Oxygen is an essential element for the human body to function normally. When you breathe in, the oxygen travels through your lungs and into the blood stream, where red blood cells pick it up to distribute it throughout the body. Poor air intake,...
Your body needs oxygen to produce the energy needed to function normally. The oxygen you breathe in goes through tiny air sacs in your lungs and into the blood stream, where red blood cells pick it up and carry it throughout the body. This system...
Because your cells need oxygen to live, it is important to keep your oxygen at a level to which your body can function properly. Because the body is unable to store oxygen, it must be constantly supplied throughout blood cells when levels are low....
The brain only occupies roughly 2 percent of total body weight, and uses 20 percent of the overall oxygen supply in the body, according to Barbara Carlson, RN, Ph.D. and colleagues in May 2008 in the "Journal of the American Geriatric Society."...
Inherited genetic diseases are passed on by either one parent--as in the case of autosomal dominant diseases, in which only one copy of the gene need be present for a person to have a disorder--or by both parents. In recessive genetic diseases,...
Because breathing is largely an unconscious process, it's only when breathing becomes difficult that a person begins to take notice. The earth's atmosphere is 21 percent oxygen, which is enough to support human life until problems arise. When...
Episodic headaches affect the overwhelming majority of the population. While inconvenient, episodic headaches are rarely consequential from a medical or personal perspective. In contrast, chronic headaches may substantially interfere with daily...
Meconium aspiration is a common complication of childbirth in a newborn. Meconium is the first stool passed by a newborn; it's dark green, very sticky and thick. If a baby is stressed in utero, even for a short time, meconium may be passed into...
A very common cause of a poor night's sleep is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is characterized by a disordered breathing pattern during sleep that results in a temporary cessation of respiration and repeated cycles of partial awakening....
An elevated heart rate can come on suddenly. In some cases, the cause of faster than normal heart rate, known as tachycardia, is never determined. There are a variety of conditions that can cause the heart rate to increase above normal. Rapid...
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...
Composting refers to the process of decomposing animal and plant wastes into the soil. Composting is environmentally responsible and creates nutrient-rich soil you can use for fertilizer in your garden. Once you get a compost pile going, it will...
The body needs an adequate amount of oxygen in order to function properly. There are many diseases and situations that can affect the ability of the heart and lungs to keep up with the demand. If the levels of oxygen in the blood get too low, a...
Aerobic exercise can alter the number of red blood cells in several ways. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide through the bloodstream. In general, endurance training increases the number of red blood cells. However, in some cases,...
Anemia is a disorder characterized by low oxygen levels in the blood. Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, and paleness. One cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Iron is necessary for oxygen to bind to hemoglobin, the active component of...
Air ionizers are one of several home appliances designed to combat poor air quality. Though manufacturers often place numerous health claims on the labels of air ionizers, only a few of these claims are backed by actual science. Combined with a...
Propofol is also known as Diprivan and belongs to a class of drugs known as general anesthetics. The National Institutes of Health states that propofol induces and maintains anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery or painful procedures. Propofol...
A blood clot in the lungs is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). The condition is created from a blood clot that formed in the leg, broke free and went to the lungs. Risk factors that increase the chance of developing blood clots in the leg include...
Atelectasis, which is a partial or total collapse of the lung, is one of the many post-operative complications of various types of surgery. Operations requiring anesthesia, orthopedic surgery performed in high-altitude locations and surgery that...
Having chronic hypertension that starts before pregnancy or during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause complications. Chronic hypertension can have harmful effects on a fetus, and it also increases the risk of developing other diseases in...
Infant heart monitors, also known as apnea monitors, also assess breathing in babies. Most babies are on heart monitors because they have periods of apnea, where they stop breathing. When a baby stops breathing, his heart rate normally drops as...
Sweet potatoes are nutrient-rich food sources that you would do well to substitute for less healthy potatoes. While they do contain quite a few unhealthy refined carbohydrates, they are very high in vitamin A, and a good supply of fiber, manganese...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a medical term used to describe a collection of lung diseases that include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that COPD is the leading cause of death throughout the...
BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a simple calculation that compares your body weight to your height. A BMI below 18.4 is considered underweight; 18.5 to 24.9 is normal; 25 to 29.9 is overweight; and above 30 is categorized as obese. According to a 1997...
Approximately one infant out of every 2,200 to 5,000 live births has a condition called diaphragmatic hernia, according to MedlinePlus. A diaphragmatic hernia is a type of birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not completely form during...
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, which means that it is the result of faulty genes being passed from parents to the offspring. Cystic fibrosis is the result of a mutation in a protein that moves chloride (a form of chlorine) throughout the...
Botulism is a type of bacterial illness caused by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This condition is rare and only accounts for about 145 cases of food poisoning each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...
Sickle cell anemia is a disease in which red blood cells are shaped like sickles and get stuck in small blood vessels. This clogs blood vessels and prevents organs from getting adequate nutrients and oxygen. A patient with sickle cell anemia may...
Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is important for the processing of carbohydrates, proteins and fats into glucose that can be utilized by the body. Vitamin B12 is naturally found only in animal foods such as milk, dairy products, eggs, meat, fish and...
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that's usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. Pneumonia is a particular concern for older adults and people with chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems. Learn...
