Functional capabilities of the respiratory system. Respiratory diseases Respiratory injuries first aid

Gas exchange occurs in the respiratory organs. For the functioning of the body, the life-giving gas is necessary - oxygen. The body receives it through the functioning of the respiratory system, which brings oxygen with inhaled air and removes water vapor and carbon dioxide from the body.

The body's daily oxygen consumption at rest is 360 liters. A person takes 12-18 breaths per minute, and with each breath 300-500 ml, approximately 1/2 liter of air comes in, with a deep breath - 1 1/2-2 liters.

Structure of the respiratory organs

The respiratory system begins with the nose, where the inhaled air is warmed and purified. Through the nasopharynx, air enters the larynx, which is equipped with two vocal cords that look like films; When the vocal cords vibrate, a tone arises, which is the basis of the voice. The larynx then passes into the trachea, located in the chest behind the breastbone. The trachea consists of 18-20 cartilaginous rings. The trachea branches tree-like into bronchi, which, in turn, are divided into smaller bronchioles. The bronchioles end in pulmonary alveoli, which resemble a bunch of grapes in appearance. In the alveoli, oxygen passes from the inhaled air into the blood and carbon dioxide is released from the blood. This process is called oxidation of blood in the lungs. The pulmonary alveoli and bronchi with bronchioles are covered with the pulmonary tissue itself, forming the pulmonary lobes. The right lung consists of three, and the left lung consists of two pulmonary lobes.

Respiratory movements are carried out by the main respiratory muscle - the diaphragm, which separates the chest from the abdominal cavity, and the intercostal muscles. The lungs are covered with a film of visceral pleura, the chest - with parietal pleura. Between these pleural layers there is a pleural cavity in which negative pressure is observed, due to which, under normal conditions, the lungs are in an expanded state.

Oxygen-enriched blood flows from the lungs to the heart, from where it is distributed throughout the body.

Respiratory injuries

A dangerous injury to the respiratory organs is a puncture or gunshot wound that penetrates the pleural cavity. The penetration of air into this cavity causes the lungs to collapse and stop their activity. This condition is called pneumothorax.

Falls and jolts can cause chest bruises and rib fractures. Fragments of the latter can cause lung damage. With strong impacts, hemorrhage occurs in the lungs or in the pleural cavity. A foreign body entering the larynx can cause suffocation.

Questions at the beginning of the paragraph.

Question 1. How is the condition of the respiratory system determined?

When you inhale and exhale, the chest rises and falls, and therefore its girth changes. In the state of inhalation it is greater, in the state of exhalation it is less. The change in chest circumference during inhalation and exhalation is called chest excursion. The larger it is, the more the chest cavity can be enlarged, and the lungs can take in more air.

Question 2. What does the vital capacity of the lungs indicate?

The vital capacity of the lungs is the largest amount of air that a person can exhale after taking the deepest breath. It is approximately equal to 3500 cm3. The vital capacity of the lungs is greater in athletes than in untrained people, and depends on the degree of development of the chest, gender and age.

Question 3. How can tuberculosis and lung cancer be detected at an early stage of the disease?

Tuberculosis and lung cancer in the early stages can be detected using fluorography. Every person should undergo fluorography at least once every two years. Persons whose work involves people, as well as students, must undergo fluorography annually.

Question 4. What should be done if the victim has trouble breathing?

Suffocation can occur when the throat is compressed or the tongue retracts. The latter often happens with fainting, when a person suddenly loses consciousness. Therefore, first of all, you need to listen to his breathing. If it is accompanied by wheezing or stops altogether, it is necessary to open the victim’s mouth and pull his tongue forward or change the position of his head, throwing it back. It is useful to give ammonia a sniff. This stimulates the respiratory center and helps restore breathing.

Questions at the end of the paragraph.

Question 1. What is the vital capacity of the lungs? What does this indicator mean?

The vital capacity of the lungs is the largest amount of air that a person can exhale after taking the deepest breath. It is approximately equal to 3500 cm3. The vital capacity of the lungs is greater in athletes than in untrained people, and depends on the degree of development of the chest, gender and age. Under the influence of smoking, the vital capacity of the lungs decreases. Even after the maximum exhalation, there is always some air left in the lungs, which is called residual volume (about 1000 cm3).

Question 2. What lung diseases can be detected using fluorography?

Using fluorography, it is possible to detect tuberculosis and lung cancer.

Question 3. How does pulmonary tuberculosis manifest? How is Koch's bacillus, the causative agent of tuberculosis, spread?

When the causative agent of tuberculosis, Koch's bacillus, enters the lungs, a primary focus of inflammation develops, which is expressed in the appearance of symptoms of normal inflammation. But unlike a banal infection, the inflammatory process in tuberculosis develops very slowly (this is a chronic infection that lasts for years) and is prone to necrosis of the primary focus of inflammation. The complaints of patients are very diverse. Conventionally, they can be divided into nonspecific: malaise, weakness, fever, poor appetite, weight loss, pale skin and others; and specific (mainly characteristic of tuberculosis): sweating at night and in the morning (as manifestations of intoxication that debilitate the patient), temperature ranges between morning and evening by no more than 0.5 degrees, obsessive prolonged cough, etc. Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Koch bacillus) is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets, entering the respiratory system from a sick person to a healthy one.

Question 4: What factors contribute to lung cancer? What is this disease expressed in?

The most important factor contributing to the occurrence of lung cancer is smoking. Tobacco smoke contains a large amount of carcinogenic substances. Smoking causes lung cancer in approximately 90% of cases. Long-term exposure to carcinogens during long-term smoking leads to disruption of the structure and function of the bronchial epithelium, transformation of columnar epithelium into multilayered squamous epithelium and contributes to the occurrence of a malignant tumor. The tumor grows, which leads not only to obvious negative local effects, but also to a depressing effect on the functioning of the body as a whole, leading to its extreme exhaustion and can be fatal.

Question 5. What are the first aid techniques for rescuing a drowning person?

After removing a drowning person from the water, his respiratory tract must be cleared of water. To do this, the victim is placed with his stomach on his knee and his stomach and chest are squeezed with sharp movements. Then, if necessary, apply artificial respiration.

Question 6. What consequences can occur if the victim is covered with earth? What first aid should he receive?

Victims who are covered in earth may experience suffocation when their throats are compressed and soil enters their nose and mouth. After removing a person from the rubble, it is necessary to restore his breathing: clear his mouth and nose of dirt, perform artificial respiration, and indirect cardiac massage. It is important to warm the patient by rubbing the skin, wrapping him in warm clothes, and drinking hot drinks.

Question 7. Why are lightning and technical electric shock combined into one concept - “electrical injury”?

Lightning and technical electric shock are combined into one concept - “electrical injury”, since they have the same nature and cause similar disturbances.

Question 8. What is the difference between biological and clinical death?

Biological death is associated with brain death and is irreversible, while clinical death is reversible, since in it the human brain is still functioning, even if breathing stops and the patient’s heart stops.

Question 9. How is artificial respiration performed using mouth-to-mouth and mouth-to-nose methods?

Artificial respiration using the mouth-to-mouth method. The victim is placed face up on a hard surface, with a cushion placed under the neck. It is necessary to kneel near the victim’s head, holding it in the maximum tilted back position with one hand, and pull the lower jaw with the thumb of the other hand. The one who provides assistance takes a deep breath, then directly or through gauze tightly covers the victim’s mouth with his lips and exhales sharply. The victim's nose is covered with the fingers of the hand on the forehead. Exhalation is performed by passively reducing the volume of the victim’s chest. The duration of inhalation should be 2 times less than the time required for exhalation. The frequency of oxygen injection into the victim’s lungs is 12–14 times per minute.

Artificial respiration using the mouth-to-nose method. This method is used when the victim’s jaws are tightly clenched or the required expansion of the chest does not occur when using the mouth-to-mouth method. The victim’s head is also tilted back as much as possible and is held with one hand, which lies on the crown of the victim; the other hand should cover the mouth. The person providing assistance takes a deep breath and covers the victim’s nose with his lips and blows. If the chest does not fall enough when exhaling, then it is necessary to open the victim’s mouth slightly.

Indicators of the effectiveness of artificial respiration are expansion of the chest and the appearance of a pink tint to the skin.

Question 10. How is indirect cardiac massage performed?

