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The causes of upper airway obstructions can be acute or chronic. More acute causes of upper airway obstruction include foreign body aspiration, blunt trauma to the neck, infections, and swelling due to allergies or other inflammatory conditions. [3] In children, viral infections such as croup or epiglottitis are frequent causes. [4]
Bronchomalacia is a term for weak cartilage in the walls of the bronchial tubes, often occurring in children under a day. Bronchomalacia means 'floppiness' of some part of the bronchi. Patients present with noisy breathing and/or wheezing. There is collapse of a main stem bronchus on exhalation. If the trachea is also involved the term ...
A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes.As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually ...
Croup (/ k r uː p / KROOP), also known as croupy cough, is a type of respiratory infection that is usually caused by a virus. [2] The infection leads to swelling inside the trachea, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classic symptoms of "barking/brassy" cough, inspiratory stridor and a hoarse voice. [2]
Viruses that cause respiratory infections are affected by environmental conditions like relative humidity and temperature. Temperate climate winters have lower relative humidity, which is known to increase the transmission of influenza. [29] Of the viruses that cause respiratory infections in humans, most have seasonal variation in prevalence.
Crackles are often associated with inflammation or infection of the small bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Crackles that do not clear after a cough may indicate pulmonary edema or fluid in the alveoli due to heart failure , pulmonary fibrosis , or acute respiratory distress syndrome .
The most common cause of emphysema is smoking and smoking cessation is mandatory if this incurable disease is to be treated. Prevention of bronchoconstriction by this pathway is vital for people with emphysema and there are several anticholinergic medications that in combination with mucous thinning agents such as Guaifenesin cause significant ...
Tuberculosis is one of many other infections that occurs in the lower respiratory tract. You can contract this infection from airborne droplets, and if inhaled you are at risk of this disease. This is a bacterial infection that deteriorates the lung tissue resulting in coughing up blood. [18] This infection is deadly if not treated.