Figure 19.7: The two reactions that lead to asthma are when the bronchioles swell and the
muscles around the bronchioles contract. ( 6 )
to the lungs can also cause pneumonia. Symptoms of pneumonia include cough, chest pain,
fever, and difficulty in breathing. Treatment depends on the cause of pneumonia. Bacterial
pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.
Pneumonia is a common illness which occurs in all age groups, and is a leading cause of death
among the elderly and people who are chronically and terminally ill. Vaccines to prevent
certain types of pneumonia are available.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB)is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by a type of
bacterium calledmycobacterium. Tuberculosis most commonly attacks the lungs but can
also affect other parts of the body. Mycobacteria in the alveoli cause an immune reaction in
the body that damages the alveoli. TB is a chronic disease, but most people who become
infected do not develop the full disease. The TB mycobacteria are spread in the air when
people who have the disease cough, sneeze or spit. To help prevent the spread of the disease,
public health notices, such as the one inFigure19.8, reminded people how to stop the
spread of the disease. Currently, drug resistant forms of TB are creating a new challenge for
health professionals.
Cancer
Lung canceris a disease where the cells that line the lungs grow out of control. The
growing mass of cells pushes into nearby tissues and can affect how these tissues work. Lung
cancer, which is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and the second most
common in women, is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide every year The most
common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing (including coughing up blood), and
weight loss. The most common cause of lung cancer is exposure to tobacco smoke.