Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium known as Koch's bacillus (BK). Only 10% of individuals exposed to Koch's bacillus will develop tuberculosis symptoms. In the remaining 90%, the bacterium is controlled by the immune system, becoming inactivated, unable to be transmitted or causing any sign of disease. These patients, however, may develop tuberculosis sooner if there is any drop in their immune defenses, allowing the bacterium to proliferate.
Acute pulmonary edema (APE) is a medical emergency caused by leakage of water from the blood vessels into the lung tissue, making breathing difficult. In this paper we explain the causes, symptoms and treatment of acute pulmonary edema.
Bronchiolitis is an inflammation of the bronchioles, one of the deepest regions of the airways of the lungs. Bronchiolitis is usually caused by a viral infection and mainly affects children under the age of 2 years.
Cough is one of the most common symptoms found in medical practice. Besides being a sign of a possible respiratory disease, cough is also a vital defense mechanism of our airways. In this paper we explain how the cough arises and what its causes.
The ordinary cigarette is a product composed initially of about 600 different substances. I say initially because, when lit, the combustion process generates a huge amount of new substances, making a single cigarette and its smoke contains over 7,000 different chemicals. Of these, 400 are notoriously toxic and at least 70 are known carcinogens, that is capable of causing cancer.
In fire situations, most people automatically relate deaths and injuries to fire burns. However, the main cause of death and need for hospitalization of individuals exposed to fires occurs due to the injuries caused by the inhalation of smoke. About 80% of deaths are by inhalation of vapors and chemicals, mainly carbon monoxide and cyanide.
The legionellosis, also known as disease (s) Legionnaire (s) is a potentially serious infection caused by a bacterium called Legionella pneumophila. The Legionnaire's disease is an infection not contagious, which is usually acquired through inhalation of contaminated water particles with the Legionella bacteria and can cause atypical pneumonia.
Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by the aspiration of asbestos fibers, also known as asbestos, which can lead to respiratory failure, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Pleural effusion, popularly known as water in the pleura or water in the lung, is the name given to the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleura, a thin membrane surrounding the lung.
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or simply COPD is a term used for a group of lungs diseases characterized by chronic obstruction of the airways within the lungs.
Pneumonia is the term used to describe the occurrence of infection in one or both lungs. There are over 100 types of microbes that can cause of pneumonia, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Most cases, however, is caused by only 4 or 5 types of bacteria or viruses.
