Lung Infections

Often commonly called a "Chest Infection" or "Bronchial Infection"

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.

The best known illnesses that involving a lung infection (also sometimes called chest infection or a bronchial infection) are described below:

Bronchitis is an irritation or inflammation of the air passages from the windpipe to the lungs.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs when the air sacs of the lungs become fill 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. 

Historically, two other types of lung infections have been common, but both of these have now been largely eliminated in the United States.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome which has become better known as SARS, is a highly contagious lung infection first identified in China in 2002. SARS is an atypical form of pneumonia.

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 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.

Lung Infection Symptoms

The most common symptoms of chest infections or bronchial infections 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.