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In children, viral infections such as croup or epiglottitis are frequent causes. [4] Adults are more likely to experience obstruction from enlargement of the tonsils or vocal cord paralysis. [3] Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common chronic cause of upper airway obstruction. [2]
Typically, infections cause 75% or more of the exacerbations; bacteria can roughly be found in 25% of cases, viruses in another 25%, and both viruses and bacteria in another 25%. Airway inflammation is increased during the exacerbation resulting in increased hyperinflation, reduced expiratory air flow and decreased gas exchange.
The key symptom is increased breathlessness, other more pronounced symptoms are of excessive mucus, increased cough and wheeze. A commonly found sign is air trapping giving a difficulty in complete exhalation. [33] The usual cause of an exacerbation is a viral infection, most often the common cold. [13]
It may be triggered by other things such as an upper respiratory tract infection, cold air, exercise, or smoke. Asthma is a common condition and affects over 300 million people around the world. [3] Asthma causes recurring episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning. [4]
Crackles are caused by the "popping open" of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid, exudate, or lack of aeration during expiration. Crackles can be heard in people who have pneumonia , atelectasis , pulmonary fibrosis , acute bronchitis , bronchiectasis , acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), interstitial lung disease or post ...
Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a term often used as a synonym for pneumonia but can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis. Symptoms include shortness of breath , weakness, fever , coughing and fatigue. [ 3 ]
A respiratory droplet is a small aqueous droplet produced by exhalation, consisting of saliva or mucus and other matter derived from respiratory tract surfaces. Respiratory droplets are produced naturally as a result of breathing, speaking, sneezing, coughing, or vomiting, so they are always present in our breath, but speaking and coughing ...
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 ...