Respiratory disease, or respiratory tract disease, is a medical term that is made up of diseases affecting the lungs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals such as humans.

They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleurae, pleural cavity, and the nerves and muscles of respiration. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the common cold, to life-threatening diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, acute asthma and lung cancer. view more...