Breathing is usually automatic and regular. Breathing frequency responds to activity level, with breath slow and deep during sleep and rapid during exercise. When the breathing pattern does not match the active state, that can indicate a problem.
Although people who have asthma rely on long-term medication to prevent asthma attacks, quick-relief medicines relax tight muscles around the airways during sudden flare-ups, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute explains. The medicine...
Feeling breathless during a vigorous workout is a common experience that generally is not cause for concern, according to Medline, a division of the National Institutes of Health. However, there are circumstances when shortness of breath can point...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled since 1980. Children age 6 to 11 have seen a 13 percent increase in obesity, while obese adolescents, 12 to 19 years old have increased by more...
Edema is the medical term used for swelling or fluid accumulation in the body. It can be a temporary situation in response to an injury or it can signal a serious underlying medical condition. It can occur anywhere in the body including the legs....
Sleep apnea is a brain disorder that causes you to stop breathing while you are asleep because your brain does not send the right signals to the muscles that control breathing. Treatment for sleep apnea usually includes a mask strapped on the face...
The diaphragm muscle, which is located underneath the lungs, usually drops down during inhalation to allow the lungs to expand. It then contracts or pushes upwards when exhaling, to push the air out. However, if the diaphragm becomes irritated,...
Breathing is a fundamental process needed to sustain life. Still, it is only a part of the complex oxygen, carbon-dioxide swapping cycle called respiration. This process begins upon inhalation, allowing oxygen to flow deep within the lungs and...
It's normal to feel tired after working out, but if you feel completely exhausted every time you exercise, you might need to see a doctor or make some changes to your exercise routine. Sometimes taking care of your body and getting more rest at...
The National Cancer Institute reports that in 2009 approximately 22,070 cases of brain tumors were diagnosed in the United States. Brain tumors may originate in the brain, or they may start somewhere else in the body, such as in the lungs, and...
Cerebral palsy is a collective term used in reference to several childhood neurological disorders that permanently alter muscle coordination and body movement. Individuals with the disorder can have a number of impairments, including muscle tone...
People with obstructive sleep apnea have abnormal sleep patterns that involve intermittent pauses in their breathing, or apnea, interspersed with snoring, gasping for air and awakening. Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machines...
Trace minerals are an important factor in overall bodily health. Minerals play a role in many functions including growth, tissue development and healing, to name a few. Trace minerals are usually obtained through the diet. In cases of mineral...
When you exercise, your muscles signal your brain for more energy. To deliver more oxygen, your heart beats faster and your lungs try to draw in more air. To maintain your performance, it's important to control your breathing to ensure your...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a chronic neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord. When these nerve cells are destroyed, they can no longer send messages to...
Antihistamines are commonly found in many over-the-counter medications for cough and cold. They are particularly used as decongestants, and are effective at symptomatically clearing up runny noses. However, recent changes have occurred because of...
Individuals with sleep apnea suffer from an abnormal sleep pattern of snoring, intermittent pauses in their breathing known as apnea, choking or gasping for air, awakening and then falling back to sleep. Continuous positive airway, or CPAP,...
