Each cell of your body contains the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid. Your body produces alpha-lipoic acid and uses it to convert glucose into energy. Alpha-lipoic acid provides protection against damage caused by free radicals. It also helps other...
Unfortunately, you cannot reverse lung damage through exercise. Exercise can, however, improve the function of related body systems, which can improve your endurance and respiratory function. Using alternate strategies during daily activities can...
Your body begins to repair itself almost immediately after you quit smoking. According to the CDC, your heart rate drops within 20 minutes of smoking your last cigarette, and your lung function begins to improve within 3 months of quitting. If you...
Your lungs are protected from adverse conditions by a variety of defense mechanisms. Running in extreme weather can result in short-term discomfort, but will not often cause permanent damage. Asthma can aggravate the discomfort and increase your...
Healthy lungs allow you to absorb fresh air, avoid stale air and speak well. Injuries, certain drugs, radiation treatment, smoking and illnesses, such as asthma, lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema, can cause damage and scar tissue to develop in...
Running outdoors in freezing temperatures rather than working out inside has both its benefits and drawbacks. Many people find running outdoors more enjoyable than the repetition of a treadmill, and it can build muscle and stamina when the body...
Parasites, fungi and bacteria can all cause pneumonia; viruses can cause this disease as well. It is a disease which can be especially troublesome to the elderly, to those with a weakened immune system, people with a chronic illness, to infants...
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),...
Water intoxication can damage your lungs, brain, heart and other organs. The condition occurs when you drink too much water too quickly, placing stress on your kidneys. Your kidneys normally filter water and waste from your body. When you drink...
Because cigarette smoking uses inhalation as its nicotine delivery system, the lungs and bronchi, or the airways leading to the lungs, sustain the most damage. Any restriction to the airways or the blood vessels that serve the lungs hampers lung...
Scarring of lung tissue causes a variety of problems, from difficulty breathing to lack of adequate oxygen intake for optimal function of body organs. Understanding the causes of lung tissue damage helps you make wiser choices about your lifestyle...
Your lungs are located above your diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that works with your lungs so that you can inhale and exhale air. Your lungs are important because they help you breathe. According to the website KidsHealth from Nemours, toxic...
Hypoxia is a condition that prevents enough oxygen from getting into the bloodstream. Physicians often prescribe home oxygen therapy as a means of reducing shortness of breath, protecting the heart and increasing survival. Regular oxygen levels in...
According to the Mayo Clinic, methotrexate 2.5mg PO (in oral form) is an anticancer medication. Methotrexate is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis (a skin inflammation disease), according to Drugs.com. It works by blocking the...
Your respiratory system includes your lungs and the airways that carry air to them, and is responsible for bringing in oxygen and riding your body of the metabolic waste product, carbon dioxide. You don't need specific foods to help maintain your...
Smoking damages the lungs by putting excess stress on your cilia, the fibers which clean out your lungs. The carcinogens in smoke can overwhelm your cilia, causing permanent lung damage. Smoking can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and...
Electronic cigarettes are a new trend, especially among young people. They are gaining in popularity as a replacement for traditional cigarettes. However, this product has not yet undergone full U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, testing...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is the most common form of lung disease. It consists of chronic bronchitis, emphysema or a combination of both. Those who suffer from COPD find it very difficult to breathe, are consistently fatigued...
Genetic diseases are passed down from parent to child through defective genes. Genes, the basic unit of heredity, carry the sequences of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) which is responsible for determining the characteristics a person will exhibit....
Occasional smoking, or social smoking, means that you don't smoke every day. Perhaps you smoke only in a social context on the weekends or just when you're in the company of friends who smoke. You might think there's no real harm done, but...
Lung cancer can can develop within the airways or deep within the lungs. During cancer development, mutated lung cells proliferate out of control, giving rise to millions of daughter cells and forming tumors within the lung. As the cancer...
Many causes of lung disease are known and can be prevented by avoiding irritants in the air, according to WomensHealth.gov, the website for the National Women's Health Information Center. Homes and offices may contain chemicals that cause lung...
Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. and is the leading cause of cancer death in the country. This and other lung diseases, such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, pneumonia, asthma and cystic...
Bleomycin is a widely used anticancer drug that can lead to severe toxicity, including serious lung problems, allergic reactions, painful sores, vomiting and weight loss. Administering bleomycin requires extreme caution. Errors leading to...
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....
Methamphetamine, or meth, is a highly stimulating drug that directly affects the spinal cord and nervous system. There are various ways to use the drug, one of which is smoking it. Smoking this drug is very dangerous because of the interactions it...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lung disease in people who make flavorings to produce microwave popcorn may be related to the inhalation of high concentrations of the chemicals in the flavorings. This lung disease is...
Your lungs exhale and inhale nearly 25,000 times everyday, the National Institutes of Health reports. If you happen to breathe in pollution or tobacco smoke during one of those breaths, your lungs may become damaged. The National Lung Health...
Tobacco smoking affects nearly every organ of the body, and causes or contributes to many different types of cancer. Because tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, it is not surprising that it can cause major harm to the lungs. Lung damage...
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies. Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva and digestive juices. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and...
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. It occurs after long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos. Sufferers have severe shortness of breath and are at an increased risk regarding several...
