Diseases of the respiratory system: types and features

• Home /
• Branches /
• Therapy /
• Respiratory diseases

11/03/2021 The article was checked by general practitioner Mardanova O.A. , is for general informational purposes only and does not replace specialist advice.
For recommendations on diagnosis and treatment, consultation with a doctor is necessary. It is believed that respiratory diseases are one of the most common pathologies with which patients consult a doctor. They significantly reduce the patient’s quality of life and are often difficult to treat independently. In addition, the state of the respiratory system is seriously influenced by the environment, including the ecological situation, and therefore the number of patients with these diseases has increased significantly in recent years.

Therapists at the Yauza Clinical Hospital diagnose respiratory diseases and refer patients to doctors whose specialty is respiratory treatment.

Respiratory diseases: causes

The causes of this group of diseases are very diverse. Let's consider the main ones: 1. The No. 1 cause of respiratory diseases are pathogenic microorganisms - causative agents of infectious processes, and the leading role in this cause belongs to bacteria such as: mycoplasma, pneumococcus, legionella, hemophilus influenzae, chlamydia, respiratory viral infections, influenza viruses . Respiratory diseases are usually caused by one type of foreign agent (monoinfection), but sometimes pathogens can be of several types (mixed infection). 2. The second most important cause of respiratory diseases are external allergens. Most often, such allergens are plant pollen (wormwood, nettle, dandelion, buttercup, lilac, poplar, birch...), fungal spores... Allergens cause so-called autoimmune diseases of the respiratory system (the actions of the immune system are directed at the tissues of the body’s own). Also, allergens that cause respiratory diseases include: - animal allergens (contained in fur, dander, saliva, urine of animals...); - household allergens (house dust, human skin particles, house mites...); — allergens of yeast and mold fungi. — food allergens; - various medications... Provoking factors for the occurrence of respiratory diseases may include: - bad human habits (smoking and alcohol abuse); — unfavorable environmental conditions; - other pathologies, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases...; - any reasons leading to disruption of the immune system.

Respiratory tract infections

Respiratory tract infections (acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory infections) can be caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Among bacterial pathogens, the most common are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, representatives of the family Enterobacteriaceae, Legionella pneumophila, pathogens of whooping cough and diphtheria. Among the viral pathogens of acute respiratory infections, the most important are representatives of four families of RNA viruses (orthomyxoviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses and picornaviruses) and two families of DNA viruses (adenoviruses, parvoviruses). Preschool children are exposed to acute respiratory infections, on average, 4–8 times a year, schoolchildren – 2–6 times a year, adults – 2–3 times a year. In populations of frequently ill children, episodes of acute respiratory infections are recorded 10 to 12 times a year. Acute respiratory infections can occur in mild, moderately severe and severe (croup, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia) forms.

General indications for laboratory examination for the purpose of etiological diagnosis of acute respiratory infections are the presence of an acute illness in the patient with local symptoms of respiratory tract damage in the presence of general intoxication syndrome.

Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract must be differentiated from other diseases/conditions of a non-infectious nature (allergy, pulmonary embolism, tricuspid valve endocarditis, bronchiolitis obliterans, systemic vasculitis, pulmonary infarction, pulmonary eosinophilia, etc.) based on the results of clinical, radiological and laboratory examinations. It should be taken into account that pneumonia can develop as a result of infection with pathogens of particularly dangerous and natural focal infections (ornithosis, Q fever, pulmonary anthrax, tularemia, etc.), and therefore, it is necessary to carefully collect and analyze the epidemiological history . In persons with reduced activity of the immune system, acute respiratory infections can also be caused by enteroviruses, herpes viruses, cytomegalovirus, candida, aspergillus, cryptococcus, and pneumocystis. A differential diagnosis of pertussis infection should be made from acute bronchitis caused by other pathogens. Differential diagnosis of influenza and other acute respiratory infections is possible only with the help of laboratory research methods.

Laboratory tests used for the purpose of etiological diagnosis of upper and lower respiratory tract infections include direct (detection of the pathogen, its genome and Ag) and indirect (detection of AT) diagnostic methods.

Microscopy (bacterioscopy) of a Gram-stained smear of sputum and CSF allows one to determine only the dominant morphotype of a potential bacterial pathogen. The value of the method and the tasks to be solved vary depending on which locus of the body the clinical material is selected from. The purpose of examining material from sterile loci—blood, CSF, pleural fluid, etc.—is to determine the dominant morphotype of the potential bacterial pathogen and its relationship to Gram staining. In addition, the nature of the inflammatory reaction (leukocytosis or lymphocytosis) is revealed. The purpose of studying material from non-sterile loci - sputum, BAL, discharge from the ear or paranasal sinuses - is to determine its suitability for bacteriological culture and determine the nature of inflammation. The criterion for the suitability of sputum is the presence of less than 10 epithelial cells and more than 25 neutrophilic leukocytes in the field of view. Bacterioscopy of smears from the nasopharynx and oropharynx is not informative, and therefore is not performed.

