Asthma
- constrictions of the bronchi and bronchioles caused by irritation, which can be caused by irritant particles, or allergic reactions to particles in the air.
- Asthma makes breathing, especially exhaling, very difficult.
Pneumonia
- caused by the alveoli being filled up with mucus and liquids, which reduces the surface area available for gas exchange.
- Usually caused by bacterial or viral infections.
Chronic Bronchitis
- Bronchi and bronchioles becoming clogged with mucus, which inhibits respiration, due to chronic exposure to irritants which cause increased mucus secretion.
- most commonly caused by cigarette smoking.
Lung Cancer
- uncontrolled cell division, primarily in the epithelial cells, which causes constriction of airways, loss of specialized cells to an unorganized mass, and the cells can dislodge and be carried away to other parts of the body if they penetrate the outer membrane.
- Caused by excessive exposure to irritants, like smoking.
Cystic Fibrosis
- a recessive genetic disorder that causes certain transmembrane ion channel proteins not to be made. the lack of these channels causes abnormal diffusion of ions and water, which effectively lowers the pH of liquid covering the epithelia, which makes it more suitable to bacterial infection.
- as bacteria and other irritants accumulate in the airways, more and more mucus is produced by the epithelium which clogs up the airways and results in a persistent cough.