The victim is placed on a hard surface - the floor, the ground, a table. The person providing assistance is positioned to the side of the victim. Places his palms (overlaid on one another) on the lower part of the victim’s chest (two fingers above the xiphoid process of the sternum). Your arms should be straight at the elbows. Due to the weight of his body, he presses on the victim’s chest, trying to bend it towards the spine by 4–5 cm. Then he leans back and repeats the push-like pressure again. Pressing frequency is 50–70 times per minute.

When writing this article, materials were used from the books: “Manual of Pulmonology” edited by N.V. Putova, G.B. Fedoseeva. 1984; “Guide to clinical pulmonology” G.V. Trubnikov. 2001; as well as materials from articles posted on the Internet, in particular from Wikipedia, from the article “Upper respiratory tract infections” on the website Yod.ru; from the article “Diseases of the upper respiratory tract” on the website Nedug.ru; from the article “Respiratory diseases” on the website medside.ru; from the article “Respiratory tuberculosis” on the website nozdorovie.ru; from articles in the “Home Doctor” directory on the website SuperCook.ru; from the book by Professor Park Jae Woo “Your Own Su Jok Doctor” and other articles posted on the Internet, as well as my personal medical experience.
Respiratory diseases (RDD) – the most common pathology that people encounter and come to see a doctor. There are many respiratory diseases, but all of them, to one degree or another, disrupt a person’s respiratory function and reduce their quality of life. Each disease has its own symptoms and its own specific approach to treatment. This article is for those who want to understand these issues and understand them correctly. This article describes PDOs that are most often encountered in our lives.

Nasal cavity is divided into two halves by the osteocartilaginous septum. On its inner surface there are three winding passages through which air passes into the nasopharynx. The glands of the nasal mucosa secrete mucus, which moisturizes the inhaled air. The air in the nose warms up during the cold season. The moist mucous membrane retains dust particles and microbes in the inhaled air and is neutralized by mucus and leukocytes.

The mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is lined with ciliated epithelium, which has cilia that can contract. The contraction of the cilia removes mucus and dust particles and microbes stuck to it from the nasal cavity to the outside. This does not happen when air enters the body through the mouth. You need to breathe through your nose. Through nasopharynx air enters the larynx.

Larynx has the shape of a funnel and is formed by cartilage. The entrance to the larynx during swallowing of food is closed by the epiglottis, the thyroid cartilage. Through the larynx, air from the pharynx enters the trachea.

Trachea or windpipe is a tube about 10 cm long and 15–18 mm in diameter formed by cartilaginous half-rings. The posterior wall of the trachea is membranous and adjacent to the esophagus.

The trachea is divided into 2 bronchi. They enter the left and right lungs. In them, the bronchi branch, forming the bronchial tree.

On the terminal bronchial branches there are tiny pulmonary vesicles - alveoli, with a diameter of 0.15 - 0.25 mm and a depth of 0.06 - 0.3 mm, filled with air. The walls of the alveoli are lined with single-layer squamous epithelium, covered with a film of a substance - surfactan, which prevents their collapse. The alveoli are penetrated by a dense network of capillaries. Gas exchange occurs through their walls.

The lungs are covered with a membrane - pulmonary pleura, which passes into the parietal pleura, which lines the inner wall of the chest cavity. The narrow space between the pulmonary and parietal pleura forms a gap filled with pleural fluid. The gap is called the pleural cavity. Pleural fluid facilitates the sliding of the pleura during breathing movements.

The main reasons for AOD:

2. External allergens: household allergens, house mites, pet allergens, yeast and mold spores, plant pollen, insect allergens.

3. Professional factors, for example, evaporation of steel during electric welding, nickel salts.

4. Some medications, for example, antibiotics, sulfonamides.

5.Food allergens.

6. Polluted air, which may contain high concentrations of certain chemical compounds in production and at home.

7.Unfavorable climatic conditions that are poorly tolerated by some people.

8. Active and passive smoking.

The provoking factors of AMD are:

1.Frequent consumption of alcohol and drugs.

2. Chronic human diseases, foci of chronic infection that weaken the immune system.

3. Compounded heredity that creates a predisposition to AMD.
With POD, there are characteristic symptoms that may accompany these diseases.

Symptoms of POD.

Dyspnea. It is divided into subjective, objective and mixed.

Subjective shortness of breath– a subjective feeling of difficulty breathing, which occurs during attacks of hysteria, neuroses and thoracic radiculitis.

Objective shortness of breath– characterized by a change in the frequency, depth or rhythm of breathing, as well as the duration of inhalation and exhalation.

With POD, shortness of breath is usually mixed, that is, there are subjective and objective components. The respiratory rate increases more often. This is observed in pneumonia, bronchogenic lung cancer, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Shortness of breath can occur both at a normal breathing rate and at a slower rate.

Due to the difficulty of one or another phase of breathing, shortness of breath occurs: -inspiratory when it is difficult to breathe, more often with diseases of the trachea and larynx;

-expiratory when it is difficult to exhale, with diseases of the bronchi; -mixed, it is difficult to inhale and exhale due to pulmonary embolism.

A severe form of shortness of breath is suffocation, which occurs with pulmonary edema, cardiac and bronchial asthma.

In bronchial asthma, an attack of suffocation occurs as a result of spasm of the small bronchi and is accompanied by difficult, prolonged and noisy exhalation.

In cardiac asthma, suffocation occurs due to weakening of the left side of the heart, often turning into pulmonary edema and manifested by a sharp difficulty in inhaling.

Shortness of breath may be:

- physiological that occurs with increased physical activity;

- pathological, for diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems, for poisoning with certain poisons.

Cough- a complex reflex act that occurs as a defensive reaction when mucus accumulates in the larynx, trachea and bronchi or when a foreign body enters them.

Dust particles and mucus exhaled with air in small quantities are removed from the lumen of the bronchi by the ciliated epithelium. However, when the bronchial mucosa is inflamed, the secretion irritates the nerve endings and causes a cough reflex. The most sensitive reflexogenic zones are located in the areas of branching of the bronchi, in the area of ​​tracheal bifurcation and in the larynx. But a cough can also be caused by irritation of the reflexogenic zones of the nasal mucosa, pharynx and pleura.

The cough can be dry, without sputum production, or wet, with sputum production.

Dry cough occurs with laryngitis, dry pleurisy, compression of the main bronchi by bifurcation lymph nodes (lymphogranulomatosis, tuberculosis, cancer metastases). Bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumosclerosis, lung abscess, bronchogenic lung cancer first give a dry cough, then a wet cough with sputum production.

Moist cough with sputum is typical for chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and oncological diseases of the respiratory system.

In inflammatory diseases of the bronchi, larynx, bronchogenic lung cancer, and some forms of tuberculosis, the cough is usually constant.
When you are sick with influenza, ARVI, or pneumonia, coughing periodically bothers you.

With a strong and prolonged cough, for example, with whooping cough, in addition to coughing, vomiting may occur, since excitation from the cough center in the brain is transferred to the vomiting center.

Loud, barking cough occurs with whooping cough, compression of the trachea by a retrosternal goiter or tumor, damage to the larynx, hysteria.

Silent cough (coughing) may be in the first stage of lobar pneumonia, with dry pleurisy, in the initial stage of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Hemoptysis- discharge of blood with sputum during coughing.

Hemoptysis can occur with diseases of the lungs and airways: bronchi, trachea, larynx, and with diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Hemoptysis occurs with pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, viral pneumonia, abscess and gangrene of the lungs, bronchiectasis, actinomycosis, viral tracheitis and laryngitis, and influenza.

Cardiovascular diseases that can cause hemoptysis: heart defects (mitral valve stenosis) create stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation; thrombosis or embolism of the pulmonary artery and subsequent development of pulmonary infarction.

Bleeding may be minor, in the form of streaks of blood or diffuse staining of sputum.

Bleeding can be severe: with tuberculous lung cavities, bronchiectasis, disintegration of a lung tumor, pulmonary infarction. This bleeding is accompanied by a strong cough.

Scarlet blood in sputum occurs with pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchogenic cancer, bronchiectasis, pulmonary actinomycosis, and pulmonary infarction.

With lobar pneumonia, the blood becomes “rusty-colored” due to the breakdown of red blood cells.

Pain associated with POD may have different localizations. Pain in the chest wall is often localized, aching or stabbing, can be intense and prolonged, and can intensify with deep breathing, coughing, lying on the painful side, or with body movements. They may depend on the injury skin (trauma, erysipelas, herpes zoster), muscles (trauma, inflammation - myositis), intercostal nerves (thoracic radiculitis), ribs and costal pleura (tumor metastases, fractures, periostitis).

