adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, wet lung, white lung - acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen; occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc.

disease - an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

flu, grippe, influenza - an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease

pertussis, whooping cough - a disease of the respiratory mucous membrane

cold, common cold - a mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs); "will they never find a cure for the common cold?"

asthma, asthma attack, bronchial asthma - respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

bronchitis - inflammation of the membranes lining the bronchial tubes

emphysema, pulmonary emphysema - an abnormal condition of the lungs marked by decreased respiratory function; associated with smoking or chronic bronchitis or old age

pneumonia - respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma (excluding the bronchi) with congestion caused by viruses or bacteria or irritants

atypical pneumonia, mycoplasmal pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia - an acute respiratory disease marked by high fever and coughing; caused by mycoplasma; primarily affecting children and young adults

interstitial pneumonia - chronic lung disease affecting the interstitial tissue of the lungs

pneumoconiosis, pneumonoconiosis - chronic respiratory disease caused by inhaling metallic or mineral particles

hyaline membrane disease, respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn - an acute lung disease of the newborn (especially the premature newborn); lungs cannot expand because of a wetting agent is lacking; characterized by rapid shallow breathing and cyanosis and the formation of a glassy hyaline membrane over the alveoli

SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome - a respiratory disease of unknown etiology that apparently originated in mainland China in 2003; characterized by fever and coughing or difficulty breathing or hypoxia; can be fatal

cough, coughing - sudden expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis