General Information on Further Pulmonary Illnesses Asthma / COPD / Pneumonia / Akute Bronchitis Bronchial Asthma - General Information The term "asthma" comes from the Greek language and means constriction. It is a chronic (i.e. long-lasting) and paroxysmal, inflammatory illness of the respiratory tract that is combined with increased sensitivity of the bronchia vis-à-vis various stimuli (the so-called bronchial hyper-reactivity). Typical asthmatic complaints are whistling breath (wheezing), coughing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, short-windedness and severe difficulty in breathing. The attacks often come during the night or in the early hours of the morning. One symptom of asthma is that the complaints at least partially recede, whether after medicament has been taken or spontaneously. The level of the asthmatic complaint also frequently alters. After a period without any symptoms at all, transient periods of coughing, for example, with shortness of breath might follow, or even an acute asthmatic attack. One distinguishes between allergic asthma, non-allergic (intrinsic) asthma and mixed forms of asthma (see also "Various Forms of Asthma"). top COPD - General Information The internationally used term "COPD" is an abbreviation for "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" and designates a chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB) with or without pulmonary emphysema. The term "obstructive" stands for a narrowing of the respiratory tract. Both clinical symptoms are characterized by the fact that the flow of air is hindered, especially on breathing out. The abbreviation COPD serves as a general term embracing both chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, COB and emphysema. Smoking is the main cause of COPD. In the category "Illnesses from A-Z" you can read in detail, in the related articles on chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB) and pulmonary emphysema, with which complaints chronic obstructive lung diseases can be associated, which examination methods are employed to detect them and with which medicaments and self-management programs they are treated. top Pneumonia - Allgemeines See under > Focus > Infections > Pneumonia top Bronchitis, Akute - General Information & Frequency The term "acute bronchitis" is taken to mean an acute inflammation of the mucous membrane in the bronchial tubes. It is usually accompanied by an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat area) and is especially widespread during the winter months. Bronchitis is one of the most frequent illnesses around. For every 100,000 inhabitants there are about 80 patients a week. In the winter months this number can easily double. As regards frequency, women and men are equally affected. Generally speaking, bronchitis is more frequently found in children and adolescents than in adults. Very often bronchitis is preceded by an infection of the upper respiratory tract. 90 percent of all cases are caused by viral infections. Less frequent causes can be bacteria, fungus or chemical irritants. An acute bronchitis can also appear in connection with other infectious diseases (such as measles). The germs causing bronchitis are transported by airborne infections. These fine, often invisible droplets are created by coughing, particularly when the cough is unbroken (which is why one should not merely put one hand in front of one's mouth for reasons of politeness). They damage the cells of the bronchial mucous membrane and thereby also inactivate their cilia. Some viruses paralyse the ciliated epithelium, other types of virus destroy it. As a result the cilia can only eject phlegm and infectious germs from the bronchial tubes slowly, if at all. At the same time the production of phlegm increases. The phlegm thus accumulates, exerting the same effect on the respiratory tract as a foreign body, i.e. inciting the coughing sensors and triggering a fit of coughing. Such fits of coughing are attempts by the body to free itself of the phlegm. Strong coughing therefore not only develops as a result of irritation of the mucous membrane, but also represents a substitute mechanism geared to cleaning the respiratory tract (mucociliary clearance) that is necessary, in view of the destroyed or paralysed cilia. top