In diseases of the respiratory system, chest pain can be associated with irritation of the pleura, especially the costal and diaphragmatic ones. The pleura has sensory nerve endings, but the lung tissue does not. Pain associated with the pleura occurs with its inflammation (dry pleurisy), subpleural inflammation of the lungs (lobar pneumonia, lung abscess, tuberculosis), pulmonary infarction, with tumor metastases in the pleura or the development of a primary tumor in the pleura, with trauma (spontaneous pneumothorax, injury, rib fracture), with subphrenic abscess and acute pancreatitis.

The localization of pain depends on the location of the painful focus.

With dry pleurisy, the pain is one-sided and occurs in the left or right half of the chest. With inflammation of the diaphragmatic pleura, pain may be in the abdomen and may be similar to pain in acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis, or appendicitis.

In diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the pain is localized in the region of the heart or behind the sternum, and can be pressing or squeezing.

With neuroses, pain in the heart area is stabbing. The pain does not change its intensity with deep breathing or coughing, and is not associated with body movements.

With tumors in the mediastinum, constant, intense pain may occur behind the sternum. Substernal pain can be caused by a hiatal hernia, a stomach ulcer, a tumor of the fundus of the stomach, or cholelithiasis.

Dear readers, if you or the people around you experience at least one of the above signs, you need to contact your local physician to find out the reasons for their appearance.

Diagnostics of POD.

During the diagnostic process, the doctor gets acquainted with the patient’s complaints, examines him and examines him using palpation (palpation), percussion (tapping), auscultation (listening)

When examining the respiratory system the doctor determines the breathing rate. In a healthy adult, the number of respiratory movements is 16–20 per minute, in a newborn it is 40–45 per minute. During sleep, breathing becomes less frequent, 12–14 per minute. During physical activity, emotional arousal, and after a heavy meal, the respiratory rate increases.

With percussion the doctor determines a decrease in the amount of air in the lungs due to inflammation, edema or fibrosis. In patients with emphysema, the amount of air in the lungs increases. Percussion determines the boundaries of the lungs.

For diagnostic purposes, the doctor may prescribe instrumental, hardware, and laboratory tests. The most informative and mandatory are x-ray methods for examining the respiratory organs. Fluoroscopy and radiography are used chest, respiratory tomography and fluorography.

Fluoroscopy and radiography determine the transparency of the pulmonary fields, areas of compaction (infiltrates, pneumosclerosis, neoplasms), cavities in the lung tissue, foreign bodies of the trachea and bronchi, the presence of fluid or air in the pleural cavity, fusion of the pleural layers.

Tomography– layer-by-layer x-ray examination of the lungs to determine the exact location of tumors, small inflammatory infiltrates, and cavities.

Bronchography– X-ray examination of the bronchi by introducing a contrast agent into the lumen of the bronchi. This is how bronchiectasis, abscesses, cavities in the lungs, and narrowing of the bronchial lumen by a tumor are detected.

Fluorography of the chest organs is a very important informative method of x-ray examination and allows you to identify respiratory diseases at various stages. Fluorography is carried out for the entire population once a year. Fluorography is not performed on pregnant women and children under 15 years of age.

Endoscopic research methods - bronchoscopy and thoracoscopy.

Bronchoscopy- visual examination of the trachea and bronchi using an optical device, a bronchofiberscope, in order to identify purulent processes, tumors, foreign bodies and allows the removal of these foreign bodies from the bronchi.

Thoracoscopy– visual examination of the pleural cavity with a thoracoscope device, which reveals bleeding, adhesions (adhesions), and the device separates them.

Functional diagnostic methods make it possible to identify respiratory failure before the appearance of its first symptoms, to establish the dynamics of its changes during the development of the disease and under the influence of its treatment.

For this purpose they carry out spirography, which determines the volume of the lungs and the intensity of pulmonary ventilation.

Lung volume measurement.

Tidal volume– the volume of inhaled and exhaled air during normal breathing, normally 300 – 900 ml.

Expiratory reserve volume- the volume of air that a person can exhale if, after a normal exhalation, he makes a maximum exhalation, it is equal to 1500 - 2000 ml.

Inspiratory reserve volume- the volume of air that a person can inhale if, after a normal inhalation, he takes a maximum breath, it is equal to 1500 - 2000 ml.

Vital capacity of the lungs– is the sum of reserve inhalation and exhalation and is approximately 3700 ml.

Residual volume– the volume of air remaining in the lungs after maximum exhalation is 1000–1500 ml.

Total lung capacity– the sum of the respiratory, reserve and residual volumes and is equal to 5000 – 6000 ml.

All these volumes are determined by spirography.

Studies of the intensity of pulmonary ventilation determine the volume of breathing (approximately 5000 ml), maximum ventilation of the lungs (breathing limit), respiratory reserve (normally it is 15 - 20 times greater than the minute volume of breathing). All these tests determine a person’s capabilities when performing heavy physical work and in case of respiratory diseases.

Ergospirography- a method that allows you to determine the amount of work that a person can do without showing signs of respiratory failure.

Blood gas studies allow you to determine the presence and ratio of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood.

Sputum examination– allows you to establish the nature of the pathological process in the respiratory organs in the respiratory organs and determine its cause.

Pleural fluid examination– carried out for inflammatory changes in the pleural cavity, for disorders of blood and lymph circulation in the chest, for diseases of the lungs and mediastinum.

Upper respiratory tract: nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx.

Lower respiratory tract: trachea, bronchi, bronchioles.

Upper respiratory tract diseases (URT diseases) usually infectious in nature. These are viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal infections. Most often, URT infections are viral.

People prone to allergic reactions have allergic rhinitis. It develops under the influence of various allergens - plant pollen, mites, animal hair, house dust, etc. There are acute and chronic forms of allergic rhinitis. With chronic rhinitis, the nutrition of the nasal mucosa is disrupted. It can cause complications, sinusitis (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis) develops.

Sinusitis- inflammatory process of the maxillary (maxillary) paranasal sinus. It develops under the influence of viruses and bacteria that enter the paranasal sinus through the blood or nasal cavity. Patients are concerned about discomfort and pain in the nose and around the nose. The pain intensifies in the evening, and there is often a headache. The pain may radiate to the eye on the side of the inflamed sinus.

Angina– an acute infectious disease in which the palatine tonsils become inflamed, but the lingual tonsil can also become inflamed. Regional submandibular and anterior cervical lymph nodes become inflamed, enlarged and become dense. The infectious pathogen multiplies in the tonsils and can spread to other organs, causing complications of the disease.

If the causative agents are streptococci, then immunity is impaired. The disease begins with a general feeling of weakness, chills, and headache. There is pain when swallowing, aching in the joints. Body temperature rises to 39 degrees and above. Gradually the sore throat gets worse. The submandibular lymph nodes enlarge and become painful. Redness of the palatine arches, uvula, and tonsils appears. These are the signs catarrhal sore throat.

Pus may be in the lacunae of the tonsils. This lacunar tonsillitis.

There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth ( halitosis) due to the release of waste products of pathogenic flora and products of the inflammatory process itself.

Patients experience increasing sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Body temperature rises to 39 - 40 degrees, chills are possible. Weakness and headache appear. Lymph nodes enlarge. Bad breath. There may be trismus - the inability to open the mouth, which makes examination difficult. In case of peritonsillar abscess, emergency hospitalization to a hospital is indicated for its opening and drainage.

Laryngitis can be acute or chronic.

Chronic laryngitis is divided into chronic catarrhal and chronic hypertrophic.

Laryngotracheitis– a variant of the development of the disease in which inflammation of the larynx is accompanied by inflammation of the initial part of the trachea.

In acute laryngitis, the mucous membrane is sharply reddened and swollen. It may have purple-red dots of hemorrhages that occur with complicated influenza. The voice becomes hoarse, until it is completely lost. Perhaps difficulty breathing due to narrowing of the swollen glottis. Patients complain of dryness, soreness, and scratching in the throat. A dry cough appears with difficult to separate sputum. Sometimes there is pain when swallowing, headache, and a slight increase in temperature. The cough may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

With false croup, an attack of the disease occurs unexpectedly, at night during sleep. The child wakes up covered in sweat, restless, his breathing becomes noisy and labored, his lips turn blue, and he has a “barking” cough. After 20 - 30 minutes the child calms down and falls asleep. Body temperature remains normal or increases slightly. The attacks may recur. If signs of false croup appear, the child should be urgently hospitalized in a hospital.

