The respiratory system is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies greatly, depending on the size of the organism, the environment in which it lives and its evolutionary history. Common diseases of the respiratory system include asthma, pneumonia, and emphysema. All of them are diseases of the lungs.     - Asthma is a disease in which bronchioles in the lungs periodically swell and fill with mucus. Symptoms of asthma may include difficulty breathing, wheezing,... Show more

The respiratory system is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies greatly, depending on the size of the organism, the environment in which it lives and its evolutionary history.
Common diseases of the respiratory system include asthma, pneumonia, and emphysema. All of them are diseases of the lungs.    
- Asthma is a disease in which bronchioles in the lungs periodically swell and fill with mucus. Symptoms of asthma may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. An asthma attack may be triggered by allergies, strenuous exercise, stress, or another respiratory illness such as a cold.    
- Pneumonia is a disease in which some of the alveoli in the lungs fill with fluid so they can no longer exchange gases. Symptoms of pneumonia typically include coughing, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.    
Pneumonia may be caused by an infection or an injury to the lungs.    
- Emphysema is a disease in which the walls of the alveoli break down so less gas can be exchanged by the lungs. The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath. The damage to the alveoli is usually caused by smoking and is permanent.    

The main way to keep your respiratory system healthy is to avoid smoking or breathing in the smoke of others.    
Smoking causes, or makes you more susceptible to, many respiratory diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.    
Other steps you can take to keep your respiratory system healthy include eating well, getting enough sleep, and being active every day. These healthy lifestyle choices will help keep your immune system healthy so it can fight off respiratory infections and other diseases. Another step you can take is washing your hands often. This will reduce your risk of picking up viruses or bacteria that could make you sick with colds or other respiratory infections. You should also avoid contact with other people when they are sick and stay home when you are sick. These steps will help reduce the spread of infectious diseases of the respiratory system.    

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