The culture method is used to isolate and identify a pure culture of the pathogen. In clinical practice, the method is used to identify bacterial pathogens of acute respiratory infections (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, etc.) with the exception of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. Bacteriological seeding of clinical material is carried out for the purpose of further cultural and biochemical identification of the pathogen and determination of antibiotic sensitivity. Indications for blood tests include pneumonia, septic conditions, and meningitis. The method makes it possible to detect the pathogen in no more than 10–20% of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Among the viral pathogens of acute respiratory infections, cultivation is possible for influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses types 1–3, human metapneumovirus and adenoviruses, however, as a routine procedure, this method is used only for influenza viruses. The study is characterized by a fairly long duration, but is indispensable when it is necessary to study in detail the pathogenicity, sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs, antigenic and other properties of microorganism isolates. The analytical performance of culture studies depends largely on the quality of the media used, as well as the immunological and biochemical identification tests.

To detect Ag intracellular pathogens - Chlamydophila pneumoniae and viral pathogens of acute respiratory infections in smears from the respiratory tract, ICA and RIF are used; ELISA is used to detect Ag of influenza A and B viruses. Such “rapid tests” are convenient to use for epidemiological purposes for mass screening, but their analytical characteristics can vary widely depending on the set of reagents used, storage of reagents and skills in their use, and therefore they may under-detect cases of infection during epidemics (insufficient sensitivity compared to culture methods and PCR) and give false-positive results during the inter-epidemic period (low specificity).

To detect Ag pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae and a number of other bacterial pathogens in sterile types of clinical material (blood, CSF), latex agglutination is used; The method is not intended for studying material from non-sterile loci (sputum, BAL fluid, etc.). The sensitivity and specificity of reagent kits from different manufacturers are 99–100% and 85–98%, respectively.

Detection of genome fragments of pathogens of infectious diseases of the respiratory tract is in most cases most effective and in demand for early diagnosis and screening with the aim of subsequently obtaining a pure culture of the pathogen. For routine research, PCR-based tests are used, which make it possible to detect RNA/DNA of pathogens directly in samples of biological material. Reagent kits using hybridization-fluorescent detection of amplification products have the maximum level of specificity and sensitivity. To diagnose diseases caused by opportunistic bacteria, due to their possible carriage in the upper respiratory tract, it is advisable to use only quantitative PCR-based tests in combination with the study of material from the lower respiratory tract.

Detection of specific antibodies in the sera of patients with acute respiratory infections using ELISA, RTGA, RSK methods is intended for retrospective confirmation of the diagnosis during infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Coxiella burnetii and viral infections. A limitation of this diagnostic method is the need to confirm the appearance of specific antibodies (seroconversion) by a 4-fold increase in the titer of specific antibodies in blood serum samples obtained sequentially during the acute period of the disease and during the period of convalescence (after 10 days - 1 month). The reliability of the result increases if the study is carried out in both sera simultaneously. Determination of IgM antibodies is considered more valuable from a clinical point of view, since they appear early in infection and can serve as a marker of recent infection.

Respiratory diseases: symptoms

The symptoms of this group of diseases are quite pronounced and it is simply impossible to confuse them with any others. 1. The most common symptom of respiratory diseases is shortness of breath. It can be different: physiological (during physical exertion) and pathological (against the background of some diseases), inspiratory (difficulty inhaling), expiratory (difficulty exhaling), mixed. A severe form of shortness of breath is suffocation. 2. The second most common symptom is cough. It can be: - dry (without sputum production); — wet (with sputum production); - permanent (with inflammation of the bronchi and larynx...); - periodic (with pneumonia, acute respiratory infections, flu...). 3. Hemoptysis is a rare symptom, but characteristic only of respiratory diseases (sometimes heart diseases). Most often, hemoptysis occurs with tuberculosis, cancer or lung abscess). 4. Another important symptom of respiratory disease is pain. Pain can be localized in different parts of the body (chest, throat, location of the trachea...), it can be of different intensity and of a different nature, but it always affects the patient’s breathing.