Chronic laryngitis develops as a consequence of repeated acute laryngitis or prolonged inflammatory processes in the nose, paranasal sinuses and pharynx. Chronic laryngitis often develops among teachers as an occupational disease. Smoking, alcohol abuse, and vocal strain contribute to the disease.

With chronic laryngitis, patients complain of hoarseness, rapid voice fatigue, sore throat, coughing, and a feeling of constriction. With an exacerbation of the inflammatory process, all these phenomena intensify.

Treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases prescribed by the doctor after examining the patient.

Patients with upper respiratory tract infections are usually not hospitalized; treatment is prescribed at home. Treatment must be comprehensive and adequate. Etiotropic therapy is prescribed - medications that eliminate the cause of the disease. In most cases, antibiotics that are effective against a specific pathogen are prescribed.

For diseases of a viral nature, ARVI and influenza, the prescription of antibiotics in the first days of the disease is not indicated. In these cases, antiviral - interferon-containing or interferon-stimulating drugs are prescribed (anaferon, aflubin, oscillococcin, rimantadine, cycloferon, viferon - suppositories, genferon - suppositories, influenza - nasal drops). These drugs are prescribed for acute rhinitis, acute rhinosinusitis, acute nasopharyngitis in the first days of the disease; they are immunomodulators.

If the symptoms of acute rhinitis and rhinosinusitis do not go away and continue for more than 7 days, antibiotics are prescribed. These include amoxicillin, azithromycin, lincomycin, amoxiclav, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, unidox solutab, cephalexin, azalide, ceftriaxone, etc. Antibiotics are prescribed only by a doctor.

In the absence of effect from the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis for 3 days and with the progression of its symptoms (bursting headache in and around the nose, the presence of purulent discharge from the nose and drainage of discharge along the back wall of the pharynx, an increase in body temperature to 37.5 - 38 degrees ) to the patient, after an X-ray of the paranasal sinuses, the otolaryngologist performs a puncture of the inflamed paranasal sinus (maxillary, frontal) to clean it of mucus and pus. If necessary, such a patient is hospitalized.

To improve nasal breathing, decongestant vasoconstrictor drugs are prescribed: oxymetazoline hydrochloride - nasal drops, phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, etc.

Lower respiratory tract diseases (LDT diseases).

Tracheitis- inflammatory process of the tracheal mucosa, can be acute and chronic. It develops under the influence of viral, bacterial and viral-bacterial infections. Inflammation can be caused by physical and chemical factors. The inflammatory process, as a rule, descends from top to bottom from the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx into the trachea.

Patients develop swelling of the tracheal mucosa, a dry paroxysmal cough, a hoarse voice, and difficulty breathing. Coughing attacks can cause headaches. The cough appears more often in the morning and at night, the body temperature rises slightly, and malaise appears.

Incorrectly treated or untreated acute tracheitis can become chronic.

Bronchitis can be acute and chronic.

Acute bronchitis (AC)– acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. Caused by viruses, bacteria, and can occur under the influence of physical (dry hot air in the metallurgical industry) and chemical factors (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, varnishes, paints, etc.). Smoking, cooling, alcohol abuse, chronic inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, and chest deformities predispose to the disease.

With adequate treatment, acute symptoms subside by 3–4 days and completely disappear by 7–10 days. The addition of bronchospasm leads to a protracted course and contributes to the development of chronic bronchitis. There are no significant changes in blood tests and X-ray examination of the lungs.

Treatment of BO. Bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen), vitamins C, E, A (antioxidants), adaptogens (tinctures of ginseng, schisandra, eleutherococcus, etc.) when the temperature drops - mustard plasters, jars on the chest. Expectorants are prescribed for dry, non-productive cough - libexin, inhalation of heated mineral water, baking soda solution, eucalyptus oil.

It is possible to use the Ingalipt inhaler. For severe bronchitis, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, bronchodilators, and antihistamines.

Chronic bronchitis (BC)– long-term, irreversible damage to all large, medium and small bronchi. Bronchitis is considered chronic if the cough continues for at least three months a year for two years.

HD is associated with long-term irritation of the bronchial mucosa by various harmful factors (smoking, inhalation of dusty air contaminated with smoke, oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and other harmful chemical compounds) and is provoked by infection (viruses, fungi, bacteria). Pathology of the upper respiratory tract and hereditary predisposition play a negative role.

The onset of HD is gradual: cough in the morning with mucous sputum. Then the cough occurs at night and during the day, worsening in damp and cold weather. During periods of exacerbation, sputum becomes mucous - purulent or purulent. Shortness of breath appears. HD can be simple, uncomplicated, purulent, or purulent-obstructive. Hard breathing and dry wheezing are heard above the lungs. During an X-ray examination, there may be no changes in the lungs, but later pneumosclerosis develops. In blood tests, during an exacerbation, the number of leukocytes increases. The diagnosis is confirmed by bronchoscopy and spirography.

Treatment of HD. During an exacerbation, the doctor prescribes antibiotics, expectorants, bronchodilators (broncholitin, alupent, asthmapent, aminophylline, theophylline, etc.), sputum thinners (bromhexine, bisolvone), inhalation of solutions of baking soda, table salt, and drinking plenty of fluids. It is possible to perform therapeutic bronchoscopy. Breathing exercises and physiotherapeutic treatment are effective. At home, you can use jars, mustard plasters, and circular warming compresses.

Causes:

Various microorganisms - bacteria, viruses, mycoplasmas, fungi;

Chemical and physical factors - effects on the lungs of chemicals, thermal factors, radioactive radiation;

Allergic reactions in the lungs;

Manifestation of systemic diseases - leukemia, collagenosis, vasculitis.

Pathogens penetrate the lung tissue through the bronchi, blood or lymph.

The condition of such patients is serious. Facial redness and cyanosis appear. Herpetic rashes often appear on the lips and nose. Breathing quickens and becomes shallow. The affected half of the chest lags behind the healthy half in the act of breathing. Increased or weakened breathing, crepitus (the sound of the alveoli falling apart), and pleural friction noise are heard. The pulse increases, blood pressure decreases. In the blood - an increase in the number of leukocytes, acceleration of ESR. An X-ray examination reveals darkening of the affected lobe of the lung or part thereof.

A cough appears or intensifies, which can be dry or with mucous-purulent sputum. Body temperature rises to 38 - 39 degrees. There may be pain in the chest when coughing and when inhaling. Breathing may be increased vesicular and bronchial, medium- and fine-bubble rales are heard. With confluent pneumonia, several small inflammatory foci merge into larger ones. The condition of patients sharply worsens, severe shortness of breath and cyanosis appear, and a lung abscess may develop.

X-ray examination revealed foci of inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissue. Blood tests show leukocytosis, accelerated ESR.

Treatment of pneumonia. For mild forms of pneumonia, treatment can be done at home, but most patients require hospitalization. At the height of the illness, bed rest. A diet with sufficient amounts of vitamins - antioxidants (A, E, C), drinking plenty of fluids. The attending physician prescribes antibiotics and other antibacterial drugs, conducts detoxification and immunostimulating treatment. In the future, as the condition improves and the symptoms of intoxication are eliminated, exercise therapy, physiotherapeutic treatment, and reflexology are prescribed.

Chronic pneumonia (CP)– recurrent inflammation of the same localization with damage to all structural elements of the lungs and the development of pneumosclerosis. PC is characterized by a periodic increase in body temperature, usually to subfebrile levels, cough with mucopurulent sputum, sweating, and dull pain in the chest on the affected side. Hard breathing and moist fine bubbling rales are heard. If chronic bronchitis and emphysema occur, shortness of breath appears.

On X-ray examination, foci of pneumonic infiltration in combination with fields of pneumosclerosis, inflammation and deformation of the bronchi may indicate bronchiectasis. In blood tests during exacerbation of the disease - leukocytosis, shift of the leukocyte formula to the left, acceleration of ESR.

Treatment of PC during the period of exacerbation it is carried out as in acute focal pneumonia. Outside the exacerbation phase, exercise therapy and sanatorium and resort treatment are indicated.

Reasons: decreased general and local immunity due to foreign bodies, mucus, and vomit entering the bronchi and lungs during alcohol intoxication, after a convulsive attack, during a period of unconsciousness. Contributing factors: chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, blood diseases), disorders of the drainage function of the bronchi, long-term use of glucocorticoids, cytostatics, immunosuppressants.

It mainly occurs in middle-aged men who abuse alcohol. The onset of the disease is acute: chills, fever, chest pain. After the pus breaks through into the bronchus, a large amount of purulent sputum is released, sometimes mixed with blood and an unpleasant odor.

