General Respiratory Illnesses Associated With Indoor Pollutants

What respiratory illnesses are
Causes of respiratory illnesses
Kinds of respiratory illnesses
Other lung illnesses caused by indoor air pollutants

What Respiratory Illnesses Are 

Respiratory illnesses are health problems of the lungs or airways that sometimes make it difficult to breathe. They can either last a short amount of time, like with a cold, or they can last for years, like with lung diseases resulting from asbestos.

Causes Respiratory Illnesses

Respiratory illnesses can be caused by a variety of indoor pollutants. Common indoor air pollutants that may result in respiratory problems include:

• Products of combustion, such as those generated by cooking with gas.

• Infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria.

• Long-term exposure to enviromental tobacco smoke can cause respiratory problems, such as wheezing, bronchitis, and respiratory infections in children.

• Mold can cause lung problems through allergic reactions.

• Ammonia can irritate or burn the respiratory track leading to coughing, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing.

• Nitrogen dioxide is a strong respiratory irritant. Low levels may also increase the chances of developing a lung infection.

• Ozone can irritate the airways.

• Asbestos can cause respiratory problems such as lung cancer, mesothelioma (a cancer of the chest and abdominal linings), and asbestosis (irreversible lung scarring that can be fatal).

• Particulates can irritate the lung resulting in bronchitis.

• Radon, which can cause lung cancer.

• Sulfur dioxide can irritate the airway passages and result in coughing, phlegm production, and/or shortness of breath.

• Carbon black can cause irritation of the airways (bronchitis) that can result in cough, phlegm, and/or shortness of breath.

• Carbon monoxide is a chemical asphyxiant. Though inhaled, it is primarily toxic to red blood cell function and not the respiratory system itself.

Kinds of Respiratory Illnesses

Examples of respiratory illness that may be caused by indoor air pollutants include:

• Asthma is the most common lung disease associated with indoor pollutants.¹

• Bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the airways. This can either be of short duration (acute) or it can be permanent (chronic).

• Pulmonary edema is a life-threatening condition that can be caused by damage to lung tissue after inhalation of a strong irritant.

• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis that can be caused by both chemicals and fungi.

• Legionnaires' disease, a kind of pneumonia.

• Pulmonary fibrosis, which is scarring of the lungs.

• Lung cancers from tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos, and other pollutants

Other Lung Illnesses Caused By Indoor Air Pollutants

Two other lung illnesses include chemical pneumonitis and pneumonia.

Chemical Pneumonitis

Chemical pneumonitis is an inflammation of the lungs caused by breathing in certain chemicals. Typical problems seen with chemical pneumonitis include pulmonary edema and pulmonary fibrosis. This can be caused by misuse of chemicals. One common mistake that can be fatal is if one mixes chemicals containing chlorine (often found in toilet bowl cleaners) with cleaners containing ammonia. Other chemicals that have been known to cause chemical pneumonitis include beryllium (found in old-style fluorescent light bulbs) and methylene chloride (found in paint strippers).

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is not a single disease. It can have over 30 different causes. There are five main causes of pneumonia:

1. Bacteria: Bacterial pneumonia can attack people of all ages though alcoholics, the debilitated, post-operative patients, people with respiratory diseases or viral infections and people who have weakened immune systems are at greater risk. These bacteria can be present all the time, but usually cause infection when the body's defenses are down or are weakened by illness, old age, malnutrition, or decreased immunity. In these cases, the bacteria can get into the lungs and cause an inflammation that can fill up air sacs or parts of the lung with fluid. The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can include:

   • High fever

   • Shaking chills and chattering teeth

   • Sweating

   • Cyanosis or a bluish color of the lips and nail beds from lack of oxygen

   • Severe chest pain

   • A cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucous

   • Confused mental status

2. Viruses: Half of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by viruses. Most of these pneumonias are not serious and do not last very long, but sometimes they can be severe and even deadly. Those who are most at risk have pre-existing heart or lung disease or are pregnant. The person may not even know they have pneumonia since the symptoms are often similar to the flu including:

   • Fever

   • Dry cough without mucous

   • Headache

   • Muscle pain

   • Weakness

   • Shortness of breath, which may begin within 12 to 36 hours when coughing, becomes worse and begins producing a small amount of mucous.

3. Mycoplasmas: These pneumonias are caused by organisms that are neither bacteria nor viruses. They usually just cause a mild pneumonia and the death rate is low. Though this type of pneumonia can be seen with all ages, it is most common in older children and young adults. The symptoms include:

   • Severe coughing

   • Fever

   • Chills

   • Nausea and vomiting

   • Weakness/fatigue

4. Other infectious agents, such as fungi or molds

5. Various chemicals

1. Wieslander G, Norbäck D, Björnsson E, Janson C, Boman G. Asthma and the indoor environment: the significance of emission of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds from newly painted indoor surfaces. Int Arch Occup Environ. Health. 1997;69:115-124.