Respiratory disease is a medical term that encompasses
pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange possible in higher organisms, and includes conditions of the
upper respiratory tract,
trachea,
bronchi,
bronchioles,
alveoli,
pleura and
pleural cavity, and the nerves and muscles of
breathing. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the
common cold, to life-threatening entities like
bacterial pneumonia,
pulmonary embolism, and
lung cancer.