Lung Diseases
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease. If all types of lung disease are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States.
The term lung disease refers to many disorders affecting the lungs, such as asthma, COPD, infections like influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many other breathing problems. Some lung diseases can lead to respiratory failure.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) · National Library of Medicine
- Chest tube insertion - series · Medical Encyclopedia
- Chest Tube Thoracostomy · American Thoracic Society
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test · National Library of Medicine
- Long-Term Control Medications for Lung Diseases · National Jewish Health
- Lung Function Tests · National Library of Medicine
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For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number.
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