Dr. Gary Hunninghake: Lung Disease Explained

Gary Hunninghake

Dr. Gary Hunninghake: Lung Disease Explained

Lung disease is an umbrella term that covers a number of medical conditions affecting the pulmonary system. In fact, lung diseases are some of the most common medical issues in the world. The most common causes of lung problems are smoking, genetics, and infections. The pulmonary system can be divided into six sections, all of which are prone to certain kinds of lung disease under these conditions. These are the airways, air sacs or alveoli, interstitium, blood vessels, pleura, and chest wall.

Dr. Gary Hunninghake: Lung Disease Explained

The airways consist of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi that branch off into the lungs through tiny tubes called bronchioles. They are subject to some of the most commonly known lung diseases such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. The bronchioles stop at the alveoli, which are the air sacks made up by lung tissue. Alveoli are subject to other common forms of lung disease such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary edema, pneumoconiosis, and lung cancer.

Dr. Gary Hunninghake: Lung Disease Explained

The interstitium is a microscopic layer that lines the alveoli, where the oxygen inhaled by the lungs is transferred to the blood. Interstitial lung disease is a broad range of conditions that affect the interstitium. Since the heart pumps and receives blood through the vessels, lung diseases that include pulmonary embolism and hypertension may also affect these.

About the author: Gary Hunninghake, MD, is a pulmonary specialist who spent 30 years as a professor at the University of Iowa School of Medicine.