The most
common
respiratory
conditions

Many common respiratory conditions
share the same symptoms.
You should seek professional
medical advice from your GP
if you have any concerns,
or your condition doesn't improve.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterised by attacks of chest tightness. When you have asthma, your airway can become swollen and narrow, making it hard to breathe and making you feel as though you cannot get enough air.

Symptoms

Wheezing
Dry cough
Chest tightness
Breathlessness

Causes

Asthma is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Someone with a family history of asthma is more likely to develop the disease. Asthma events often happen after you have been exposed to a “trigger”. Triggers can include smoke, air pollution, colds, dust, chemicals, changes in the weather, grass and tree pollen, pet hair and feathers.

Treatment options

The symptoms of asthma attacks can usually be reversed with the use of inhaled medications called bronchodilators.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

COPD is an umbrella term used to describe a number of lung diseases that cause breathlessness or the inability to exhale normally. Two of the most common types of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Emphysema is a progressive lung disease often due to smoking, causing shortness of breath and coughing.

Chronic bronchitis is caused by too much mucus produced in the small airways. The mucus and resulting inflammation block the small airways.

Symptoms

Frequent coughing
A cough that produces a lot of mucus
Persistent wheezing
Shortness of breath, particularly when you’re active
A whistling or squeaking sound when you breathe
Tightness in your chest
Sensitivity to respiratory infections like colds or the flu
Cyanosis – a blue tinge to the skin caused by insufficient oxygen

Causes

Cigarette smoking is the main cause of COPD, although the condition can sometimes affect people who have never smoked. The likelihood of developing COPD increases the more you smoke and the longer you've smoked.

Some cases of COPD are caused by long-term exposure to harmful fumes or dust. Others are the result of a rare genetic problem that makes the lungs more vulnerable to damage.

Treatment options

Unlike asthma, COPD is not reversible, but treatment can help keep it under control so it does not severely limit daily activities. Treatment options include smoking cessation, inhalers and medicines to open the airways and make breathing easier, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation, which is a specialised programme of exercise and education for people with COPD.

Did you know?
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Around 20 to 25 per cent of smokers will develop COPD. Ex-smokers remain at risk and should be aware of symptoms of breathlessness.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, killing more than 1.4 million people each year. Unfortunately, lung cancer develops gradually with no signs or symptoms in the early stage. You might have a cough and think it’s just a cold. Lung cancer is most easily treated when it’s caught early. This is why screening is so important.

Get screened for lung cancer if you:

smoked at least a pack a day for 20 years or more.
still smoke or quit within the last 15 years.
are between 50 and 80 years old.

Symptoms

Chest pain
Chronic coughing
Difficulty breathing
Wheezing
Hoarseness
Weight loss
Fatigue or weakness
Difficulty swallowing
A cough that produces bloody mucus
Swelling in the face or neck

Causes

Cigarette smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for lung cancer.
Besides smoking, other potential causes include exposure to radon gas, asbestos, second-hand smoke, or other air pollutants. When tobacco smoking is combined with other risk factors such as exposure to radon or asbestos, the risk of lung cancer is heightened. People who have close biological relatives with lung cancer are also at increased risk of developing the disease.

Treatment options

Treatments for lung cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy. These can be done alone or in combination according to the severity of your cancer.

Did you know?
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs most commonly caused by bacteria or viruses. The inflammation affects primarily the alveoli, which are the tiny air sacs of the lungs. People with chronic respiratory conditions, like COPD, are more vulnerable to developing pneumonia. Most people can recover in one to three weeks, but for certain people – the old and very young – pneumonia can be extremely serious and even life-threatening.

Symptoms

Fever
Sweating or chills
A cough that produces phlegm
Shortness of breath
Chest pain when you cough or breathe
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Diarrhoea

Treatment options

Pneumonia that is caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics. Viral pneumonia is treated with supportive measures only, such as infusions, oxygen and sometimes steroids. Respiratory treatment involves giving special medicine directly into the lungs or teaching you to breathe deeply to increase oxygen intake. Oxygen treatment may be given to keep oxygen levels in your bloodstream (received through a nasal tube, face mask or ventilator, depending on how severe or dangerous the pneumonia). Vaccines are available to prevent certain types of bacterial and viral pneumonia.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs and other parts of the body. This infection spreads from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughing and sneezing. TB can live in your body for years before causing symptoms. Many countries vaccinate children against TB at a young age, providing them with protection.

Symptoms

A cough that lasts longer than three weeks
Weight loss
Poor appetite
A cough that brings up blood or mucus
Weakness
Fatigue
Fever
Night sweats

Treatment options

The main treatment for tuberculosis is to take antibiotics for at least six months.

Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

Symptoms

A cough that does not go away
A cough that produces thick mucus or blood
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Frequent respiratory or sinus infections
Nasal polyps
Slow growth in childhood or poor weight gain
Constipation
Greasy or foul-smelling stools

Treatment options

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis. But there are treatments to help manage the condition including:

antibiotics to prevent and treat chest infections.
medicines to make the mucus in the lungs thinner and easier to cough up.
medicines to widen the airways and reduce inflammation.
special techniques and devices to help clear mucus from the lungs.
a lung transplant may eventually be needed if the lungs are greatly damaged.

Did you know?
The two most important risk factors for respiratory diseases are tobacco smoke and indoor and outdoor air quality.