Lung Diseases

Summary

When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease. If all types of lung disease are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States.

The term lung disease refers to many disorders affecting the lungs, such as asthma, COPD, infections like influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many other breathing problems. Some lung diseases can lead to respiratory failure.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• Adenovirus (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Meconium Aspiration Nemours Foundation
• Pulmonary Function Testing in Children American Thoracic Society
• Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN) Nemours Foundation
• What Are Newborn Breathing Conditions? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Your Lungs and Respiratory System Nemours Foundation

Specifics

• Adenoviruses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Anti-GBM (Goodpasture’s) Disease National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Coughing up Blood Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Histoplasmosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Hyperinflated Lungs: What Does It Mean? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Lung Nodules: Overview National Jewish Health
• Pulmonary Edema Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• What Is Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Encyclopedia

• Aging changes in the lungs Medical Encyclopedia
• Arterial stick Medical Encyclopedia
• Breathing Medical Encyclopedia
• Bronchoscopic culture Medical Encyclopedia
• Bronchoscopy Medical Encyclopedia
• Chest CT Medical Encyclopedia
• Chest x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
• CO2 blood test Medical Encyclopedia
• Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Drug-induced pulmonary disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Empyema Medical Encyclopedia
• Gas exchange Medical Encyclopedia
• Goodpasture syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Histoplasmosis – acute (primary) pulmonary Medical Encyclopedia
• Lactic acidosis Medical Encyclopedia
• LDH isoenzyme blood test Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung diffusion testing Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung gallium scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung needle biopsy Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung plethysmography Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung problems and volcanic smog Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung surgery Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung surgery – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Meconium aspiration syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Open lung biopsy Medical Encyclopedia
• Oxygen safety Medical Encyclopedia
• Oxygen therapy – infants Medical Encyclopedia
• Pneumomediastinum Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary actinomycosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary aspergilloma Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary nocardiosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Rapid shallow breathing Medical Encyclopedia
• Respiratory acidosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Respiratory alkalosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Rheumatoid lung disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Simple pulmonary eosinophilia Medical Encyclopedia
• Sputum fungal smear Medical Encyclopedia
• Sputum Gram stain Medical Encyclopedia
• Swan-Ganz – right heart catheterization Medical Encyclopedia
• Transient tachypnea – newborn Medical Encyclopedia
• Using oxygen at home Medical Encyclopedia
• Using oxygen at home – what to ask your doctor Medical Encyclopedia
• Wheezing Medical Encyclopedia

Patient Handouts

• Alveolar abnormalities Medical Encyclopedia
• Blood gases Medical Encyclopedia
• Breath sounds Medical Encyclopedia
• Chemical pneumonitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Chest tube insertion Medical Encyclopedia
• Coughing up blood Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Lung PET scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary edema Medical Encyclopedia
• Pulmonary function tests Medical Encyclopedia
• Solitary pulmonary nodule Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association American Lung Association
• Lung HelpLine and Tobacco QuitLine American Lung Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Genetics

• Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Primary ciliary dyskinesia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Living With

• Breathing and Relaxation National Jewish Health
• Oxygen Therapy: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Understanding Exercise, Diet and Lung Disease National Jewish Health
• What Is a Ventilator? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) National Library of Medicine
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test National Library of Medicine
• Lung Function Tests National Library of Medicine
• Needle Biopsy of the Lung Radiological Society of North America
• Pulse Oximetry National Library of Medicine
• Spirometry Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Spirometry American Lung Association
• Tests for Lung Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Warning Signs of Lung Disease American Lung Association

Treatments and Therapies

• Chest tube insertion – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Chest Tube Thoracostomy American Thoracic Society
• Long-Term Control Medications for Lung Diseases National Jewish Health
• Lung Disease Treatments National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Pulmonary lobectomy – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Quick-Relief Medications for Lung Disease Symptoms National Jewish Health

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Lung Diseases National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult National Institutes of Health

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Getting an Accurate Read on Pulse Oximeters

Reference Desk

• How the Lungs Work National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Related Issues

• Inhaled Marijuana and the Lungs American Thoracic Society
• Lung Disease Including Asthma and Adult Vaccination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Mold Allergy: Proper Humidifier Care National Jewish Health
• Particle Pollution Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Lung Disease Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Lungs and Respiratory System Nemours Foundation

Statistics and Research

• Lung Diseases National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Teenagers

• Lungs and Respiratory System Nemours Foundation

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Protect Yourself: Respirators Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Journal Articles

• Lung Diseases

Women

• What Is LAM (Lymphangioleiomyomatosis)? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Videos and Tutorials

• Your Lung Operation American College of Surgeons