Lung cancer can develop within the airways, or bronchi, within the lungs, or in the air sacs that facilitate oxygen transfer from the air into the bloodstream. In it’s early stages, the cancerous tumor remains situated within one region of...
Parasitic diseases are a leading cause of illness and death worldwide, especially in areas with poor sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated one in four people harbors a parasite. The growing number of people with...
Phlegm, or sputum, is produced when the lungs are inflamed and excess mucous is produced in the respiratory tract. The medical term for blood in the sputum is hemoptysis. According to MedlinePlus, blood in the sputum differs from bleeding that...
Many illnesses can cause bloody phlegm, also known as sputum. According to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, most of these causes are related to diseases and conditions of the respiratory system. Some of the illnesses that can cause bloody...
As of 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered to be a danger to patients when they are in the hospital. The bacterium has the potential to cause several types of infections. More...
Lung cancer is often diagnosed after the disease has already progressed. Because of this, only about 14 percent of lung cancer patients have a five-year survival rate. Initial symptoms of lung cancer are vague. People often are not aware they are...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that flu affects millions of Americans each year, causing symptoms such as fever, dry cough, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. A productive cough with the flu usually signals the...
Tuberculosis is a serious communicable disease. It can affect different parts of the body. Pulmonary TB, or TB in the lung, can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air. If you have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis, are...
Community acquired pneumonia is a disease that affects the lungs. It is usually caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It can be spread from person to person and is acquired through the inhalation of...
Varicella is commonly known as chicken pox, and varicella pneumonia is a rare, but serious complication of this infection. According to the "European Respiratory Journal," varicella pneumonia more commonly affects adults with chicken pox, rather...
Human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG for short, is a hormone used to sustain the placenta during pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle in females. The HCG diet involves daily injections of this hormone, which is meant to increase fat metabolism....
HIV, also known as the human immunodeficiency virus, refers to a chronic and potentially fatal disease in which a person's immune system is weakened. The immune system is responsible for fighting infection. The Mayo Clinic says that typical HIV...
When hookworms get under your skin, your skin will feel itchy, and you may develop a red rash where the larvae penetrated. This rash is called "ground itch." Hookworms also can turn your skin pale, a shade you normally see when you're in shock or...
Advanced, or end stage lung cancer is a medical prognosis, not an actual tumor staging. When one is diagnosed with end stage lung cancer, this means that traditional curative options have been exhausted and the cancer will progress and eventually...
The avian flu, also known as the bird flu, is a form of influenza that naturally exists among wild birds in their intestines, but makes domesticated birds very ill. The high pathogenic form causes 90 to 100 percent mortality in birds, states the...
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium can cause damage to the lungs as well as to other parts of the body. If improperly diagnosed or not medically treated, TB can...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," lung cancer causes more deaths than any other type of cancer in the United States. The mortality rate five years after diagnosis is close to 90 percent. According to the Centers of Disease...
Tapeworms, or cestodes, cycle through three stages--eggs, larvae and adults. In humans, the adults reside in the gastrointestinal tract, and the larvae live in almost every organ. When the the larvae have penetrated tissues, they develop into...
Mullein is a biennial wildflower that is sold in many forms: teas from dried leaves and flowers, capsules, extracts, and oil products. Mullein contains mucilage that can produce a soothing effect as well as saponins that can help loosen mucus,...
Smoking cigarettes is a dangerous and addictive habit that can lead to a number of life-threatening diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 21 percent of adults in the United States regularly smoke cigarettes,...
Pneumonia is a medical condition characterized by an inflammation of the lungs caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Early symptoms of pneumonia often resemble the seasonal flu; however, they may progress to more severe symptoms such...
Asbestos is a needle-like mineral which was used widely in construction and many industries for its heat-insulating properties until the 1970s. Since then, its use has largely declined because it is easily aerosolized and inhaled, and has been...
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that can cause a number of serious infections in a hospital or community. According to the journal "Chest," older men with debilitating diseases are at a higher risk for infection with this organism than the...
Most cases of endometriosis involve the pelvic area, according to A. M. Wolthuis, C. Aelvoet, J. Bosteels and J. P. Vanrijkel in a 2003 article in the journal "Acta chir belg." However, the condition can occur in other parts of the body as well,...
Unexpected weight loss may be a cause for concern. However, when accompanied with other symptoms, the need for the correct diagnosis is essential. Weight loss may be normal depending on your diet, exercise or stress level. However, when other...
Breast cancer caused more than 40,000 deaths and accounted for more than 193,000 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2009, according to the National Cancer Institute. Breast cancer develops from mutated breast tissue cells that form...
C-ANCA and p-ANCA are two tests used in the diagnosis and evaluation of rheumatologic diseases. These conditions often result from a dysfunction in the immune system, which triggers an attack on certain tissues in the body that it mistakes as...
Chest wall pain can occur for a number of reasons that range from minor to life-threatening. Pain in this area will also vary between individuals and may be described as a dull ache, a generalized tenderness, points of stabbing pain or sharp pains...
Advanced breast cancer often metastasizes--it develops tumors in other tissues around the body. This occurs when a few cells break off the initial tumor, called the primary tumor, and travel around the body to colonize other organs and form...
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma is a cancer that develops in the nasopharynx, the area behind the nose and above the throat. Learn more about this rare cancer, its symptoms, and ways it can be treated in this video.