At first, weakened breathing is heard over the affected area; after the abscess breaks through, bronchial breathing and moist rales are heard. As a result of treatment, a favorable result may occur; after 1 to 3 months, a thin-walled cyst or pneumosclerosis will form. If the outcome is unfavorable, the abscess becomes chronic.

During an X-ray examination, a massive darkening is revealed in the initial period; after the abscess breaks through, a cavity with a level of fluid in it is revealed. Bronchoscopy reveals inflammation of the bronchial wall associated with an abscess. In the blood test - leukocytosis, shift of the leukocyte formula to the left, acceleration of ESR.

Treatment of acute lung abscess. Improving the drainage function of the bronchi (bronchodilators, expectorants, inhalations, repeated therapeutic bronchoscopy). If the abscess is located in the lower lobes - drainage by position, the foot end of the bed is raised by 20 - 30 cm. Antibiotics in large doses, stimulation of the immune system - high-calorie nutrition, proteins, vitamins, levomisol, T - activin, anti-staphylococcal plasma, gamma globulin, hemosorption, plasmapheresis. If conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment is performed after 2–3 months.

Chronic lung abscess– a long-term suppurative process of the lung, which is an unfavorable outcome of acute lung abscess. It occurs with exacerbations and remissions.

During periods of remission - cough with a small amount of sputum, there may be hemoptysis, a slight increase in body temperature, sweating, shortness of breath during exercise.

During periods of exacerbation (cooling, viral infection), body temperature rises, the amount of sputum discharge increases, harsh or bronchial breathing above the abscess area, and moist rales.

An X-ray examination reveals a cavity in the lungs with a level of fluid in it, surrounded by an area of ​​inflammation. During bronchoscopy, pus is released from the draining bronchus. In the blood - a decrease in hemoglobin, leukocytosis during an exacerbation, a shift in the leukocyte formula to the left, acceleration of ESR.

Treatment of chronic lung abscess– conservative: antibiotics, therapeutic bronchoscopy, stopping exacerbation. Surgical treatment is excision of the affected area of ​​the lung.

Nonspecific allergens provoke bronchospasm:

– pollen of flowers, field grasses, trees;

House dust, pet hair;

Food allergens (eggs, fish, citrus fruits, milk);

Medicines (some antibiotics, sulfonamides, etc.);

Mechanical and chemical substances (metal, wood, silicate, cotton dust, vapors of acids, alkalis, fumes);

Physical and meteorological factors (changes in temperature, air humidity, fluctuations in barometric pressure, the Earth’s magnetic field);

Allergens from ticks, insects, animals;

Nervous and mental effects.

The disease is based on hereditary, congenital or acquired defects in bronchial sensitivity.

There are 2 forms of bronchial asthma: infectious – allergic and atopic with attacks of suffocation of varying intensity.

May develop status asthmaticus, when resistance to bronchodilator therapy occurs, the cough does not bring relief, and sputum is not released. The status can occur with severe allergies, with an overdose of sympathomimetic drugs (Berotec, Astmopent, Alupent, etc.), with sudden withdrawal of glucocorticoids. In the absence of adequate intensive care, the status can be fatal.

Diagnosis of asthma is based on typical attacks of suffocation with difficulty exhaling, an increase in the number of eosinophilic leukocytes in the blood and sputum, and allergy tests.

Treatment of asthma. In atopic asthma, eliminating contact with the allergen. If the allergen is known and associated with household items (carpets, flowers), pets (allergy to wool), occupational factors, food, then avoiding contact with the allergen can completely relieve asthma attacks. If you are allergic to plant pollen or specific substances contained in the air, changing your place of residence will help achieve a positive result.

For desensitization (reducing sensitivity to allergens) outside of exacerbation, treatment is carried out with bronchodilators (aminophylline, theophedrine), expectorants (thermopsis, mucaltin, wild rosemary, coltsfoot), antihistamines, intal, zaditen, aerosols for inhalation (berotek, berodual, Asthmopent, salbutamol, etc.).

When the inflammatory process worsens, the doctor prescribes antibiotics. In severe cases, glucocorticoid hormones, plasmapheresis, hemosorption are prescribed - methods of “gravitational surgery” that cleanse the blood of antigen-antibody immune complexes that cause attacks of suffocation. Physiotherapy and various types of reflexology are widely used. Spa treatment is recommended.

Bronchiectasis (BED) - an acquired disease characterized by a chronic suppurative process of irreversibly changed (dilated, deformed) bronchi, mainly in the lower parts of the lungs.

It occurs mainly in children and young adults, more often in men. Exacerbations of EBD occur more often in the spring and autumn.

A cough appears with purulent sputum, discharged after a night's sleep, and in the “drainage position”, in which sputum flows better from the affected bronchi. There may be hemoptysis and pulmonary hemorrhage. Shortness of breath on exertion, cyanosis. Various moist rales are heard, which decrease after coughing.

Treatment of BEB. Conservative: antibiotics, bronchodilators, sputum thinners, exercise therapy, chest massage. Physiotherapy is prescribed in the absence of elevated body temperature and hemoptysis. For limited lesions of the lobe and segment of the lung, surgical intervention is performed.

Reasons for IL: surgical interventions, postpartum period, heart failure, fractures of long bones, malignant tumors, prolonged bed rest.

Closing the lumen of the vessel with a thrombus leads to an increase in pressure in the pulmonary artery system and promotes hemorrhage into the lung tissue. The addition of a microbial infection causes inflammation of this area (pneumonia).

Manifestations of IL depend on the caliber and number of vessels closed by a thrombus. With massive thromboembolism, death can occur.

Blood clot in the pulmonary artery

The most common signs of IL: sudden or suddenly increased shortness of breath, chest pain, pale gray skin tone, cyanosis, rhythm disturbances (tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, extrasystole), decreased blood pressure, increased body temperature, cough with mucous or bloody sputum, hemoptysis. Pleural friction noise and fine bubbling rales may be heard.

An X-ray examination reveals expansion of the root of the lung, a triangular shadow of infarction pneumonia, and signs of pleurisy. For diagnosis, angiopulmonography and lung scintigraphy are used.

Treatment of IL. Urgent hospitalization. Fibrinolytic agents: streptokinase, streptodecase, fibrinolysin, heparin, rheopolyglucin, aminophylline, antibiotics. After eliminating life-threatening symptoms, treatment is carried out according to the treatment regimen for pneumonia.

The basis is an increase in pressure in the pulmonary circulation. There are acute (over several hours, days), subacute (over several weeks, months), chronic (over many years) development of the pulmonary heart.

They lead to him:

Diseases affecting lung tissue (chronic obstructive bronchitis, emphysema, pneumosclerosis, pulmonary infarction, extensive pneumonia);

Changes in the musculoskeletal system, which provides ventilation to the lungs (severe forms of spinal curvature);

Primary lesions of the pulmonary vessels.

In acute and subacute cor pulmonale, the symptoms are characteristic of infarction pneumonia. Signs of failure of the right side of the heart increase, the neck veins swell, and the liver enlarges.

In chronic cor pulmonale – shortness of breath, cyanosis, increase in the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin in the blood, slowing down of ESR.

For diagnosis, changes in the electrocardiogram of the right side of the heart and x-ray data characteristic of a pulmonary infarction are important.

Treatment of drugs. Treatment of acute and subacute drugs is the treatment of pulmonary embolism. Treatment of chronic drugs includes cardiac drugs, diuretics, heparin, hirudin, leeches, bloodletting, oxygen therapy, and limitation of physical activity.

Pleurisy – inflammation of the pleura, the membrane that lines the inside of the chest cavity and covers the lungs. In this case, a fibrinous plaque forms on the surface of the pleura or effusion (liquid) in its cavity. Pleurisy is always secondary. This is a complication or manifestation of many diseases.

The causative agents of pleurisy can be mycobacterium tuberculosis, pneumococci, staphylococci and other bacteria, viruses and fungi. They penetrate the pleura through blood, lymph, with chest wounds and rib fractures. The cause of pleurisy can be rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus, neoplasms, thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Pleurisy can be dry (fibrinous) and exudative (effusion).

For dry pleurisy– the main symptom is pain in the side, intensifies with inhalation, coughing, decreases in position on the affected side. Breathing is rapid, shallow, pleural friction noise is heard (reminiscent of the creaking of snow). With dry diaphragmatic pleurisy, there may be abdominal pain, as with cholecystitis or appendicitis. Sometimes there is painful hiccups and pain when swallowing. There are no changes in the X-ray examination, but in blood tests they are minimal.

