Respiratory conditions affect the airways, including the lungs as well as the passages that transfer air from the mouth and nose into the lungs. They can be long lasting (chronic) or short term (acute) and can cause ill health, disability and death.
Respiratory conditions are believed to be the most commonly managed problems in general practice. The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health survey of general practitioners suggested that they were managed at a rate of 22 times per 100 encounters in 2009–10 (AIHW: Britt et al. 2010).
In 2009, there were 11,049 deaths where a respiratory condition was the underlying cause (ABS 2011). This was the third most common cause group.
Respiratory conditions that are chronic, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), place a particular burden on the community. Around 6 million Australians suffered from a chronic respiratory condition in 2007–08 (Based on National Health Survey (NHS) data).
Common chronic respiratory conditions
Chronic respiratory conditions can be grouped together in a variety of ways. One common grouping is obstructive lung diseases. These diseases affect the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
Asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are two common forms of obstructive lung disease.
Bronchiectasis is one form of obstructive lung disease that is a particular problem in some Indigenous communities (Chang et al. 2002). Bronchiectasis refers to an abnormal widening of air passages in the lungs. People with bronchiectasis are prone to infections as mucus accumulates in the airways and becomes stagnant. It has a number of causes, including COPD, cystic fibrosis, low antibody levels and infections such as tuberculosis, whooping cough and measles.
In addition to asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis, common chronic respiratory conditions include:
- 'Hay fever' is a term commonly used to describe allergic rhinitis when it is caused by seasonal exposure to pollen. Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions, affecting around 3 million Australians (Based on 2007-08 NHS data).
- Chronic sinusitis is the inflammation of the lining of one or more sinuses (large air cavities inside the face bones). It occurs when normal draining of the sinuses is obstructed by swelling, excessive mucus, or an abnormality in the structure of the sinuses. It can cause discomfort and pain and is often linked to similar inflammation inside the nose. Based on self- reports from the 2004–05 National Health survey, around 2 million Australians had chronic sinusitis.
- Occupational lung diseases result from breathing in harmful dusts or fumes, such as silica, asbestos and coal dust. This exposure typically occurs in the workplace. Pneumoconiosis, or scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaled dust, is one of the most common forms of occupational lung disease. There were 99 deaths in 2009 in Australia with pneumoconiosis as the underlying cause (ABS 2011).
- Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease in which mucus from glands is thicker and stickier than normal, affecting the lungs and other organs. Difficulty in clearing mucus from the airway leads to chest infections and airflow obstruction, with related problems such as bronchiectasis and shortened life expectancy. At 31 December 2009 the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Data Registry (ACFDR) held records of 2,986 people with cystic fibrosis (ACFDR 2009).
- Sleep apnoea (SA) is a condition that affects breathing while asleep. It reduces airflow which causes intermittent dips in the amount of oxygen in the blood and disturbs sleep. The individual with SA is often unaware of the night-time breathing difficulties.
- Pulmonary fibrosis is a scarring or thickening of the lungs. It affects the transfer of oxygen into the blood. Sometimes a cause can be identified for this but often the cause is not known. In this case it is described as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Often chronic conditions occur together or with acute respiratory conditions. For example, estimates from the 2007–08 NHS were that 41% of those that had asthma also had sinusitis or rhinitis and 9% had COPD.
Further information
More comprehensive information can be found in the reports listed on our publications page.
References
ABS 2011. Causes of Death, 2009, ABS cat. no. 3303.0. Canberra: ABS.
ACFDR 2009. Cystic Fibrosis in Australia 2009, 12th Annual Report from the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Data Registry. North Ryde, NSW: Cystic Fibrosis Australia.
AIHW: Britt H, Miller G, Charles J, Henderson J, Bayram C, Pan Y et al. 2010. General practice activity in Australia 2009-10. General practice series no. 27. Cat. no. GEP 27. Canberra: AIHW.
Chang AB, Grimwood K, Mulholland EK & Torzillo PJ 2002. Bronchiectasis in indigenous children in remote Australian communities. Medical Journal of Australia 177:200-4.