The Heimlich Maneuver removes an object from a person's airway. Often when people chew food, small portions go down the wrong path and clog the airway. A person who is choking needs the obstruction removed immediately. The Heimlich puts pressure...
Wheezing is a type of breathing difficulty that creates a shrill whistling sound due to narrowing of the airways. It can be a symptom of respiratory disease, including asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. If wheezing...
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are designed to treat a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. According to Medline Plus, obstructive sleep apnea is the result of a blocked airway. During sleep, the muscles in the throat...
Bedtime can be a trying time for toddlers, who may suddenly need a glass of water or six, yet another bedtime story or their favorite stuffed animal you haven't seen in about three weeks. Sleep can instead be dreamy, with a few tips from Healthy...
Crackles in the lungs, most often described as a “popping” sound, originate in the airway. The crackling noise comes from a blocked airway that opens suddenly, which causes the sound to reverberate through the airway. Crackles are...
Lung cancer is the leading cancer cause of death among people ages 45 to 70, according to the Merck Manual. Cigarette smoke is cited as the most common contributor to lung cancer. Originating in the lung tissue, lung cancer is considered a primary...
Infants routinely place items in their mouths and sometimes suffer sudden illnesses. Knowing infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can help you act quickly in the event of an emergency involving an infant. The Red Cross sets guidelines for...
One of the major causes of snoring is sleeping on your back. When you sleep on your back, gravity pulls your tongue and the rest of your air passage down against your back, thereby restricting air flow. If you sleep on your side, you can prevent...
You get an allergic reactions in a variety of ways. You can inhale the offending substance and have reactions, like with pollen in the spring. Allergic reactions also come from food substances that are ingested. A touch to an offending item like...
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person repeatedly stops breathing while sleeping due to a blocked airway, according to MayoClinic.com. This condition can easily be treated with a continuous positive airway...
Tonsils are lymphatic tissue situated at the back of your throat. Tonsillitis is an infection of your tonsils. Tonsillitis, if untreated, can lead to complications. The complications of a tonsil infection are an abscess, sleep disturbances...
The tonsils are lymph nodes located in the back of the mouth and throat; their primary function is to filter bacteria and help prevent infection in the body. Tonsils that cannot fight off bacteria or virus could become suddenly inflamed and...
A common symptom of a cold is a cough, but coughing also can be a signal of a more serious medical complication in children. According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, a cough can be particularly dangerous when your child also has trouble breathing or when...
Snoring affects 7 to 12 percent of toddlers, and those who don't routinely snore will experience the sleep disturbance at some point. However, you may not know when your child's snoring is a situational result of allergens or a symptom of an...
Basic life support (BLS) encompasses a series of skills that can be used to support, or save, someone's life. Emergency medical personnel are trained to use BLS skills, which may also include the use of specialized medical equipment and...
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a technique anyone can learn to help save a life. Although many online sites provide basic instructions, it's best to take a class in person from a qualified professional. The American Heart Association and...
A poison sumac reaction can occur when a person's skin comes in contact with the sap of a poison sumac plant. The sap typically enters the skin rapidly and spreads from person to person. Poison sumac sap may be on the plant, on an animal or on...
Exercise-induced anaphylaxis is a rare form of anaphylaxis that happens during or after exercising and can be frightening and dangerous. It can come on suddenly in those who have never experienced it before, and sometimes is brought on by certain...
Wheezing occurs when the lower airways become constricted, or as the result of problems with the vocal cords, producing a high-pitched sound during breathing. The causes of wheezing are varied but essentially relate to inflammation and swelling....
Sometimes the immune system perceives a threat and reacts in a variety of ways. A respiratory or lung allergy causes symptoms directly reflected in how a person breathes. Pollen, a major trigger for asthmatics, stimulates white blood cells to...
The parathyroid consists of are four small glands in the neck located on the thyroid gland. Although these two glands are close in location, their functions are unrelated. The thyroid is responsible for regulating metabolism, so too much thyroid...
CPR, a common abbreviation for the emergency procedure called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, consists of several steps designed to help people who are choking, unconscious or not breathing properly. Infant CPR allows you to aid and revive babies,...
A breathing machine is a piece of equipment that facilitates breathing in the case of low oxygen levels in the blood stream. It aids the body to overcome the inability to breath normally, such as during respiratory failure. Many people suffer from...
Many adolescents face ups and downs; excitement, growth and discovery are coupled with uncertainty, new stresses and vacillating hormones. Any kind of memory loss that occurs during this time can add an additional layer of angst and worry for...
Snoring is a fairly common problem that affects both adults and children. When a child falls asleep, the muscles of the airway relax and vibrate, causing the harsh noise of snoring in the nose and throat. If their children snore, parents should...
Tonsillitis is an inflammatory condition of the tonsils that is caused by a virus or bacteria, according to the Kids Health website. It consists of swollen and red tonsils that have a yellow coating around them. This condition usually begins with...
When an airway in the lungs becomes blocked and causes such alarming symptoms as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing, immediate medical intervention is necessary. A blockage significantly reduces the lungs' ability to provide...
Asthma is a chronic condition. There are four classifications of asthma: mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent. A classification is made based upon the frequency and severity of the condition. Once asthma is...
According to MedlinePlus, symptoms of asthma in children are the same as in adults: trouble breathing, coughing, wheezing and a tight feeling in the chest. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 23 million...
Choking is the mechanical (either by foreign object or compression) obstruction of outside air flowing into the lungs. Learn about choking, including emergency treatments like CPR, in this video.
Laryngeal cancer is found in the larynx of the body which is the organ that has the voice box and vocal chords. In this video learn more about this form of cancer and how it can be prevented and treated.
