Overview
Chest diseases are a group of illnesses that affect the chest, lungs, and related structures. They can range in seriousness from minor to life-threatening.Chest diseases can be caused by a variety of factors, such as smoking, exposure to chemicals or radiation, and heredity. The most common type of chest disease is a lung cancer. Other types of chest diseases include pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma.
The two most common chronic respiratory diseases are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These both affect the airways in the lungs.
Asthma is characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing due to airway narrowing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person. Symptoms may occur several times in a day or week in affected individuals, and for some people become worse during physical activity or at night. Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children.
In asthma, the airway obstruction is reversible with inhaled medicines, but in COPD it is mostly fixed. COPD only affects adults and usually becomes worse with time. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness or a need for air, sputum production and a chronic cough.
Risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases include tobacco smoking (including second-hand smoke), air pollution, allergens and occupational risks. Outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution (often caused by cooking with solid fuels) are also common causes.
Asthma and COPD may be prevented by reducing or avoiding exposure to these risk factors.
Diagnosis
Chest diseases can be diagnosed using tests like X-rays or CT scans. Chest diseases are managed with a variety of treatments, depending on the type, severity and other factors. Treatments and remedies vary depending on the cause of the chest disease and may include antibiotics or surgery to remove the cause or blockage in the airway.
Treatments
Neither asthma nor chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be cured but treatment can reduce symptoms, prevent deterioration and improve daily life.
During attacks of breathlessness caused by airway narrowing, inhaled medicines (bronchodilators) can open the airways and relieve symptoms. If untreated, severe attacks can lead to death.
Appropriate management of asthma with inhaled corticosteroid medicine can control the progression of the disease and reduce deaths. Long-term treatment is required for people with persistent symptoms and exposures which trigger symptoms (e.g. smoke, fumes, dust, grass and tree pollen, animal fur and feathers) should be avoided.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is confirmed by a spirometry test, which measures how much and how quickly a person can blow air out of their lungs. Symptoms can be treated through medical and physical treatments; however, with COPD in people who smoke tobacco, the most effective treatment available is to stop smoking. This can slow down the progression of the disease and decrease COPD-related deaths. In specific cases, people may benefit from using inhaled corticosteroid medicines.