Shallow breathing can be an alarming and potentially life-threatening symptom if left untreated. People who develop shallow breathing can generally develop wheezing and blue skin (cyanosis). Sometimes, shallow breathing can be due to fluid...
Corona viruses are responsible for common respiratory infections, including the common cold. A novel corona virus is the organism responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Their reservoirs are common animals like birds, and are...
Oxygen enters the body through the nose during inhalation. From there it travels to lungs and into the lung capillaries where it gets picked up by red blood cells and enters into the bloodstream. Anything that disrupts any part of this sequence...
The Mayo Clinic reports that common symptoms of alcoholism are both mental and physical. These symptoms include: inability to limit the amount of alcohol consumed, craving a drink, having a high tolerance to alcohol's effects, and experiencing...
Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, occurs when an illness causes an increase in mucus in the airways. The mucus allows viruses and bacteria to multiply, resulting in the infection. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that viruses...
Breathing, an anatomical and physiological process, occurs without a thought until something goes wrong. Respiratory acidosis or alkalosis indicate two such occasions. Inadequate ventilation leads to acidosis, and excessive ventilation causes...
Acute diseases are those diseases that come on abruptly and run a short, severe course, while chronic diseases last for a prolonged time and may come and go. An acute disease requires immediate medical attention due to life-threatening...
The lungs are organs in the body that are essential to respiration. Sometimes tumors can form in the lungs or the blood vessels in the lung may malfunction. Bacteria, fungi and even parasites may infiltrate the lung, resulting in breathing...
Borage oil, also known as starflower oil, is a good source of the omega-6 essential fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid, commonly called GLA. Omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, normal growth and development, skin and hair...
ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is characterized by excess fluid in the lungs, which interferes with breathing. It is typically a secondary condition that occurs with another illness or trauma and may cause death. For people who...
Acidosis is a condition characterized by excessive acid in the bodily fluids that can affect the body in numerous ways, depending upon the type. Respiratory acidosis occurs when the body contains too much carbon dioxide, which may result from...
Most people have experienced the runny nose, sneezing and congestion symptoms associated with the common cold. More than 200 viruses cause colds, and Americans experience more than 1 billion colds every year, according to MedlinePlus, a website of...
There are twelve nerves in the human body that exit from the central nervous system via openings in the skull. These are known as cranial nerves. The 12 cranial nerves are responsible for regulating numerous diverse functions, from allowing the...
Borage is widely used for treating a variety of ailments and to improve general health. It is rich in the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, which is important for many cellular processes and cardiovascular and adrenal health....
Avian flu caused immense public concern in 2009 when outbreaks in Asia, Africa and Europe prompted researchers to double their efforts to find a vaccine. The virus originates in birds, and is responsible for high levels of contagion and death...
Narcotic pain relievers are useful for treating severe and chronic pain. Fentanyl is an extremely potent narcotic medication that can be delivered using patches, which cause the medication to be absorbed through the skin. If used improperly,...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is a serious form of pneumonia caused by a virus. According to the World Health Organization, a total of 8,098 people worldwide became sick with SARS during the 2003 outbreak. Of these, 774 died. The...
Conditions that affect your breathing and lung capacity can be affected by your body position, sometimes with significant results, due to the changes in pressure on the lungs and airflow. In both infants and adults, lying in the supine position...
Since 1996, avian influenza, or bird flu, has affected several hundred people worldwide via infectious transmission from birds to humans. While many patients suffer only transitory health effects, the World Health Organization reports that more...
World travelers and poultry industry workers may risk exposure to avian influenza, or bird flu. This aggressive strain of the influenza A virus, labeled H5N1 and subtypes, caused the first known spread from birds to humans in 1997, according to...
Warnings about bird flu, or avian influenza, apply mostly to people who travel internationally or work with birds or poultry. In rare cases around the world, birds have given people this disease. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and...
Numerous disorders are associated with headaches. MedlinePlus states that a person should seek medical help if a headache is accompanied by a stiff neck, fever, loss of consciousness, confusion and pain in the eye or ear. Although serious causes...
Your doctor's instructions for the night before surgery serve an important purpose: They are designed to keep you safe. The reason you cannot eat after midnight on the night before surgery is to keep your stomach empty -- to prevent your stomach...
You're most likely to encounter pulse oximeters in your doctor's office or a hospital setting, but you can purchase them yourself for use at home. Make sure you consult with a physician on how to properly interpret the readings from your pulse...
According to the World Health Organization, acute lower respiratory infections are responsible for 20 percent of the deaths in children under the age of 5 years, and 90 percent of those deaths are attributed to pneumonia. Amoxicillin, a...
American ginseng, which is also known as Panax quinquefolius, is a short, aromatic, perennial plant with greenish-white flowers and red, berry-like fruits. The roots and root hairs of this endangered plant contain ginsenosides, which make them...
Your body needs oxygen to produce the energy needed to function normally. The oxygen you breathe in goes through tiny air sacs in your lungs and into the blood stream, where red blood cells pick it up and carry it throughout the body. This system...
Nettle, also referred to as stinging nettle, is a shrubby perennial herb with prickly hairs on its stems and leaves. There are between 35 and 45 species of nettle. The stinging hairs of nettle make the plant unpalatable to herbivores. Instead,...
The nettles represent more than 40 species of plants in the Urtica genus, most of which feature the characteristic stinging hairs along their leaves. The best known member of this group is Urtica dioica, or stinging nettle. Traditionally, nettle...
Respiratory infections are any infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for respiratory infection in this health video.
If your chest starts to feel sore and you develop a cough followed by the chills or a slight fever, you just might have bronchitis. Bronchitis is a condition that occurs when the inner walls that line the main air passageways of your lungs become...