An X-ray examination reveals effusion in the pleural cavity. Examination of the pleural fluid obtained during puncture allows us to determine the cause of pleurisy.

Treatment of pleurisy. Bed rest. Prescription of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, desensitizing, painkillers.

In case of effusion pleurisy, a puncture is performed to remove fluid from the pleural cavity, and it is possible to administer medications there - antibiotics, antiseptics, antitumor drugs, glucocorticoids. During the recovery period - physiotherapeutic treatment, exercise therapy.

Symptoms Cough with sputum mixed with blood, chest pain. In an advanced stage, repeated pneumonia and bronchitis. Early forms are asymptomatic and are detected by X-ray examination, so it is necessary to undergo an annual fluorographic examination, especially for people over 40 years of age and smokers. Lung cancer can be central, growing from the bronchus, and peripheral, from the lung tissue itself. Lung cancer metastasizes to the lymph nodes of the root of the lung, and in later stages to the liver, supraclavicular lymph nodes, brain and other organs.

Diagnosis is carried out on the basis of X-ray examination (x-ray, tomography of the lungs), bronchoscopy with tumor biopsy.

Lung cancer treatment chemotherapy, radiation, surgery.

Pulmonary emphysema (PE)– damage to the lung tissue, accompanied by changes in the wall of the alveoli and expansion of the alveoli of the lungs.

EL can be primary, developing without a previous lung disease, and secondary, against the background of obstructive bronchitis.

The development of EL is predisposed by: disturbances in the microcirculation of the pulmonary vessels, congenital deficiency of the enzyme alpha-1 trypsin, gaseous substances (cadmium compounds, nitrogen oxides, etc.), tobacco smoke, dust particles in the inhaled air. There is an increase in pressure in the lungs, and the stretching of the alveoli increases.

EL is characterized by shortness of breath, a barrel-shaped chest, low mobility of the chest during inspiration, widening of the intercostal spaces, bulging of the supraclavicular regions, and weakened breathing. Patients exhale with their lips closed. Shortness of breath with slight exertion and at rest. Primary EL develops more often in middle-aged and young men. Secondary EL - more often in older people, cor pulmonale develops.

An X-ray examination reveals a low position of the diaphragm, a decrease in its mobility, and increased transparency of the pulmonary fields. The spirogram shows impaired external respiration function.

Treatment of EL. Categorical cessation of smoking, avoid contact with occupational hazards, limit physical activity. Special breathing exercises are indicated to strengthen the respiratory muscles. Breathing with maximum participation of the diaphragm. Oxygen therapy with carboxytherapy is indicated.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Koch bacillus).

The disease is transmitted through airborne droplets, which allows it to spread quickly. In this case, mycobacteria enter the lungs. Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form of tuberculosis. A person suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis becomes a source and carrier of infection. You can become infected in any public place. According to statistics, the probability of developing tuberculosis in a healthy person is 4-6%.
Symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The first symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis are subtle. The disease is often confused with other diseases of the respiratory system - pneumonia, bronchitis. The main symptom of pulmonary tuberculosis is weight loss. After infection, a person can suddenly lose up to 10 kilograms. Then fatigue, sweating, and irritability appear.

As the disease progresses, a cough and chest pain when inhaling appear. The cough is dry or with a small amount of mucous or mucopurulent sputum.

There may be a small amount of blood in the sputum. The destruction of the walls of large vessels by the tuberculosis process can cause pulmonary hemorrhages.

The development of the tuberculosis process is accompanied by shortness of breath, which can occur during physical exertion and even at rest. Tuberculosis toxins cause dystrophy of the heart muscle, and cardiac activity is weakened. The pulse becomes frequent and weak. Anemia develops due to hemoptysis and pulmonary bleeding.

The diagnosis of this dangerous disease can only be made by a doctor. To determine the disease, an x-ray examination is necessary. Also, to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis, sputum is examined for the presence of tuberculosis microbacteria. A positive Mantoux test may indicate tuberculosis. In some cases, a blood test is taken for reliability.

Classification of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Intrathoracic formThe disease has the following symptoms: weakness, pain in the chest, joint pain, shortness of breath, wheezing of various sizes, cough, fever, the occurrence of erythema nodosum (inflammation of the subcutaneous fatty tissue and blood vessels of the skin). Percussion reveals enlarged roots of the lungs on both sides.
There is a mediastinal - pulmonary form, which is characterized by the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, pain in the chest, various wheezing in the lungs, extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease in the form of damage to the eyes, skin, lymph nodes, salivary parotid glands, bones.

Complications: pulmonary emphysema, respiratory failure, broncho-obstruction syndrome, development of cor pulmonale due to increased pressure in the pulmonary circulation. Sometimes aspergillosis and pulmonary tuberculosis are associated with LS.

The diagnosis of LS is based on radiography, as well as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography of the lungs. In this case, characteristic changes are detected in the lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes. With bronchoscopy - dilation of blood vessels in the area of ​​the lobar bronchi. The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy of the affected tissue, epithelioid cell granulomas are detected.

Treatment of LS long-term 6 – 8 months. Steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, antioxidants and immunosuppressants are used. Treatment is carried out by a pulmonologist, whom you should contact if you suspect this disease.
You can treat POD at home using reflexology techniques.

When the temperature rises apply to your fingertips for one or two

minutes ice or anything from the freezer. Then paint them black.

Also, draw lines with a black felt-tip pen as shown in the picture. The lines run along the bel meridians of yang heat, which control body temperature. The black color of the felt-tip pen inhibits the indicated line-meridians and body temperature decreases. This is especially evident in young children. But in adults, the temperature will drop as well.

When coughing it is necessary to influence painful points corresponding to the larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. It is necessary to do an intense massage with a diagnostic stick, roller or any other massager until the skin becomes warm and red. You can place seeds of rose hips, beets, buckwheat, black pepper, apples, etc. on the most painful points.

are located at the base of the thumbnails.

For better expectoration you can use seeds, twigs and leaves of plants. They are applied to the zones corresponding to the lungs and bronchi so that their vector of energy movement or direction of growth coincides with the direction of sputum discharge: from the projection of the diaphragm to the projection of the trachea. For this you can use apple seeds, grape seeds, zucchini seeds, melon seeds, and watermelon seeds. (In seeds, the direction vector of energy movement goes from the part of the seed that is attached to the plant to the opposite edge of the seed).

To relieve shortness of breath you need to find painful points corresponding to the trachea, bronchi, lungs, diaphragm, heart. It is better to do this in a standard hand and foot matching system.

With difficulty in exhaling it is necessary to stimulate painful points corresponding to the lungs, bronchi, trachea, in the direction that coincides with the movement of air during exhalation. Breathing with difficulty exhaling is characteristic of bronchial asthma and other lung diseases accompanied by the release of large amounts of sputum.

It is necessary to massage with your fingers, a diagnostic stick,with a pen, a non-sharp pencil in the direction from the zone corresponding to the lower lobes of the lungs to the projection of the larynx, that is, towards the direction of exhalation from the lungs. Then, green or red seeds should be attached to the painful points corresponding to the lungs and upper respiratory tract: peas, lentils, red beans, viburnum, etc.

You can perform color reflexotherapy– paint the indicated correspondence zones green or red, and then attach the seeds that you have to them with a plaster, taking into account the direction vector of energy movement in them. The seeds can stand on the correspondence points for 24 hours, after which they are replaced with fresh ones.

If the sputum is viscous, you should warm up the most painful points of correspondence with a wormwood cigar. If you are intolerant to wormwood smoke, you do not need to do this.

Traditional methods of treating PAD.

1. Add 4 ml of alcohol tincture of propolis and a tablespoon of natural honey to a saucepan with boiling water. Next, wait until the liquid cools to an acceptable temperature. We carry out inhalation for 5 minutes. This procedure makes breathing easier and the cough will immediately subside. This procedure is contraindicated in case of pneumonia, high temperature above 37.5 degrees, high blood pressure, or heart disease.

2. Mix finely grated onion with honey in a ratio of 3:1 and leave the mixture to simmer for several hours. Take 1 teaspoon between meals.

3. Grind bananas with a blender, dilute with boiling water by 1/3, add a tablespoon of honey. Drink half a glass on an empty stomach three times a day.