Diagnosis of respiratory diseases

Methods for diagnosing this group of diseases are very diverse; we will consider the simplest and most common ones. The first step in diagnosing respiratory pathologies is to examine patients. With its help, possible pathology of the chest shape is identified, the type of breathing, its rhythm, depth and frequency are determined. Palpation is carried out to assess vocal tremor; for example, with pneumonia it can be enhanced, and with pleurisy, on the contrary, it can be weakened. Breathing is assessed using auscultation (hard breathing is observed in bronchitis, dry rales are heard in bronchial asthma, and moist rales are clearly audible in pneumonia or lung abscess). Using percussion, a decrease in the amount of air in the lungs is detected, as well as their boundaries are determined. Among other things, there are: 1) Instrumental and laboratory methods for diagnosing respiratory diseases: a) The most common and important method of instrumental diagnosis is X-ray studies: - fluoroscopy; - fluorography; — tomography; - radiography; — bronchography b) Endoscopic studies: — bronchoscopy; — thoracoscopy. 2) Methods for functional diagnosis of respiratory diseases: a) Tests to detect respiratory failure. b) Ergospirography. c) Microscopic examination of sputum. Diagnosis of respiratory diseases plays quite a huge role in the treatment of this group of pathologies: the faster and more accurately the disease is identified, the higher the chances of success in its treatment.

The structure of the respiratory system

The respiratory organs form one of the most important systems in our body. At the same time, their functionality is much broader than saturating cells with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. For example, the larynx is also a respiratory organ, which is also part of the vocal apparatus. And in the lungs themselves, in addition to gas exchange, the most important process of maturation of blood cells occurs. Let us examine the structure of these organs in more detail.

The respiratory system consists of the respiratory organs and airways.

Respiratory organs include:

• lungs
• Airways
• throat
• larynx
• trachea
• bronchi and bronchioles

Also included in the respiratory system are the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, since they make contraction of the lungs possible.

Major respiratory diseases

1. Bronchitis. Today it is the most common respiratory disease, which is characterized by damage to the bronchi. The main symptom of this pathology is cough. Bronchitis can be chronic or acute. 2. Bronchial asthma. Autoimmune disease of the respiratory system of chronic nature. Main symptoms: difficulty breathing, attacks of severe suffocation and coughing, wheezing. 3. Pneumonia. An infectious and inflammatory disease of the respiratory system, characterized by damage to lung tissue by various foreign agents (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi...). The main symptoms of this disease: chest pain, cough, general weakness, shortness of breath, elevated body temperature... 4. Pleurisy. It is characterized by inflammation of the pleura, the membrane around the lungs. Most often, pleurisy occurs as a complication of other respiratory diseases. 5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is characterized by inflammatory processes in the bronchi of a non-allergenic nature, as a result of which gas exchange processes in the body are disrupted. The main symptoms of this pathology: shortness of breath accompanied by a wet cough. 6. Interstitial lung diseases. A group of respiratory diseases characterized by inflammatory processes in the walls of the alveoli. 7. Respiratory distress syndrome. Characterized by acute respiratory failure due to damage (for various reasons) to the lungs. 8. Bronchiectasis. It is characterized by purulent processes in the lower sections of the bronchi due to their expansion. This disease is chronic. Symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath accompanied by a cough with purulent sputum.

Treatment of respiratory diseases

Treatment of pathologies of the respiratory organs of each person is always individual and must take into account many factors: the immune status of the patient, the individual characteristics of the body, changes in it caused by the disease... The most common method of treating respiratory diseases is medication. Here are the main groups of drugs for this: - antitoxic agents (neocompensan, polyvinol, cyanocobalamin...); — antimicrobial drugs; - anti-inflammatory drugs (reopirin, hydrocortisone, butadione, galascorbine...); - expectorant drugs (to remove pathological accumulations from the body); - antitussives (amesil, codeine...); - bronchodilators (adrenaline, euphilin...); - painkillers (analgin, amidopyrine...); - breathing stimulants; - antihistamines and antiallergetics. In cases where drug methods of treating respiratory diseases are ineffective and the pathology causes serious complications, they resort to surgical intervention, which is divided into the following groups: - pleural surgery; — operations on the bronchi and trachea; — pulmonary resection (partial or complete removal); — surgery for lung cavities; — collapse surgical interventions. Attention! It is necessary to take into account that all medications for the treatment of respiratory diseases have certain contraindications and cause quite serious side effects, have a negative effect on the microflora of the stomach - the most important part of the immune system, which must be known when prescribing a method of therapy. Today, a new paradigm in the treatment of respiratory diseases has matured: scientists have come to the conclusion that it is more important to support the immune system (IS) in its fight against foreign agents, and not to directly influence these agents, although in severe cases, of course, there is no time to restore optimal functionality of the IS. It is for this reason that complex therapy for these pathologies is necessary, in which, along with traditional drugs, it is necessary to use immunomodulators and immunostimulants. One of the best drugs in this line is Transfer Factor. The immune particles of the same name, on the basis of which it is produced, when entering our body, perform the following functions: - neutralize the side effects caused by drugs; - strengthens the body's immunity; - enhances the therapeutic effect of the medications used; - quickly restores the body. And to neutralize the negative effects of drugs on the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, the comprehensive use of probiotics and prebiotics is mandatory.

