Lung Disorders

Bronchiectasis is abnormal widening of the airways.

This is often caused by chronic infection of the airways, most commonly caused by bacteria.  This chronic infection causes chronic inflammation of the airways.  Inflammation damages the lung and can result in bronchiectasis.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in Australia.

Smoking causes up to 90% of lung cancers and about 1/10 of people who smoke develop lung cancer. Lung cancer is an abnormality in the cells of the lung and usually starts in the lining of an airway.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a broad term to define airflow limitation that is not reversible.

A patient usually has a component of emphysema, chronic bronchitis or a combination of the two. COPD is often associated with a history of cigarette smoking or exposure to hazardous chemicals.

People with asthma have sensitive airways.

When exposed to certain stimuli their airways can narrow, making it harder to breathe.  This airflow obstruction is reversible either spontaneously or with treatment.

Interstitial lung disease is a name that covers a group of lung conditions that cause chronic breathlessness.

The most common type of ILD is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The major problem with ILD is inflammation of the lung tissue leading to scarring (fibrosis) of the air sacs.

Sarcoidosis causes small inflammatory masses or nodules (known as granulomas) to form mainly in the lungs and chest lymph glands but can affect the eyes, liver, heart and brain as well. Granulomas are groups of immune cells, which are normally part of the body’s defence system.

Mycobacteria is a type of bacteria that can cause infection within the body.  Atypical mycobacterium is any mycobacterium other than Tuberculosis mycobacterium.  The most common form of atypical mycobacterium, which also most commonly affects the lungs is the mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex.