When food enters the lungs instead of the esophagus, it affects breathing and can cause choking and other problems. The structures inside the mouth and neck each have a distinct role in breathing, speaking and swallowing. The swallowing mechanism...
A small flap of cartilage located in the throat, the epiglottis typically remains upright and allows air to pass freely into the larynx and lungs. When you swallow, however, the epiglottis inverts to cover the larynx and prevent liquids and foods...
Breathing obstruction, or a partial or total blockage of the airways, can be a life-threatening situation. It can happen suddenly, due to choking on an inhaled foreign object or swelling resulting from an allergic reaction; ongoing, as in sleep...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Haemophilus influenzae type B, also known as H. flu, is a bacteria, not a virus. Once the leading cause of serious systemic infections in children and infants, the type B organism...
A haemophilus influenzae infection usually begins in the respiratory system. It may spread to other body systems, explains the Merck Manual. It is caused by a group of bacteria, one of which is Haemophilus influenza type B. The U.S. Centers for...
New parents often worry about their baby's frequent hiccups. Rest assured, hiccups are perfectly normal in healthy babies. Although no one knows the exact reason for hiccups, it is understood that they often occur in the fetus during the first...
Often called obligate or preferential nasal breathers, infants show a propensity for breathing through their noses. Although typically infrequent, mouth breathing plays a key role in helping keep your infant alive and healthy. Learn the facts...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before the Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine was first administered in 1990, this bacterium was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States for children...
The symptoms of sore throat and swallowing difficulty frequently overlap because of the proximity of the neck structures. The mouth opens into the throat, which leads to the voice box for air and the esophagus for food. The throat, voice box and...
Unusual breath sounds can sometimes be heard when a person is breathing in or breathing out. Stridor is the abnormal whistling or wheezing sound heard when a person inhales. Alexander Leung and Helen Cho, authors of the 1999 "American Family...
Most children will have infections and colds that are usually not that severe. Some infections will resolve given time, rest and plenty of fluids, while others will need to be treated. Thus, all of a child's illnesses should be brought to the...
Croup, also called acute laryngotracheobronchitis, is a common upper airway infection in children. Croup can vary in severity from a mild cough to a severe obstruction of the airway. Treatment for croup depends on the severity and can range from...
Realizing that your young child has swallowed a hard object such as a peppermint or other candy can be a frightening experience. Very small children don't have the ability to deal with eating this type of solid item, and hard candy should be kept...
While only a few ear, nose and throat diseases are fatal, they can cause considerable cosmetic, communication and pain problems for the afflicted person. Ear infections are the most common ailments, especially in children. Throat infections are...
A bout of the hiccups can be irritating and annoying, but there are ways to cure them. Eating too fast, eating too much, drinking alcohol, drinking carbonated beverages, stress and temperature changes could all cause hiccups. When you have the...
Hiccups can be frustrating, but they can be rapidly controlled by pressure points. Hiccups occur when the diaphragm abruptly contracts, instead of undulating regularly as during normal breathing. A burst of air floods the lungs, then the...
Candida is a yeast infection and can occur anywhere in the body. Sometimes it invades the gastrointestinal tract and can lead to multiple symptoms that can be difficult to live with. Gastrointestinal candida can affect adults, children and...
If you've studied karate, you might have heard of sanchin, a form of training that helps the practitioner build strength and flexibility. Originating in China, where qigong breath work is a primary focus of both martial arts and traditional...
Obligate nasal breathing is a term that describes the tendency of newborns and infants to breathe through their noses. Understanding exactly why infants are classified as obligate nose breathers requires basic knowledge of their physical...
Systemic Candida occurs when a yeast or Candida infection has spread throughout the body and affects multiple systems. This condition occurs frequently in people with HIV, suppressed immune systems or infants. The infection can be severe and may...
Pranayama is the Sanskrit (ancient Indian language of yoga) word for the breathing exercises of yoga. Pranayama is translated from Sanskrit as "breath control" from the Sanskrit words "prana" (meaning energy) and "yama" (meaning control). With...
Hiccups, or hiccoughs, occur when the diaphragm contracts involuntarily. The diaphragm is the muscle separating your chest cavity from the stomach. The sound of the hiccup is made when the vocal cords close rapidly with the contractions of the...
Vaporizers have long been an addition to homes for those who live in dry climates or who suffer from chronic dry cough. Vaporizers and humidifiers both add moisture to the air; the vaporizer turns water into steam while the humidifier uses a...
Haemophilus influenza type B is a bacterium that inhabits the upper respiratory tract of humans. It is spread by person-to-person contact of respiratory secretions. Widespread vaccination against this bacterium has reduced the incidence of...
The anatomy of the lungs can be broken down into the structures that compose the airway. The main units of the airway include the larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli. Inside lung tissue, the circulatory system and the respiratory...
Wheezing manifests as a whistling sound in the lungs while breathing. According to the Mayo Clinic, wheezing is most often heard during exhalation, when the breath is exhaled. Wheezing occurs when the airways that bring air to the lungs become...
The larynx, commonly known as the voice box, sits in the front of the neck. It is made up of an intricate system of muscles, cartilages, and tissues. The larynx is important for voice production, breathing and swallowing. It has three levels:...
Severe allergic reactions can manifest as rashes. The type of rash is dependent on the allergen to which you're exposed, the duration of exposure, and the mechanism of your body's response. Usually allergic rashes can be treated with...
The term "throat cancer" describes cancers that arise from any of the structures in the throat, mainly the pharynx, the larynx or voice box and the epiglottis. The American Cancer Society lists radiotherapy or radiation therapy as one of...
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.