4. Mix pine buds (1 part), violet root (2 parts), Icelandic moss (4 parts). Brew a tablespoon of the resulting mixture with 200 ml of boiling water, leave overnight, strain. Take ½ cup 2 times a day with the addition of a teaspoon of honey.

5. Mix two tablespoons of licorice with three teaspoons of any of the herbs listed below (thyme, linden, plantain, oregano, calendula). A teaspoon of the collection is brewed with 200 ml of boiling water, adding a teaspoon of honey. You can drink up to 4 cups of this mixture per day, each one brewed anew.

6. Mix 2 drops each of mint, tea tree, and cedar oils. Dilute with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Rub into problem areas: chest, throat.

Cough soda. 1 teaspoon of baking soda is dissolved in hot milk and taken at night. The cough calms down.
Soda for sore throat. 2 teaspoons of soda are dissolved in a glass of warm hot water. Gargle 5-6 times a day. It relieves pain from colds and coughs well.
Soda for a runny nose. It is effective to rinse the nasal passages with a soda solution 2-3 times a day, prepared at the rate of 2 teaspoons per glass of water.
You have read an article about respiratory diseases, which allowed you to better understand this pathology, and, if necessary, cope with these ailments. I look forward to your feedback in the comments.

The human respiratory system consists of nasal passages , larynx , trachea , larynx , bronchi And lungs . The human lungs are surrounded by a thin connective membrane called pleura . The right and left lungs are located in the chest. The lungs are a very important organ, since blood flow directly depends on its work. Therefore, in lung diseases in which lung tissue is affected, not only respiratory functions are disrupted, but also pathological changes occur in the human bloodstream.

Regulates the activity of the respiratory organs respiratory center , which is located in the medulla oblongata.

Causes of respiratory diseases

In some cases, the disease is caused by a single type of pathogen. In this case, we are talking about monoinfections which is diagnosed more often. Less often in humans there are mixed infections caused by several types of pathogens.

In addition to these reasons, factors that provoke respiratory diseases can be external allergens . In this case, we are talking about household allergens, which are dust, as well as house mites, which often cause bronchial asthma. Also, the human respiratory system can be damaged by animal allergens, yeast and mold spores and fungi, pollen from a number of plants, as well as insect allergens.

Some professional factors negatively affect the condition of these organs. In particular, during the electric welding process, fumes from steel and nickel salts are released. In addition, respiratory diseases are provoked by certain medications and food allergens.

Polluted air, which contains high levels of certain chemical compounds, has a negative effect on the human respiratory system; household pollution in residential premises, climatic conditions that are not suitable for humans; active and passive smoking.

Excessive consumption of alcohol, other chronic human illnesses, foci of chronic infection in the body, and genetic factors are also identified as provoking factors.

For each specific respiratory disease, certain symptoms appear. However, experts identify some signs that are characteristic of several diseases.

One of these signs is considered. It is divided into subjective (in this case, the person complains of difficulty breathing during attacks of hysteria or neurosis), objective (a person’s breathing rhythm changes, as well as the duration of exhalation and inhalation) and combined (objective shortness of breath is observed with the addition of a subjective component, where the respiratory rate increases in some diseases). In diseases of the trachea and larynx it manifests itself inspiratory shortness of breath, which makes it difficult to breathe. If the bronchi are affected, expiratory shortness of breath is noted, which makes it difficult to exhale. Mixed shortness of breath is typical for.

The most severe form of shortness of breath is considered to occur during acute pulmonary edema . Sudden attacks of suffocation are characteristic of asthma.

Cough – the second of the most characteristic signs of respiratory diseases. A cough occurs in a person as a reflex reaction to the presence of mucus in the larynx, trachea or bronchi. A cough also occurs if a foreign body enters the respiratory system. Different types of coughs manifest themselves in different ailments. With dry pleurisy or laryngitis, a person suffers from attacks of dry cough, during which no sputum is produced.

A wet cough, which produces varying amounts of sputum, is characteristic of chronic , pneumonia , oncological diseases of the respiratory system .

With inflammatory processes in the bronchi or larynx, the cough is usually constant. If a person is sick, or pneumonia , then the cough bothers him periodically.

In some diseases of the respiratory system, the patient exhibits hemoptysis , in which blood is released along with sputum when coughing. This symptom can occur in some serious diseases of the respiratory system and in diseases of the cardiovascular system.

In addition to the symptoms described above, patients with respiratory diseases may complain of pain. The pain can be localized in different places, sometimes it is directly related to breathing, coughing attacks or a certain body position.

Diagnostics

In order for the patient to be diagnosed correctly, the doctor should familiarize himself with the patient’s complaints, conduct an examination and examine using palpation, auscultation, and percussion. These methods allow you to identify additional symptoms that allow you to make an accurate diagnosis.

Upon examination, you can determine the pathology of the shape of the chest, as well as the characteristics of breathing - frequency, type, depth, rhythm.

During palpation, you can assess the degree of vocal tremors, which can be intensified, and when pleurisy – weakened.

When examined using percussion, it is possible to determine a decrease in the amount of air in the lungs due to edema or fibrosis. With an abscess, there is no air in a lobe or part of a lobe of the lungs; in patients with emphysema, the air content increases. In addition, percussion allows you to determine the boundaries of the patient's lungs.

With the help of auscultation, you can evaluate breathing, as well as listen to wheezing, the nature of which differs in different diseases.

In addition to the above research methods, laboratory and instrumental methods are also used. The most informative are different types of x-ray methods.

Using endoscopic methods, such as bronchoscopy and thoracoscopy, it is possible to identify some purulent diseases, as well as detect tumors. Also, using bronchoscopy, you can remove foreign bodies that get inside.

In addition, functional diagnostic methods are used to determine the presence of respiratory failure. Moreover, sometimes it is determined even before the first symptoms of the disease appear. For this purpose, lung volume is measured using a method called. The intensity of pulmonary ventilation is also studied.

The use of laboratory research methods in the diagnostic process makes it possible to determine the composition of sputum, which, in turn, is informative for diagnosing the disease. At acute bronchitis The sputum is viscous, colorless, and mucous in nature. At pulmonary edema The sputum is foamy, colorless, and serous in nature. At tuberculosis , chronic bronchitis the sputum is greenish and viscous, has a mucopurulent character. At lung abscess the sputum is purely purulent, greenish, semi-liquid. In severe lung diseases, an admixture of blood is observed in the sputum.

In the process of microscopic examination of sputum, its cellular composition is determined. Urine and blood tests are also practiced. All these research methods make it possible to diagnose diseases that affect the respiratory system and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Treatment

Considering the fact that respiratory diseases are one of the most common diseases in both children and adults, their treatment and prevention should be as clear and adequate as possible. If respiratory diseases are not diagnosed in a timely manner, then subsequently it takes much longer to treat a person’s respiratory system, and the treatment system becomes more complex.

A number of drugs are used as medicinal methods of therapy, which are prescribed in a complex manner. In this case it is practiced etiotropic therapy (medicines that eliminate the cause of the disease), symptomatic treatment (eliminates the main symptoms), maintenance therapy (means for restoring functions that were impaired during the development of the disease). But any medications should be prescribed only by a doctor after a comprehensive examination. In most cases, the practice is to use drugs that are effective against a specific pathogen.

In addition, other methods are used in the treatment of diseases: physiotherapy, inhalations, manual therapy, exercise therapy, reflexology, chest massage, breathing exercises, etc.

To prevent respiratory diseases, taking into account their structure and the characteristics of the transmission of pathogens, respiratory protective equipment is used. It is very important to use personal protective equipment (cotton and gauze bandages) when in direct contact with a person who has been diagnosed with a viral infection.

Let's take a closer look at some common respiratory diseases, their treatment and prevention methods.

Bronchitis

With the development of this disease, an acute inflammatory process of the bronchial mucosa occurs; in more rare cases, all layers of the bronchial walls become inflamed. The development of the disease is provoked by adenoviruses, influenza viruses, parainfluenza, a number of bacteria and mycoplasmas. Sometimes some physical factors act as causes of bronchitis. Bronchitis can develop both against the background of an acute respiratory disease, and in parallel with it. The development of acute bronchitis occurs when the ability to filter air through the upper respiratory tract is impaired. In addition, bronchitis often affects smokers, people with chronic inflammation of the nasopharynx, and also those with chest deformity.

