Pulmonary and Critical Care

Lung problems

Lung problems encompass a wide range of conditions that affect the respiratory system, impacting the ability to breathe and perform everyday activities. These issues can be acute or chronic, caused by infections, inflammation, structural abnormalities, or environmental factors.

Lung problems encompass a range of conditions affecting respiratory health. Respiratory infections include acute bronchitis, which involves inflammation of the bronchial tubes often caused by viral infections, leading to coughing, mucus production, and wheezing; pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be bacterial, viral, or fungal, resulting in symptoms such as cough, fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing; and tuberculosis (TB), a serious bacterial infection primarily affecting the lungs, characterized by a persistent cough, weight loss, night sweats, and fever. Chronic respiratory diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which comprises emphysema and chronic bronchitis, leading to long-term breathing difficulties, coughing, and mucus production, and asthma, a condition involving chronic inflammation and narrowing of the airways, causing wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), marked by progressive scarring of lung tissue and declining lung function, and sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease causing granulomas in the lungs, resulting in cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Pulmonary hypertension involves elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, presenting symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain, and can be primary or secondary to other conditions like heart disease or chronic lung disease.