The larynx (sometimes called the voice box) is a tube-shaped organ in the neck region between the pharynx (throat) and the trachea (breathing tube). The larynx houses the vocal cords and has a cartilaginous skeleton and intrinsic and extrinsic...
Pneumonia is an infection in the lung. Breathing exercises help to strengthen the lungs and can prevent pneumonia. If you are diagnosed by a doctor to have pneumonia, he will prescribe the proper treatments for recovery, which will include...
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of mechanical ventilation that assists a person with the work of breathing and thus allow better gas exchange within the lungs. CPAP machines are used in a variety of situations, both inside and...
A mechanical ventilator is a machine that's used to support a patient's breathing. The mechanical ventilator is also referred to by some as a respirator. A breathing tube is placed through a patient's nose or mouth and into the trachea. The...
A snorkel is the breathing tube that is used during snorkeling or scuba diving. In snorkeling, it is the primary method for underwater breathing. Divers use snorkels during intermediate parts of their dive--such as when swimming to dive locations...
A Volumetric Exerciser, or spirometer, is a post-operative recovery apparatus used most commonly after major abdominal and chest surgery to restore and strengthen lung functioning. The apparatus trains the lungs to increase inspiratory volume...
Nearly every surgical procedure involves the administration of some type of anesthesia for pain relief and to keep patients relaxed and still during surgery. Forms of anesthesia range from local anesthesia, where just a small area is numbed, to...
Labor and delivery can be a painful experience. Fortunately, anesthesia is available to ease the pain of labor for women who have vaginal deliveries or cesarean sections. Anesthesia used in labor has to be safe for both mother and baby.There are...
Endotracheal intubation is a medical procedure that involves the placement of a tube into the trachea, or windpipe, to help unconscious or medically compromised people breathe. Typically, the breathing tube is placed through the mouth and into the...
According to Taber's Medical Dictionary, oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen for the treatment of conditions resulting from oxygen deficiency. The goal of oxygen therapy is to improve oxygen flow to major organs and tissues, such as the...
Sleep apnea is a serious condition in which breathing starts and stops while you are sleeping. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two main types: obstructive and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the collapse of throat muscles...
Asthma is a lung disease that affects the breathing passageways. The airways in the lungs are called bronchial tubes. The walls of these bronchial tubes can become inflamed during an asthma attack. The inflamed bronchial tubes can become swollen...
Side effects, best thought of as undesired effects of a medical therapy occurring along with the desired treatment, often occur following an anesthetic. Distinct from a complication, which implies harm or risk to the patient, side effects after...
A baby delivered at less than 37 weeks gestation is considered a premature birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls babies born at less than 28 weeks "very preterm." The characteristics of preemie babies differ from full-term...
Diphtheria is rare in the United States because most people receive the diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis inoculation. If you have a diphtheria infection, you either didn't get the vaccine or you didn't finish the full course of vaccines within the...
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is an infection that is resistant to antibiotics. There are two types of MRSA: Hospital Associated (HA-MRSA) and Community Associated...
Snorkeling consists of swimming on the surface of the ocean while wearing a dive mask, a breathing tube and swimming fins. Snorkeling is usually done in relatively shallow water over coral reef to observe the local underwater animal population. As...
Much less cumbersome than scuba gear, snorkeling equipment allows you to clearly and constantly view what is below surface of the water without needing to come up for air. The basic gear for snorkeling includes a snorkel, diving mask and fins....
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland below the Adam's apple in the neck, regulates the body's energy level. Most people with thyroid cancer, which is rare, have their entire thyroid gland surgically removed, reports the American Cancer Society....
Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) that overly expands lung sacs, thereby trapping air and destroying lung tissue. Causes of emphysema include long-term smoking or genetic predisposition. People with emphysema...
The number-one priority when it comes to treating Pierre Robin syndrome is protecting your child's airway. The jaw or the tongue or both can obstruct the airway. If your newborn with Pierre Robin syndrome is having trouble breathing, a nasal...
An infected tooth, also known as a tooth abscess, refers to an accumulation of pus that infiltrates the center of the tooth, says MedlinePlus. It says that symptoms of an infected tooth include a toothache that is gnawing or throbbing in nature, a...
Asthma is an obstructive lung disease that is episodic and reversible to a significant degree, according to "Current Diagnosis & Treatment Emergency Medicine." Between asthma attacks, individuals may have normal lung functioning. An...
A flail chest creates a free floating, broken segment of ribs that moves opposite from the rest of the chest wall when breathing in and out. A flail chest most often occurs when there is significant blunt force to the chest.
The majority of babies born are delivered between 37 and 40 weeks gestation, and are considered term. A few babies are born preterm, earlier than 37 weeks. The youngest of these are the babies born at 23 weeks gestation. The baby delivered this...
Although scientific minds are somewhat divided on this subject, it is still considered safe practice to cancel an elective surgery if cold symptoms are present in an adult or child. Anesthesia in itself promotes a host of potential side effects...
Chest pain is a frightening symptom that immediately brings forward images of emergency rooms, heart attacks and other life-altering diagnoses. Right-sided chest pain should not be ignored, but myriad etiologies exist for this discomfort. Within...
Liver cirrhosis occurs when normal cells and tissues of the liver are replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Common causes include viral infections and alcohol abuse. Liver cirrhosis is associated with a number of complications including pulmonary...
Gastric reflux is also called gastroesophageal reflux. This disorder happens when the muscle that controls how quickly food passes through the stomach malfunctions. Food and gastric acid can remain in the stomach too long, which causes the...
Wheezing is continued coarse or troubled breathing often associated with a lung disease. Learn about wheezing in this respiratory health video.
Throat cancer, often associate with oral cancer, affects the throat. A significant amount of people every year are diagnosed and die of this cancer, but if diagnosed early it is can be cured. In this video learn more about this cancer and how to...
A tracheotomy is a procedure that opens the airways directly through the neck. Learn about the dealing with and performing a tracheotomy in this video.
Adduction means moving towards the midline of the body. Learn how to work out the lower body with standing adduction exercises using tubing in this exercise video from a physical fitness trainer.
