sputum (mucous) culture with
a Q-Tip to test for bacteria (which would mean a bacterial infection).

Treatment: If it is bacterial, the doctor will give antibiotic drugs, a bronchial dilator, and/or breathing
treatments. WARNING: A doctor will NOT give antibiotics for viruses!!! (This could cause your body to resist
antibiotics when you really need them to work.)

Causes: This is caused by environmental pollution like smoking. It can also be caused as a secondary infection
from the common cold.

Pneumonia

A Respiratory System disease

An infection in the lungs that can be viral or bacterial

This pneumonia was caused by a bad case of chicken pox.

Can be deadly, especially to children under 4 and adults over 65.

Symptoms: possible back or chest pain, tiredness, weakness

Diagnosis: The doctor listens to your chest. He might give you a chest x-ray.

Treatment: If it is viral--bed rest. If it is bacterialantibiotics, medicines, and bed rest.

 Prevention: People who get pneumonia regularly should take a pneumonia vaccination. People who have
surgery or a bad illness should walk around some several times a day to keep fluids from building up in the
lungs.

Asthma

A Respiratory System Disease that affects a persons ability to breathe.

People with asthma use inhalers to get the medicine to their lungs quickly.

Can be deadly for children under age 18.

Symptoms: Wheezing, difficulty breathing, some coughing, chest pain

Diagnosis: The doctor listens to your chest. He notices if you have a lot of breathing attacks over a few months.
You take the lung function test and additional tests.

Treatment: Breathing treatments, medications in an inhaler

Lung Cancer

A Respiratory System Disease

Cancer of the lungs

Usually caused by smoking or exposure to environmental chemicals

This is a deadly disease.

Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, coughing up blood

Causes: a history of smoking or working near air-borne chemicals that damage the lungs

Diagnosis: Chest X-Rays and tests

Treatment: Chemotherapy (special chemicals given through an IV to work on cancer cells), radiation, partial
removal of the diseased lung

Emphysema

A Respiratory System disease

An environmental disease caused by smoking

or working

in a chemical

environment
 that damages

the lungs.

Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, wheezing, tiredness, weakness

Diagnosis: The doctor takes a chest x-ray and other tests.

Treatment: Breathing treatments including an oxygen tank and mask

Causes: A long-time exposure to environmental airborne chemicals, several years of smoking, second-hand
smoke

Tuberculosis

A Respiratory System Disease

In the 1800s, Tuberculosis was called Consumption and killed whole families and communities.

Today, it is a disease of the lungs that we cure with antibiotics.

Symptoms: a severe cough, in later cases coughing up blood, extreme liquid in the lungs

Diagnosis: Chest X-Ray, Tuberculin Test (a small shot in lower arma raised bump within three days indicates
possible Tuberculosis.)

Treatment: Nine months of antibiotic drugs that HAVE to be finished to cure you.

Prevention: This is a highly contagious disease, but there are not many cases in the US. If you go out of the
country, youll need to be watched for the disease.