Diseases of the respiratory system.

Abstract

Globally, the number, variety, and prevalence of respiratory disorders and diseases pose a major health concern. Many of the causes of these disorders can be linked to two human-generated factors: air pollution and cigarette smoking. Air pollutants, for example, adversely affect the health of 4 to 5 billion people throughout the world. Polluted air is harmful to patients with respiratory disorders, particularly asthma, because it can trigger attacks or exacerbate them. The problem of air pollution will only continue to increase because of the expanding world population, the burning of fossil fuels, and the increased amount and array of industrial chemicals being released into the air (Pimental et al., 1998). Cigarette smoking is discussed by Fisher (in press). However, the association between smoking and respiratory disorders merits a brief comment. Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For example, China has the largest number of tobacco-related deaths in the world. Liu et al. (1998) pointed out that 45% of the deaths in China are caused by respiratory illness, specifically COPD.If current smoking rates in China persist, Liu and his colleagues estimated that tobacco will kill about 100 million of the 0.3 billion male population 239

Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders

“…Environmental variables that may influence the development of both asthma and anxiety disorders include low socioeconomic status, urban residence, parental smoking, and stressful life events (Creer, Bender, & Lucas, 2002;Goodwin, 2003). For example, in a study of individuals of diverse socioeconomic status, Rumbak, Kelso, Arheart, and Self (1993) observed that 51% of indigent, asthmatic patients noted that their acute asthma attacks were frequently triggered by anxiety compared to only 19% of patients who were privately insured and not indigent.…”