Respiratory conditions are among the most common problems that can affect people of all ages, and that’s exactly why we need to pay much more attention and watch carefully for symptoms. The truth is that they come in a lot of different forms and range from mild to severe, which is exactly why you need to know how to identify them properly. Here are five most common breathing problems and ways to solve them, so check them out and learn how to make that happen!
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of the airways that make breathing difficult. Basically, patients with asthma experience inflammation of the air passages which results in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. For example, 1 in 9 Australians has asthma, which is an estimated number of 2.5 million Australians with this condition.
Some of the symptoms linked to this disease are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath; however, patients with severe asthma can deal with the inability to talk and decreased activity, too. If you face some of these, be sure to see your doctor who can run some tests to determine if you have it. He should also give you an asthma action plan which outlines your treatment and medications that need to be used.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is actually an umbrella term that encompasses a number of respiratory illnesses that cause breathlessness. Patients usually cough up sputum and experience shortness of breath, particularly in the morning, and these symptoms are often mistaken for the gradual aging process, which makes it quite difficult to identify COPD.
However, it’s generally linked to cigarette smoking, as it’s very rare to see people with this disease who haven’t been exposed to some sort of smoking. COPD treatment includes pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and bronchodilator therapy (medication which opens the airways). You should also know that this disease is very serious, and it continues to worsen even with smoking cessation, which means that once you get it, you’ve got it.
Chronic bronchitis is actually a form of COPD, and it’s characterized by a chronic cough. Coughing up sputum, especially in the morning, is typical for this disease, and it happens because mucus glands in the airways increase output, so the patients have to cough it out. As it’s a form of COPD, chronic bronchitis is treated in the same way as this disease. On the other hand, patients can also develop acute bronchitis, which isn’t actually a long-term disease but an infectious problem. This type of bronchitis can be treated with antibiotics as it develops from a bacterial or viral infection. However, it’s good to know that symptoms associated with acute bronchitis will disappear once the infection is gone.
Deviated septum is another common cause of major breathing problems, and it’s said that about 80% of people have some kind of misalignment of their nasal septum. It can also affect the aesthetics of your nose and your whole face at the same time, which is exactly why a large number of Australians start looking for an effective solution.
One of the possible options includes septoplasty, which is usually done under local anesthesia (in some cases, general), and you’ll be free to go home once you’re awake. Your septum will be aligned and airflow improved this way, which will positively affect your health and overall well-being. So, if you’re up for that, be sure to do your research and find a renowned clinic that performs septoplasty in Sydney, and you’ll be sure that you’re in good hands.
Similarly to bronchitis, pneumonia is also related to lower respiratory tract; however, it affects the alveoli of the lungs and is usually more serious in nature. It’s a quite common lung disease as well, and it’s caused by the infection that can be viral, fungal, or bacterial. Most patients recover in one to three weeks, but the truth is that pneumonia can be really serious and sometimes even life-threatening.
Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and shaking chills, which can range from mild to severe. Antibiotics have a high cure rate for pneumonia, and most people see improvement in symptoms in 2 to 3 days. Of course, your doctor will choose your antibiotics based on your age, the severity of your symptoms, and your overall health.
As you can see, all of these five breathing problems are characterized by quite similar symptoms, so be sure to see your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of them. The sooner you determine what condition you’re dealing with, the better!