What Is A Lung Infection?

Lung Infection Types

There are a number of different lung infection types. The most common lung infection types include the following.

Bronchitis is an irritation or inflammation of the air passages from the windpipe to the lungs. Bronchitis may be an acute infection, meaning it only lasts a short time. Or it can be a chronic disease, in which case it lasts a long time and frequently recurs. Chronic bronchitis is one of two types of lung diseases that are recognized as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

Pneumonia This type of lung infection occurs when the air sacs of the lungs become filled with fluid. Pneumonia is usually caused by viruses or bacteria. In rare cases, it can also be caused by parasites or other harmful organisms. Also see walking pneumonia.

Pleurisy Pleurisy is an infection in the lining of the lungs. This lining is known as the pleura. Typically, pleurisy is caused by opneumonia or a viral infection. Breathing is difficult and painful when you have pleurisy, and chest pain can be intense.

Historically, a number of other lung infection types have been common in the past, but they have now been virtually eliminated in the United States.

Whooping cough involves the respiratory mucous membrane. This lung infection results in repeated spasmodic coughing that continues until the patient runs out of breath. Each bout ends with a "whoop" that gives the disease its name. It is caused by species of bacteria.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. TB has virtually been wiped out in the developed countries, but this type of lung infection still kills many people every year in the Third World.
 
Side effects of certain medications, chemicals, toxins or other harmful substances can be the underlying cause of a lung infection.

Legionnaire's Disease is a severe type of pneumonia. It's caused cause of Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterium, specifically the bacterium called legionella. The specific groups of people that are at a high risk for this disease are people who smoke, older adults, and those who have weakened or damaged immune systems.

Occasionally, there are outbreaks of lung infection types that arise in various parts of the world. One such type that recently caused many serious illnesses and a number of deaths was known as SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS is a highly contagious lung infection first identified in China in 2002. It is a form of pneumonia.

What is a lung infection?

The words lung infection refer to a type of lung illness with a number of possible causes. A lung infection is any infection that occurs in the lung. A lung infection is also commonly called a chest infection or bronchial infection.

How do you get a lung infection? Lung infection causes viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. These agents can float through the air are often transmitted from one person to another through coughing or sneezing. They can collect on surfaces that you touch with your hands. Then when you then touch your hands to you nose or mouth, the infectious agents enter the respiratory system and begin to multiply.

Lung infection signs and symptoms The most common signs and symptoms of a lung infection include

• coughing,
• shortness of breath (dyspnea),
• chest pain, and
• wheezing.

Sometimes, airways between the mouth and lungs become blocked, which may result in a gasping sound when breathing (the medical term for this is "stridor").

Hemoptysis, or coughing up blood may occur in more severe or serious lung infections.

A bluish discoloration of the skin known as cyanosis results from a lack of oxygen in the blood.

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