Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is an inherited genetic condition common in people of Northern European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. CF causes a person to have thicker secretions than average, primarily affecting the lungs, pancreas and gastrointestinal...
There are two types of deep depressions that can sometimes be found on a child's chest, according to Children's Hospital Boston (see References). They are called pectus carinatum (pigeon breast) and pectus excavatum (funnel chest). These chest...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a common lung disease in which the airflow gets blocked, making it difficult for the individual to breathe. There are two main types of COPD: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. With emphysema, the...
According to the American Medical Association, in an average lifespan of 75 years, a human being will breathe in and out more than 8 million cubic feet of air. Because breathing is essentially an unconscious process, it's only when it becomes...
Protein deficiency diseases are conditions resulting in low levels of particular proteins. The cause of protein deficiency diseases is often genetic, meaning that a person inherits a faulty or missing gene from a parent. There are several...
Lung cancer is a disease in which cancer forms in the cells that line the air passages of the lungs. According to the Mayo Clinic, lung cancer is the No. 1 killer among all types of cancers, and more than 90 percent of the cases are caused by...
In addition to causing health problems for smokers, cigarette smoke has become recognized as an indoor pollutant that threatens the nonsmoking public. Children and fetuses prove especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of tobacco smoke, which...
When tobacco users smoke, they inhale both their mainstream smoke through the cigarette plus their own secondhand airborne smoke in between puffs. Other people who don't choose to smoke also inadvertently breathe secondhand smoke and contact...
Pulmonary disease is a debilitating disorder that limits functionality. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is composed primarily of three related conditions: bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. Symptoms of pulmonary disease are...
Muscle twitching refers to movements that affect only a certain region of the body. MedlinePlus says that muscle twitches occur when the muscle contracts. These muscle contractions can be normal or they may be a sign of a medical problem....
Trouble breathing, or dyspnea, is very distressing, and has many possible causes. It is often described as a feeling of suffocation or chest tightening, says the Mayo Clinic. Although high altitudes, extreme temperatures or strenuous exercise can...
Radon gas is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of uranium, a metal found in the soils, rocks and water of many geological areas around the U.S. and the globe. The gas is radioactive and can get into any type of structure, according to the U.S....
As the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports, the nicotine contained in tobacco is as addictive a drug as heroin. From tobacco use comes a host of physical, mental and financial consequences that far outweigh the pleasure gained from smoking or...
Mucus is a slippery and watery substance that is normally found throughout the body. Its function is to protect membranes and help the body fight infection. However, if the body produces too much mucus and it begins to accumulate in the lungs,...
Wheezing is a high-pitched, squeaking, whistling sound that is caused by airflow through narrowed smaller airways. Many people associate wheezing with asthma. Asthma is one of the most common diseases that produces wheezing, but there are other...
Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicate a persistent obstruction of the airways caused by underlying lung problems. The symptoms may not be apparent until significant lung damage has occurred, according to the Mayo...
Asthma is a common medical condition in which the respiratory airways narrow and swell, producing excess secretions and making breathing difficult. Symptoms of asthma often include shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, audible...
Mucus plug, the excessive secretion of slippery substance produced by the cells lining the airways of the lungs, is a result of various respiratory conditions that exhibit mucus hypersecretion. These include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a condition where airflow is persistently blocked on exhalation. Air becomes trapped in the lungs, which increases the effort required to breath. The disease is commonly associated with emphysema...
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when food from the stomach backs up into the esophagus after eating. At the base of the esophagus lies a muscle known as the lower esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for opening and closing to allow food to...
Silent Reflux is a form of gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, that does not cause noticeable physiological symptoms. GERD is a common infant disorder that children typically outgrow by 12 months of age. This disorder causes food and stomach...
Fish liver oil is a commonly consumed supplement both for its omega-3 fatty acid content and for its vitamins. You can get cod liver oil from vitamin D, but some have suggested that fish liver oil can actually interfere with vitamin D absorption....
The lungs function by transferring oxygen into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide out of the body with every breath taken. Tobacco use upsets this mechanism on many levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),...
Asthma, the most common long-term diseases in children, according to the World Health Organization, is a lung disease that causes the bronchial tubes (airways) to become inflamed and constricted. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reports...
Chronic bronchitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the airways in the lungs and lasts for a long period of time. Many people have had experience with acute bronchitis that develops from a cold or other upper respiratory infection, but...
The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General periodically issues updates on research about tobacco use and disease risk due to smoking. Its major revelation in 1964, that cigarette smoking causes lung and larynx cancer, was significantly expanded upon...
Overtraining can occur with any sport. Also called overtraining syndrome, the condition is the result of training too intensely and too frequently for the body to adequately recover between workouts. Kayakers can prevent overtraining by knowing...
Influenza, or the flu, refers to a viral infection that leads to such symptoms as a fever, headache, runny nose, dry cough and nasal congestion. It can also lead to a poor appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pain and fatigue. Influenza can be...
While known for attacking the joints of the body, rheumatoid arthritis (RA)--a chronic inflammatory disease--can also lead to progressive diseases of the lung. According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, respiratory conditions rank as the...
Respiratory infections are any infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for respiratory infection in this health video.