Anatomy of the Respiratory System

Signs of Respiratory Distress

Spirometers

Inhalers and Nebulizers

Upper Respiratory Infections

Lung Diseases and Disorders

Lung Cancer

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Sleep Problems

Online Resources

Glossary

Lung diseases are conditions that occur within the lungs. They include disorders such as asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many others. According to the American Lung Association:

• every year nearly 335,000 Americans die of lung disease.

• lung disease is the number three killer in America, responsible for one in seven deaths.

• lung disease and other breathing problems are the number one killer of babies younger than one year old.

• today, more than 30 million Americans are living with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

Lung disease can affect people of all ages, both genders, and all incomes, but affects a disproportionate share of minority populations -- particularly African-Americans.

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