Bronchitis is an infection or inflammation of the bronchi, which are the largest airways of the lungs. These airways have a protective mechanism built into them where they produce mucus, which is meant to trap anything that is not welcome in the airways and that could be harmful to the lungs. When someone has bronchitis, something has irritated the airways, causing increased production of mucus. This leads to the body trying to get rid of the mucus, and causes a productive cough. Bronchitis can be short term (acute) or longer term (chronic). Acute bronchitis lasts around three weeks and is most commonly caused by a viral infection. The definition of chronic bronchitis is a chronic cough with mucus production for at least three months in two successive years when other causes have been excluded. Chronic bronchitis is a chronic inflammatory condition in the lungs that causes the respiratory passages to be swollen and irritated. It also increases mucus production and may damage the lungs. The symptoms are coughing and breathlessness, which will get worse over the years. When lung damage results in airflow restriction, the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is used. Smoking is the most important cause of chronic bronchitis. Other things that make it worse are air pollution and allergy. The seriousness of the disease depends on how much and for how long a person has been smoking.

Bronchiolitis is a very common lung infection that occurs in young children, typically those under 2 years old, and is caused by a virus. The bronchioles are small airways in the lungs, branching off the two main bronchi, and the ‘itis’ part of bronchiolitis means inflammation, so bronchiolitis is inflammation and congestion of these small airways. Symptoms of bronchiolitis start off similarly to a cold with a blocked and runny nose, cough, and possibly fever. Children can also sound quite wheezy. Bronchiolitis is most commonly caused by a virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during the winter months and often it gets better on its own. In about 20% of cases of all ages, hospital admission may be required and it’s thought that up to 1 in 3 young children get bronchiolitis at some time.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the US, and sadly, it often has a poor outlook. Cancer occurs when there is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lung tissue. This can cause a blockage in the airways or fluid on the lungs, making breathing difficult, and ultimately it can spread to other organs and cause widespread damage and threat to life. Smoking is the cause of most lung cancers – because smoking is so common, this makes lung cancer very common. Older people are more likely to be affected, and men more often than women. When cancer starts in the lungs, it is called primary lung cancer. Cancer spreading from another organ via the blood to the lungs is known as secondary lung cancer or metastatic cancer. Breast and bowel cancer often metastasize to the lungs unless they are diagnosed and treated early.

Occupational asthma or work-related asthma is where you get asthma as a direct result of exposure to certain substances at work – you may get: new asthma a flare-up of controlled asthma a resurgence of childhood asthma that you thought you had outgrown Asthma is a long-term condition where your airways become sensitized to something in the environment – an allergen or an irritant – and they respond with inflammation. As the lining of the airways causes swelling and more mucus production, airflow is obstructed, and you will find it harder to breathe.

Rhinitis simply means ‘inflammation of the nose’ and usually causes symptoms such as nasal congestion (a blocked nose), a runny nose, itching, sneezing and a postnasal drip. There are many different causes of rhinitis so identifying the cause is the key to managing the symptoms. For many people, rhinitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up after a few days or it can be a longer-term (chronic) condition that lasts several months or even all year round. Rhinitis is common and often becomes more common with increasing age.

Whooping cough is a common bacterial infection that affects the airways and lungs, usually in toddlers and children. It’s spread from one child to another by coughs and sneezes and is highly contagious. There are many different types of coughs in children, so it is important to be able to differentiate. Doctors call whooping cough pertussis. It causes a persistent cough that can last for several months. For this reason, it is also referred to as the 100-day cough. Hand hygiene, coughing and sneezing into tissues immediately disposed of, and staying away from others while they are infectious are paramount to reduce the spread. Pertussis vaccination forms one part of the usual childhood immunizations.

Acute bronchitis (inflammation of the airways) is when someone has symptoms such as a cough (you may cough up clear or colored mucus), shortness of breath, a fever, and a runny nose or sore throat. These symptoms are short-lived, typically lasting around three weeks and commonly caused by a viral infection. Bronchitis is an infection or inflammation of the bronchi, which are the largest airways of the lungs. These airways have a protective mechanism built into them where they produce mucus that traps anything that isn’t welcome in the airways and which could be harmful to the lungs. When someone has bronchitis, something has irritated the airways causing increased production of mucus – typically a viral or bacterial infection. This leads to the body trying to get rid of the mucus and causes a productive cough.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a long-term lung condition that causes inflammation and blockage of the airways making it difficult to breathe. It usually occurs in those over 35 in response to damage from smoking. The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the more likely you are to develop COPD. Unfortunately, this condition cannot be cured or reversed and it tends to get progressively worse over time. Symptoms and flare-ups can be managed with inhalers, medications and breathing techniques to exercise the lungs. Further damage can be reduced by stopping smoking.