Human divers have to use portable oxygen tanks when diving for any length of time. But the increased density pressures of diving and other environmental factors can take their toll on a diver's body that may have an impact on breathing, even with...
A chronic cough that produces sputum or phlegm is a common sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD is a lung condition that features problems with clogged airways and breathing difficulties. The condition is brought on by a...
As discussed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), asthma is a chronic lung disease that results in inflammation and narrowing of the airways. This disease often starts in childhood, but affects people of all ages. Asthma causes symptoms...
Smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which includes emphysema, or enlargement of the air sacs, or alveoli; chronic bronchitis, or chronic cough-producing phlegm; and small airways disease, or narrowing of bronchioles,...
Given that over one hundred million people worldwide suffer from asthma, it is no wonder that many are seeking alternative methods as coping mechanisms. Like many asthma sufferers, you know your options of inhalers and anti-inflammatories, yet...
A chronic cough is one that lasts eight weeks or longer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chronic coughing can interrupt everyday life including sleeping and working. Medical examination is helpful in identifying the source of the cough. Individuals...
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that targets the body's airways. The disease causes the airways to become inflamed and to produce excessive amounts of mucous when the patient is exposed to certain environmental factors, reports the New...
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when there is regurgitation of food into the esophagus. The predominant symptom of GER is heartburn. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is diagnosed when heartburn is present two or more times a week. The International...
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 20 million people in the United States suffer from asthma. Worldwide, the disease affects 300 million people and is the cited cause of 250,000 deaths annually. Asthma is a type of lung...
Babies are susceptible to many of the same breathing problems as an adult. For some children, the risks are higher due to immature respiratory systems. The term "reactive airway disease" applies to childhood respiratory illnesses that include...
If your child has asthma, you might wonder whether an underlying lactose intolerance is to blame, particularly with the prevalence of milk allergies. However, lactose intolerance and milk allergy are very different from one another. While milk...
Coughing is a normal reflex that helps keep the lungs clean by forcefully propelling accumulated mucus and debris from the airways. Inhalation of dusty air, secondhand smoke or air pollutants typically triggers a coughing episode. Repetitive or...
Normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. Babies born after more than 42 weeks of pregnancy are considered post-mature or post-term. The danger of post-maturity lies in the fact that the placenta, which...
The respiratory system works together with the circulatory system to provide body cells with the oxygen they need to convert nutrient molecules into energy. A waste product of cellular energy production, carbon dioxide, is then eliminated from the...
Asthma is a chronic obstructive airway disease in which the small airways of the lungs constrict, making it difficult to breathe. In recent years, researchers have discovered that much of the process by which asthma leads to difficulty breathing...
Enzymatic treatments to reduce the effects of floaters -- small deposits within the eye that appear to float within the field of vision -- are available. Floaters may be present at birth, but their incidence increases with age and they can become...
Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 flu, is a contagious viral infection that first made its mark in the spring of 2009, according to the Mayo Clinic. This flu virus enters the body via the eyes, nose or mouth. Its specific symptoms include a fever,...
The human body has an astounding capacity to repair and heal itself. However, neither the body nor modern medicine can repair certain conditions and damage to the body. These diseases are incurable. Some incurable lung diseases, such as asthma,...
The DuoNeb nebulizer treatment is a combination of two drugs consisting of ipratropium bromide and albuterol sulfate in a single inhalation solution. DuoNeb is a bronchodilator used to treat obstructive airway diseases for patients who need more...
Serrapeptase, also known as serratio peptidase, is a proteolytic enzyme, which means its primary task is to break down proteins. This substance occurs naturally in the intestine of the silkworm and is used by the adult moth to dissolve the remains...
According to the Mayo Clinic, emphysema involves the destruction of the bronchioles, which are sacs at the ends of the smallest airways of your lungs. This disease is one of the factors that leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD,...
The Serevent Diskus is a teal-green dry-powder inhaler containing 28 or 60 units of salmeterol xinafoate inhalation powder, which is a long-acting medication for chronic asthma. Multiple precautions and warnings are associated with this...
Asthma medications fall into two categories: long-term control medications and rescue, or quick-relief medications. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel developed a therapy approach to administering asthma medications....
Albuterol sulfate is a medication used primarily to treat bronchospasm for patients with obstructive airway disease such as asthma. It is approved for patients 2 years of age and older, according to the National Institute of Health. Albuterol...
Both bronchitis and bronchial asthma conditions classify as lung diseases called chronic obstructive airway disease, the Mayo Clinic reports. Any lung disease process that involves the blockage of the respiratory airway with mucus, remains part of...
Asthma is a disease that affects the airways. The Centers for Disease Control estimated that there were 7 million children with asthma in the United States in 2008. Asthma is the most common serious disease in children according to the American...
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs and breathing airways. It is a chronic disease, which means it is long-term. Asthma affects people of all ages, but it is a disease that starts out most often in children. Asthma can be difficult to...
Asthma is an obstructive airway disease characterized by inflammation and bronchospasms (swelling and narrowing of the airways). Asthma is categorized as extrinsic (allergic) or intrinsic (non-allergic). According to the Centers for Disease...
Wheezing is defined by Medline Plus as a high-pitched whistling sound that occurs during troubled breathing. The high-pitched sound is most audible during exhalation but can occasionally be heard during inhalation as well. Wheezing occurs when air...
Coughing could be due to a cold or the flu, but the reason for a cough isn't always clear. Even your doctor may have trouble determining the exact cause. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of a cough in this video.
