Diseases and Illnesses of the Respiratory System
bronchitis Cough and sputum production; can be acute or chronic
choking to choke on (something) to take something into the windpipe instead of the gullet, so that the breathing is
interrupted A piece of bread made him choke or He choked on a piece of bread.
a condition in which someone is prevented from breathing
common cold Self-limiting rhinitis, causing nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, discomfort and sneezing
coryza an illness, with inflammation of the nasal passages, in which someone sneezes and coughs and has a
blocked and running nose (technical ) Also called cold, common cold
cough a reflex action, caused by irritation in the throat, when the glottis is opened and air is sent out of the lungs
suddenly
croup acute infection of the upper respiratory passages which blocks the larynx, affecting children
cyanosis a condition characterised by a blue colour of the peripheral skin and mucous membranes, a symptom of lack of
oxygen in the blood, e.g. in heart or lung disease
dyspnea difficulty or pain in breathing
emphysema a condition in which the walls of the alveoli of the lungs break down, reducing the surface available for gas
exchange and resulting in a lower oxygen level in the blood and shortness of breath. It can be caused by
smoking, living in a polluted environment, old age, asthma or whooping cough.
empyema Accumulation of purulent fluid in the pleural space
finger clubbing a thickening of the ends of the fingers and toes, a sign of many different diseases
foreign-body aspirate - to inhale something, especially a liquid, into the lungs
aspiration
haemoptysis a condition in which someone coughs blood from the lungs, caused by a serious illness such as anaemia,
pneumonia, tuberculosis or cancer
hoarseness a harsh and rough sound of the voice, often caused by laryngitis
husky - slightly hoarse
influenza Acute, usually self-limiting, viral infection with respiratory and systemic features
laryngitis Inflammation of the larynx, with hoarseness and loss of voice
nasal the blocking of the nose by inflammation as a response to a cold or other infection
congestion
nosebleed an incident of bleeding from the nose, usually caused by a blow or by sneezing, by blowing the nose hard or by
high blood pressure (informal ) She had a headache, followed by a violent nosebleed.
Also called epistaxis
otitis media Acute inflammation of the middle ear
pharyngitis Acute inflammation of the throat, resulting in pain on swallowing and swollen, red pharyngeal mucosa
pleurisy (pleuritis) inflammation of the pleura, usually caused by pneumonia
The symptoms of pleurisy are coughing, fever, and sharp pains when breathing, caused by the two layers of
pleura rubbing together.
pneumonia Insiduous onset, prolonged course; usually diagnosed by radiological findings
pulmonary Coughing and sneezing occur, fever, night sweats, weight loss and coughing blood; chest X-ray demonstrates
tuberculosis lung changes
rhinitis inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose, which makes the nose run, caused, e.g., by a virus infection
or an allergic reaction to dust or flowers
rhinorrhea a watery discharge from the nose
rhonchi an unusual sound in the chest, heard through a stethoscope, caused by a partial blockage in the bronchi
stridor stridulus noun a sharp high sound made when air passes an obstruction in the larynx. laryngismus
wheeze a whistling noise in the bronchi The doctor listened to his wheezes.
verb to make a whistling sound when breathing || When she has an attack of asthma, she wheezes and has
difficulty in breathing.
wheezy - making a whistling sound when breathing || She was quite wheezy when she stopped running.
