Chronic pulmonary diseases refer to a conditions associated with difficulty breathing and coughing. These diseases typically last for more than three weeks and do not resolve on their own. Left untreated, these diseases can be potentially fatal. Fortunately, treatment is availabe.
Asthma
The Mayo Clinic says that asthma refers to respiratory airways that become constricted and inflamed. Specific symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain or tightness, trouble sleeping and coughing.
It is not clear what causes asthma, but it may be a combination of environmental factors and genes. The Mayo Clinic says that some asthma triggers include exercise, cold air, the common cold, stress and strong emotions. Other risk factors include smoke, acid reflux and an allergic reaction to shellfish or peanuts.
Treating asthma involves taking such medications as salmeterol, formoterol, fluticasone and budesonide. Other medications that can be taken for asthma include monteleukast, albuterol, ipatropium and theophylline.
Pulmonary Emphysema
The University of Maryland Medical Center says that pulmonary emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs are destroyed, narrow, stretched, over-inflated or collapsed.
It says that symptoms of pulmonary emphysema include a cough, shortness of breath, heart problems, trouble sleeping and weight loss. Other symptoms include depression, fatigue and anxiety.
Pulmonary emphysema occurs when the elastic fibers of the airways become destroyed. Risk factors for developing pulmonary emphysema include smoking, exposure to air pollution or suffering from a disease called alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency-related pulmonary emphysema.
Treating pulmonary emphysema involves quitting smoking, taking antibiotics and using bronchodilators to help with breathing. Sometimes, oxygen therapy or a lung transplant may be needed to manage pulmonary emphysema.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is another pulmonary disease that affects millions of people every year, says the UCSF Medical Center. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include a mucus-filled cough that occurs daily or at least three months out of the year consecutively. Chronic bronchitis can also lead to difficulty breathing and frequent throat clearing.
Risk factors for chronic bronchitis include smoking cigarettes.
Treating chronic bronchitis includes taking bronchodilator medications, steroids, antibiotics and oxygen therapy. Other treatment options involve surgery to remove part or all of the lung. Sometimes, learning about different breathing techniques and exercising can also help manage chronic bronchitis.
