Zinc plays an important role in many of the body's physiologic processes. Some of the most essential body functions that require zinc include immune system activity, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA production and cell division and...
Augmentin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic comprised of semisynthetic amoxicillin and the B-lactamase inhibitor known as clavulanate potassium. It is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections such as lower respiratory tract infection,...
Enbrel is used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, and to prevent joint damage caused by these conditions, reports Drugs.com. It works by lessening a protein in the body called the tumor...
The avian flu, also known as the bird flu, is a form of influenza that naturally exists among wild birds in their intestines, but makes domesticated birds very ill. The high pathogenic form causes 90 to 100 percent mortality in birds, states the...
Community acquired pneumonia in children is an acute lower respiratory tract infection characterized by fever, chills, cough and unusually rapid breathing. The causes can range from viruses such as influenza A and B and adenovirus to bacteria like...
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound heard when breathing. It is caused from narrowing in the airways making it difficult for air to move in and out. The narrowing of the airways can be caused by swelling or an obstruction, possibly from a...
Capable of leaving a child literally gasping for air, pediatric lower respiratory-tract disease encompasses a potentially life-threatening group of illnesses. Anatomically, the lower respiratory tract consists of the parts of the respiratory...
Passive smoking, also referred to as secondhand smoking, is when you breath in tobacco smoke created by a smoker. Passive smoke is just as dangerous as directly smoking a cigarette or other tobacco product. It has been shown to cause cancer,...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States, based upon estimates provided by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Symptoms of MS...
The swine flu or H1N1 flu has common symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and may include vomiting and diarrhea. It may be treated with antiviral medication, though many patients will get better with simple...
Coughing is the body's way of ejecting harmful substances from the respiratory tract. Coughing and congestion often occur together as symptoms of a common condition, such as bronchitis or influenza. While coughing and congestion can be...
The common cold is a repetitive, lifelong annoyance. A large number of different viruses that infect the nasal tissues cause the common cold, characterized by a runny nose, nasal stuffiness, sneezing and, occasionally, a scratchy throat and...
Vitamins play a vital role in sustaining a healthy respiratory system and reducing your risk of diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia and asthma. Chronic lower respiratory diseases...
Cigarettes contain approximately 600 ingredients. Once smoked, they create more than 4,000 chemicals---such as arsenic, formaldehyde, toluene and carbon monoxide---which can be poisonous or carcinogenic. Twenty-two million children in the U.S. are...
Erythromycin is a medication in a class of drugs known as macrolide antibiotics. According to PDRHealth, an online version of the Physician's Desk Reference, erythromycin is used for the treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia,...
According to Drugs.com, the antibiotic amoxicillin may be used for the treatment of middle ear infections, skin infections, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, and infections of the urinary tract. Infants who are prescribed amoxicillin...
During the winter season, respiratory infections are stronger than ever. Pneumonia is a common and serious but treatable infection of the lower respiratory tract or lungs. An upper respiratory infection--also known as a viral cold and cough--can...
Individuals affected by the common cold may experience sneezing, a stuffy nose, cough and a sore throat. Symptoms of a cold may appear two or three days after infection and can last for two to 14 days. The common cold rarely leads to serious...
Vitamin E helps maintain immune function and normal blood flow and is an antioxidant that protects body cells from breakdown that leads to chronic diseases. While dietary vitamin E plays a role in protecting health, there is no clear evidence that...
Someone who would never pick up a cigarette sitting next to someone smoking in a closed room will experience many of the same effects as the smoker. Called "second-hand smoke" or "environmental tobacco," breathing in smoke from someone smoking...
An uncomfortable pain gnawing at your flank region and a burning sensation while urinating can signal the unfortunate onset of a urinary tract infection (UTI). A UTI can also lead to dribbling of urine and even blood in the urine (hematuria)....
Vitamin E is an essential nutrient and antioxidant needed by the body to function properly. Antioxidants stop harmful free radicals from damaging cells in the body. Vitamin E is purported to help prevent serious health conditions, such as heart...
It is common knowledge that secondhand smoke holds many health dangers to anyone unfortunate enough to breathe it on a regular basis. Secondhand smoke refers to smoke that is in the air as a result of other people smoking. All of the chemicals...
Feeding your infant breast milk provides optimal nutrition and health benefits for mom and baby, according to the American Dietetic Association. Breast-feeding is associated with reduction of primary and secondary illness and disease in both...
Smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke exposes a person to life-threatening diseases. The more you smoke or are exposed to those who smoke, the more likely you will suffer disease and death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...
The effects of secondhand smoke on children's health are clear: it's responsible for 7,500 to 15,000 of pediatric hospitalizations for respiratory tract infections each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports. It also causes up to...
Phlegm, or sputum, is produced when the lungs are inflamed and excess mucous is produced in the respiratory tract. The medical term for blood in the sputum is hemoptysis. According to MedlinePlus, blood in the sputum differs from bleeding that...
The health dangers of smoking range from addiction to lung cancer. Damage from smoking generally takes years to surface. Cancer and lung disease occur due to the long term effects of smoking. Other negative issues resulting from smoking include...
Originally thought to be a type of fungus, Mycoplasma has been reclassified as a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall. Over 100 species have been categorized, many of which are parasitic, feeding and proliferating off vertebrate hosts. Others...
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.
