Disease
Infectious
or noninfectious?
Cystic fibrosis
Asthma
Flu
Bronchitis
Lung cancer
Emphysema /
COPD (chronic
obstructive
pulmonary disease
Tuberculosis
Cause of the
disease
Acute or
chronic?
How does the disease affect
the body?
How can life style contribute to
development of the disease? Or
state if it would have no effect.
Disease
Infectious
or noninfectious?
Cause of the
disease
Acute or
chronic?
How does the disease affect
the body?
How can life style contribute to
development of the disease? Or
state if it would have no effect.
Cystic fibrosis
Noninfectious
Genetics. Caused
by a recessive
allele so both
parents need to
have the gene and
pass it on to the
child for a child to
develop CF.
Chronic
Mucus making cells do not work
efficiently. Mucus is too thick so blocks
lungs and stops enzymes getting to the
gut. Leads to breathlessness, chest
infections, and malnutrition.
None.
Asthma
Noninfectious
Not sure what
causes asthma,
although there are
certain factors
that can trigger
attacks.
Chronic?
Asthmatics have irritable airways they
are inflamed. This makes them more
likely to become narrow, which makes it
harder to get air in and out of the
lungs. For some people, this happens all
the time. For others, only when they
are having an asthma attack. The
symptoms of asthma are shortness of
breath, wheezing and a tight feeling in
the chest.
None.
Flu
Infectious
A virus.
Acute
Can cause sudden fever, chills,
headache, aching in the muscles, a dry
cough and often a sore throat as well.
Flu can sometimes bring on more serious
health problems. This can happen when
the body's defences, particularly those
in the lungs, have been weakened by the
flu virus. The most common of these is
pneumonia. Also, if you have a lung
disease, such as asthma, chronic
bronchitis or bronchiectasis, catching
None.
flu can often cause it to flare up. Older
people are more at risk from these
complications.
Bronchitis
Infectious
Bacterial
infections of
bronchi
Chronic
The bacterial infection of the bronchi
tends to occur as a result of
accumulation of mucus, which provides a
breeding ground for the bacteria.
Bronchitis sufferers may have a chronic
cough as they attempt to clear mucus
from lungs.
Smoking contributes to reduction in
efficiency of ciliated cells and
overproduction of mucus by goblet cells.
Lung cancer
Noninfectious
Cigarette smoke
contains
carcinogens that
disrupt the cell
division of lung
cells
Chronic
Cigarette smoke contains carcinogens
that disrupt the cell division of lung
cells, resulting in a lump of disorganised
cells called a tumour. A tumour can grow
anywhere in the respiratory system,
and as it grows it will displace other
tissues. Could lead to blockage of
airways, chronic cough, pain or
tightness in chest.
Cigarette smoke contains carcinogens
that disrupt the cell division of lung cells
Emphysema /
COPD (chronic
obstructive
pulmonary disease
Noninfectious
80-90% of cases
are caused by
smoking
Chronic
Airflow into and out of the lungs
gradually and more progressively
becomes more and more obstructed.
Neutrophils secret and enzyme called
neutrophil elastase that breaks down
elastin fibres in tissues of the airways.
Alveoli lose elasticity; their walls are
broken down and become widely
separated from capillaries. Total
surface area for gas exchange is
greatly reduced. This is emphysema.
Damage to airways also caused their
walls to thicken.
80-90% of cases are caused by smoking
Tuberculosis
Infectious
A bacterium called
Mycobacterium
Acute
TB can affect almost any organ in the
body, but most commonly affects lungs.
Living in crowded conditions makes people
more susceptible to catching this
tuberculosis.
Common method
of infection is
breathing in
droplets of
moisture that
have been exhaled
by an infected
person.
The bacteria do not get digested or
destroyed inside phagocytes. Instead
bacteria grow and divide and cause
severe tissue damage in lungs. As
disease progresses, person loses
weight, suffers night sweats and a
cough, eventually bringing up blood
stained mucus and pus. If untreated at
this stage, a person is likely to die.
disease. Malnutrition or having a
weakened immune system also increases
the risk.