People with asthma often suffer from asthma attacks. This is an acute condition where the tubes in the airways become inflamed, swollen and coated with excess mucus. People can have different irritants that trigger their asthma, such as...
The nail layer, made up of several keratin or protein layers, usually seal together to form a solid, strong nail bed, according to Nemours TeensHealth. But when nails become damaged, the layers come apart and become brittle and flaky. Most people...
Vitamins and minerals are probably the most important components of the food you eat. While in older days, people used to get most of their vitamins from the food itself, today, the situation is such that humans have started depending more and...
Brittle, cracked nails -- or onychoschizia -- is a condition in which the nail becomes brittle enough to split and peel, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. The condition typically causes nails to peel from the tips...
Contact your toddler's pediatrician immediately if you suspect he has pneumonia. Pneumonia symptoms include fever, cough, chills, rapid breathing, nasal flaring, chest pain, wheezing and nasal congestion. In severe cases, your toddler's...
Trimethoprim is an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections, pneumonia and traveler's diarrhea, according to Medline Plus. Trimethoprim is available as a tablet and is usually taken once or twice a day. If you are taking trimethoprim, it...
Americans get 1 billion colds a year, according to the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Unfortunately, babies are not immune. When a baby has a cold, he can be cranky and irritable because of the bothersome symptoms....
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of 2008, 46 million American adults are smokers. Smoking-related diseases cause one in five deaths in the United States. Although smoking-related diseases are preventable, many smokers...
Pirbuterol acetate is a medication used to treat such lung diseases as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It belongs to the category of drugs called beta-agonist bronchodilators and it works to relax your constrictive airways and...
If your baby has a fever, his immune system is fighting an infection or illness. Feverish babies feel warm to the touch and may appear sweaty, flushed or pale. Fevers are often the first sign of illness in a baby, according to the North Dakota...
Around 2 percent of adults and 4 to 8 percent of children have been diagnosed with some kind of allergy, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, although 1/4 of Americans believe they are allergic. You are more likely to have a...
When you take in a breath of air, oxygen transfers from your lungs to your blood. If your lungs are unable to deliver an adequate amount of oxygen to your blood, then you may require supplemental oxygen. Various diseases can cause this...
Iron is one of the essential nutrients the body needs to function normally. The body uses iron to transport oxygen throughout the body, including to tissues and muscles, and to maintain cell growth and behavior. Iron deficiency deprives the cells...
If your child is experiencing difficulty when breathing, or dyspnea, it can be very scary for both you and her. "State of the Air," by The American Lung Association, explains that 80 percent of the air sacs in your child's lungs will continue to...
Zoloft, a brand-name of the generic sertraline, is an antidepressant that belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Zoloft is used to treat depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder,...
The doctor will take the patient's hands, but it's not for comfort. The doctor is looking carefully, mostly at the fingernails, which can reveal a number of medical conditions, such as problems with the liver and kidneys. Fingernails can even...
As you ascend into Earth's atmosphere, the air thins, providing less oxygen and humidity to support your body's metabolic processes and potentially causing unpleasant physical symptoms. High elevation is a relative term -- if you live at sea...
Alkyl nitrites are a group of substances commonly used in products like air fresheners; they have also become popular for recreational use, known on the market as inhalants or "poppers." Poppers have notoriously been a part of America's club...
Food allergies occur when the body reacts negatively to an allergen you have eaten or come into direct contact with. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), 25 percent of American adults claim to have food allergies, though...
An allergic reaction to flaxseed is uncommon, but possible. 90 percent of all food allergies are related to milk, eggs, soy, fish, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some reactions from eating...
A low-calorie diet can damage your health. Low-calorie diets don't work for sustainable weight loss, rarely give your body the nutrients it needs and can make you sickly. A healthier way to lose weight is a slight reduction in calories and an...
Allergic reactions occur when your immune system mistakes harmless substances as threats. About 25 percent of people think they may have food allergies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Oatmeal is not a common allergen,...
Itchy hands can occur because of dry skin, which some women suffer from during pregnancy; however, itchy skin in conjunction with taking prenatal vitamins can occur from food allergies or sensitivity to ingredients in the prenatal vitamin. The...
Fungal pneumonia is a type of lung infection caused by fungi. Though this condition is uncommon in most people, those with compromised immune systems due to certain types of infection, such as HIV, are at an increased risk of developing fungal...
Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen to the body's tissues. If the hemoglobin level is low, the person is diagnosed with anemia. One of the important components of the hemoglobin protein is iron. If iron...
Certain minerals, including silver, can bind to proteins and other biological compounds and affect the way that they work. Colloidal silver is used for a variety of medicinal purposes, particularly for the treatment of infections. However, it...
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a broad term that embodies numerous heart defects that generally appear at birth. On average, over 35,000 newborns are afflicted with CHD every year, making it the most common birth defect. Congenital heart...
Underneath your perfectly polished manicure, you might find an unexpected and unpleasant surprise. Yellow nails can be caused by a variety of factors, from poor lifestyle habits to excessive use of nail polish. Fortunately, your tainted tips can...
Iron is a mineral commonly found in red blood cells, where it helps transport oxygen around the body. An iron deficiency can cause anemia and fatigue that can be treated and prevented with supplements. Iron supplements are probably safe for most...
