The respiratory system consists of a group of organs that work together to provide the body with oxygen---a gas that every cell needs to function. Although it seems as though the lungs perform breathing, it is actually the muscle known as the diaphragm that is responsible for inhaling and exhaling. The lungs are responsible for respiration, which is getting oxygen into the blood and removing carbon dioxide from the blood. The lungs are vulnerable to genetic defects, bacteria, viruses and air pollutants that can cause a variety of lung diseases as early as childhood.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung which can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. The infection causes the tiny air sacs known as aveoli to become inflamed. Each lung contains more than 300 million aveoli, according to the Saskatchewan Lung Association. These aveoli can fill up with fluid or pus causing the symptoms of pneumonia including fever, chills, cough and difficulty breathing.
Pneumonia can occur at any age, but is common in children. Infants and young children have an increased risk of the symptoms being serious, as described by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Treatment depends upon the organism causing the infection, but children often begin to feel better within a few days.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of inflammation of the airways and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although nearly all children are exposed to this virus by the time they are 2-years-old, only a small portion of them will develop a serious form of the disease.
Symptoms of RSV are similar to the common cold including coughing, sneezing, runny nose, fever and decreased appetite. Those who develop severe symptoms may experience difficulty breathing and wheezing. RSV is a virus that spreads easily from person to person so young children at risk should be protected during the months of November through April when the risk of infection is greatest.
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease meaning it is passed from parent to child, which affects the lungs and the digestive system. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation reports that approximately 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis. Those who have cystic fibrosis have a defective gene that causes the body to produce thick sticky mucus that interferes with normal organ functions.
Symptoms of cystic fibrosis include salty skin, persistent cough, shortness of breath, unusually greasy and bulky stools and inhibited growth. Although there is no cure for CF, treatments are available to help patients live longer. The median age of survival is 37-years-old, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is a significant improvement over the 1950s when most children didn't live to elementary school age.