Symptoms acute bronchitis , as a rule, arise against the background laryngitis or runny nose . The patient complains of discomfort in the chest, he is bothered by attacks of dry or wet cough, and weakness. Body temperature increases, and if the course of the disease is very severe, then the temperature can be very high. Breathing is difficult, shortness of breath is present. Due to constant tension when coughing, pain in the sternum and abdominal wall may occur. After some time, the cough becomes wet and sputum begins to be released. As a rule, acute symptoms of the disease begin to subside around the fourth day, and if the course of the disease is favorable, then recovery is possible by the 10th day. But if the disease is joined bronchospasm , then bronchitis can become chronic.

Tracheitis

At acute tracheitis The patient experiences an inflammatory process of the tracheal mucosa. It develops under the influence of bacterial, viral, or viral-bacterial infections. Inflammation can also develop under the influence of physical and chemical factors. The patient has swelling of the tracheal mucosa, a hoarse voice, and difficulty breathing. Worried about coughing attacks, as a result of which a headache develops. The cough manifests itself in the morning and at night, the temperature rises slightly, and general malaise is mild. Acute tracheitis sometimes becomes chronic.

Laryngitis

At laryngitis inflammation affects the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords. Doctors divide laryngitis into chronic catarrhal And chronic hypertrophic . Depending on the intensity and prevalence of the pathological process, a certain clinical picture appears. Patients complain of hoarseness, soreness and dryness in the throat, a constant sensation of a foreign body in the throat, and a cough in which it is difficult to separate sputum.

Sinusitis

When an inflammatory process of the maxillary paranasal sinus develops. As a rule, this is a complication of some infectious diseases. Sinusitis manifests itself under the influence of viruses or bacteria that enter the maxillary sinus through the blood or nasal cavity. With sinusitis, the patient is bothered by constantly increasing discomfort in the nose and area around the nose. The pain becomes more intense in the evening, gradually turning into a general headache. Sometimes sinusitis develops on one side. Nasal breathing becomes difficult, the voice changes, becoming nasal. Sometimes the patient notes that the nostrils are blocked alternately. Nasal discharge can be either clear and mucous, or purulent and greenish in color. But if the nose is very stuffy, mucus may not be released. Body temperature sometimes rises to 38 degrees, sometimes even higher. In addition, the person experiences general malaise.

Rhinitis

Rhinitis , that is, a runny nose, is an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, in which nasal congestion, discharge, and itching in the nose are observed. Rhinitis usually manifests itself as a consequence of severe hypothermia under the influence of bacteria or viruses. It stands out separately, which manifests itself in people who are prone to allergic reactions. The disease develops under the influence of various allergens - plant pollen, mites, animal hair, etc. acute And chronic form of the disease. Chronic rhinitis is a consequence of external influences that disrupt the nutrition of the nasal mucosa. Also, the disease can become chronic with frequent inflammations that occur in the cavity. Only a doctor should treat this ailment, since chronic rhinitis can develop into sinusitis or sinusitis .

Angina

An acute infectious disease in which inflammation of the palatine tonsils develops and , regional to them. The pathogen multiplies in the tonsils, after which it sometimes spreads to other organs, causing complications of the disease. After streptococcal sore throat does not develop in humans. The disease begins with a general feeling of weakness, chills, and headache. There is aching in the joints. Body temperature can rise to 39C. Gradually, the pain in the throat becomes more intense. The submandibular lymph nodes are enlarged and painful. Redness of the palatine arches, uvula, and tonsils is noted. Also on the tonsils there are sometimes places where pus accumulates.

Pneumonia

At pneumonia inflammation of the lungs occurs due to infection. The alveoli, which are responsible for oxygen saturation of the blood, are affected. The disease is caused by a fairly wide range of pathogens. Pneumonia often manifests itself as a complication of other respiratory diseases. Most often, the disease occurs in children, the elderly, and people with weakened body defenses. The pathogens end up in the lungs, entering through the respiratory tract. Symptoms of the disease appear sharply: the temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, chest pain and cough with purulent sputum develop. At night the patient is bothered by severe sweating, and during the day by weakness. If the disease is not treated in a timely manner, death is likely.

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. At tuberculosis The patient develops cellular allergies, specific granulomas in different organs and tissues. The lungs, bones, joints, lymph nodes, skin and other organs and systems are gradually affected. If adequate treatment is not practiced, the disease is fatal. It should be noted that Mycobacterium tuberculosis is resistant to various influences. Infection occurs by airborne droplets. If a person is diagnosed with a tuberculosis infection, he is prescribed a full course of therapy with anti-tuberculosis drugs. Treatment is long-term, it takes up to 8 months. In advanced cases, surgical treatment is practiced - part of the lung is removed.

Prevention of respiratory diseases

The simplest, but at the same time very important method of preventing diseases of this type is considered to be increasing the time a person spends in the fresh air. It is equally important to ventilate the room frequently.

You should stop smoking, as well as regular drinking, as these habits have a particularly negative effect on the respiratory system. After all, harmful substances that are present in both tobacco and alcohol enter the lungs and injure them, and also negatively affect the mucous membranes. Heavy smokers are much more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer , and lungs , Chronical bronchitis .

Other methods of prevention include special breathing exercises, preventive inhalations of medicinal herbs, and also using essential oils . People prone to respiratory diseases are advised to grow in their home as many indoor flowers as possible, which produce oxygen .

In general, prevention of respiratory diseases consists of a healthy and active daily lifestyle.

There are a large number of respiratory diseases that are quite dangerous to human health and life. The most dangerous are lung cancer and tuberculosis. The worst thing about them is that a person may not even be aware of his illness for several years or months. And it is advisable to begin treatment of such terrible diseases at the very initial stage, when it is most effective.

Fluorography is an x-ray examination, which consists of photographing a visible image on a fluorescent screen, which is formed as a result of the passage of x-rays through the body and uneven absorption by the tissues and organs of the body. It is necessary to undergo fluorography at least once every two years. And for those whose work involves communicating with people - once a year.

Tuberculosis. The causative agent of this terrible disease is Koch's bacillus. It can enter the human body through the respiratory tract, along with food. In Figure 4 you can see these microbacteria.

Rice. 4 Koch sticks

Lung cancer. This is a malignant neoplasm of the lung that occurs in the epithelial tissue of some bronchi of different sizes. Depending on the place of formation, it is divided into peripheral, central and mixed (massive). The tumor has a depressing effect on the human body, initially leading it to exhaustion and then to death. The yellow clots that you can see in Figure 5 are lung cancer tumors.

Rice. 5 Lung tumor

Providing first aid to a drowning person. As soon as a drowning person is pulled out of the water, it is necessary to immediately empty his lungs of water. Therefore, the victim is placed on his knee with his stomach and the chest and abdomen are sharply compressed. You can also shake the victim off abruptly. Then they begin artificial respiration.

In the video we will look at ways to provide first aid to a drowning person:

Providing first aid for suffocation. Choking can occur when the tongue retracts or the throat is compressed. The tongue can become stuck at the moment when a person faints. Therefore, if this happens, you need to listen to the person’s breathing. If you hear wheezing or breathing completely disappears, you need to open his mouth and pull his tongue forward, or change the position of his head, throwing it back. It’s a good idea to let the alcohol smell.

If a person is covered with earth, it is necessary to clear his mouth of the earth, then artificial respiration and chest compressions follow. Having restored your breathing, you need to start looking for injuries.

Providing first aid for electrical injury. Electric shock or lightning often stops breathing. If the defeat was not serious, and the person was able to come to his senses, then examine him. If breathing stops, then give the victim artificial respiration, and in case of cardiac arrest, give a cardiac massage.

In the video we will see how to properly massage the heart:

A person’s death does not occur immediately; the heart stops and breathing stops; while a person’s brain is alive, the body’s functions can be restored. This is called clinical death. It only lasts a few minutes. Biological death is when the brain dies; it is irreversible.

Artificial respiration techniques are used when a person is not breathing; the most effective is breathing: from mouth to mouth, from mouth to nose. In Figure 5 you can observe how the process of artificial respiration occurs from mouth to mouth.

Rice. 6 Artificial respiration from mouth to mouth

Conclusions.

1. The normal vital capacity is equal to approximately 3/4 of the lung capacity; using spirography, vital capacity is determined; the respiratory muscles are considered good if, with five spirography tests, which follow one after another, the result does not decrease.

2. DN is the inability of the lungs to guarantee complete gas exchange; DN can even occur due to incorrect posture.

3. The most dangerous large respiratory organs can be called lung cancer and tuberculosis; it is necessary to undergo fluorography at least once every two years; the causative agent of tuberculosis is Koch’s bacillus.

4. First aid: artificial respiration from mouth to mouth or mouth to nose, cardiac massage.