Treatment and contraindications

For some diseases, treatment boils down to eliminating the cause and takes a couple of weeks; for others, this is impossible and all that remains is to reduce the intensity and frequency of the symptom. Thirdly, treatment consists of prevention and strengthening of the immune system. At the Pridneprovsky sanatorium, attention is paid to all three main areas of work with patients - diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

The following methods and procedures are used to treat diseases of the respiratory system:

1. Mud therapy

This type of procedure has a positive effect on the entire body, as it stimulates the immune response, activates metabolic processes and improves blood circulation. At the Pridneprovsky sanatorium you will be offered several of the most effective options for mud treatments to affect the respiratory system, for example, mud applications on the interscapular area.

1. Magnetic and laser therapy

These types of treatments are combined into one point, as they have a similar healing effect - they restore injured areas of the body and prevent fibrosis of lung tissue.

1. Physical therapy or mechanotherapy

The beneficial effect of the procedures is ensured by a group of special breathing exercises. Their implementation improves the mobility of the chest, strengthens the respiratory muscles and stimulates the stretching of pleural adhesions.

1. Chest massage

A fairly easy, effective and pleasant way to improve your health, which is preferred by many patients. And if you pay attention to a specific area of ​​the body during a massage, you can spread the beneficial effect to vulnerable organs, for example, the respiratory system. For example, on the lungs. Their ventilation, together with the mobility of the chest, improves under the influence of massage.

1. Speleotherapy

This treatment method has a stimulating effect on the respiratory tract, as well as the most important function of restoring bronchial patency. Also, due to being in the microclimate of caves, grottoes and salt mines, the immune system is activated and tissue restoration in general is accelerated.

1. Oxygen cocktail

Saturating the blood with oxygen, improving metabolic processes and increasing the body's resistance to colds - oxygen cocktails made from natural juices have such a positive effect. This, of course, is not a medicine, but it is also effectively used as a means of treatment in the Pridneprovsky sanatorium.

1. Therapeutic baths

The therapeutic effect of baths saturated with iodine, bromine or pine extracts is based on normalizing sleep, reducing anxiety, improving blood microcirculation and activating metabolic processes.

1. Phytotherapy

Special herbal mixtures are also an integral part of the treatment, as they have a strengthening effect on the entire body. People with diseases of the respiratory system, first of all, will benefit from breastfeeding and vitamin supplements, which not only strengthen the immune system, but also clear the lungs of phlegm.

1. Magnetoturbotron

A special device has a powerful effect on the respiratory system and the entire body, namely, it is able to correct the condition of the respiratory system, provide anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, as well as improve blood circulation and normalize sleep.

Also, one of the main factors of recovery, along with a complex of medical procedures in the Pridneprovsky sanatorium, is climatotherapy. The mild temperate climate of Belarus, as well as the fresh air of coniferous and mixed forests, provide a powerful boost to strengthen the immune system and improve the health of the body.

However, there are a number of contraindications for sanatorium treatment, which you can find at the link.

Prevention of respiratory diseases

Preventive measures to prevent respiratory diseases have been known for a long time and in the Soviet period they were called: “Healthy lifestyle”. Since then, they have not lost their relevance, and we will remind you of them here. 1. First of all, respiratory diseases depend on the normal functionality of the immune system, the state of which, in turn, depends on normal nutrition. Therefore, rule No. 1 - eat right: do not overeat, eat less animal fats, include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, eat fried foods as little as possible, eat more often, but in smaller quantities... 2. Respiratory diseases can be prevented by the systematic use of immune drugs: immunomodulators and immunostimulants (this is the second most important rule). 3. Strengthen your immune system by systematically consuming herbal products such as onions, garlic, honey, lemon juice (not in pure form), raspberries, sea buckthorn, ginger... 4. Lead an active lifestyle: do exercises in the morning, go to the gym or pool, run in the evenings... 5. Respiratory diseases are not scary for a hardened body, so take up hardening (a bath and a contrast shower are the best means for these purposes). 6. Give up bad habits: quit smoking and drinking alcohol. 7. Avoid stressful situations and do not succumb to depression, nothing suppresses the immune system more than our nervous breakdowns, so become an optimist and understand that there is nothing more important in this life than your health. 8. Learn to rest properly. Constantly watching television and “relaxing” on the couch is not relaxation. Real rest should be active and necessarily include alternation of physical and mental stress. 9. Take reasonable precautions: don’t get too cold, don’t get wet, don’t wrap yourself up too much in warm weather, observe basic rules of personal hygiene, try to communicate less with infectious patients... These are simple rules that should become a way of life for every person, and then we guarantee you: respiratory diseases will pose absolutely no danger to you.