RESUMEN
Chronic respiratory diseases affect both the upper and lower airways. The main components of the respiratory system are the rib cage, airways, and the pulmonary interstitium. The airway originates in the trachea, a structure located in the mediastinum, which splits into two parts to form the main bronchus (right and left bronchi). The bronchi gradually divide into secondary bronchi, bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli. Acute or chronic respiratory diseases are present in all age groups, with many different forms of clinical presentation. In general, the most common diseases are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory allergies, occupational lung diseases, pulmonary hypertension, sinusitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, tuberculosis, cold, and influenza (flu). Among the acute illnesses, infections of the upper respiratory tract, flu, and pneumonia are particularly prominent, and since 2019, we could include in this group the COVID-19 with the beginning of the pandemic of this disease. For chronic diseases, diseases of the lower respiratory tract are the most common, such as bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.