A collapsed lung is caused when air or fluid enters into the chest cavity and disrupts the negative pressure that is necessary to keep lungs expanded. In order for the lung to re-expand, the air needs to be removed. The placement of a chest tube...
Chest tubes are used in critically ill patients to drain air, blood or fluid from the pleural space, which is the cavity that surrounds the lungs. The chest cavity is a negative pressure cavity, meaning it has a continuous vacuum within the...
Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways, affects about 7 percent of the United States population, according to Merck.com. Pulmonary function tests provide information to physicians for an accurate diagnosis. Many symptoms...
In its "Clinical Practice Guideline: Cerumen Impaction," the journal "Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery" from September 2008 notes that ear candling is the most popular complementary medicine practice for removing ear wax. Ear candles can be...
Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest of all the body's nerves and runs from the lumbar spine down the back of the leg. Irritation of the sciatic nerve can be caused by several things such as a herniated or...
When battling an illness, pressure or pain in the ears or difficulty hearing often occurs as a result of congestion or inflammation. Sinus pressure constricts the Eustachian tubes that connect your middle ear to your nose and throat and creates a...
Everyone has ear wax. The Mayo Clinic explains that it is part of the body's natural defenses. Ear wax is medically known as cerumen, and its stickiness traps dirt before it goes deep into the ear. It also slows bacteria growth. The wax usually...
Extractions of teeth tend to create anxiety in patients. Tooth removal is not always associated with an unhealthy tooth, nor is it a painful procedure. Once it has been determined that a tooth should be removed, there are dietary and behavioral...
Earwax candling, also called candling, coning or auricular candling, involves inserting a specially designed candle into the ear canal. The candle is made of unbleached linen or cotton soaked in beeswax or paraffin, explains Lisa Roazen, M.D. The...
Major innovations in respirators have freed patients from the large, imposing machines of past that were generally found only in hospitals or other facilities, and expanded the available choices of where to live and what to do. Respirators used...
Diaphragmatic breathing is a deepened breathing technique that allows the lungs to expand, and,according to the Mayo Clinic, may provide relief for stress conditions as well as diseases that inhibit breathing, like emphysema. When practicing...
A child's self-esteem is made up of the beliefs or feelings he has about himself. Children with healthy self-esteem are less vulnerable to negative pressure, feel equipped to handle conflicts and are generally optimistic, but children with low...
The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and plays a critical role in protecting underlying cells and tissues from physical damage and infection by pathogens. The risk of infection and trauma to the body caused by skin burns is...
Back pain is a very common symptom that over 80 percent of Americans will experience in their lifetime. Decompression therapy is a relatively new therapy that many have turned to in an effort to treat the pain. The therapy is designed to treat...
Using an ear candle may seem like an easy way to remove ear wax, but the candles are ineffective in removing wax and may actually damage the ear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that it has found no valid scientific evidence to...
Wisdom teeth sit at the very back of the mouth, behind the last molars. When the mouth is not large enough to accommodate the wisdom teeth, they may only partially erupt, come in poorly aligned or damage the surrounding teeth and roots. Your oral...
You breathe thousands of times per day, but you may not even notice whether you are taking a deep, full breath, or a shallow one. Rather than lifting your shoulders or chest up when you breathe in, focus on breathing more deeply while you're...
A jet nebulizer is a device used to deliver aerosolized medication to the lungs. Jet nebulizers require either an air compressor or compressed gas to aerosolize the medication in the nebulizer reservoir. Jet nebulizers are also called handheld...
In any household with a single computer and multiple children, conflict is bound to occur. Take a proactive approach to the situation by scheduling times for your children to have time at the computer without a sibling pestering them to get off....
Your lungs are designed to cyclically expand and contract in a manner permitting the tidal exchange of air. The system is designed to maximize the effectiveness of the muscles used in respiration by capitalizing on the elastic properties of the...
Multiple conditions can cause sores and wounds. Wounds can be due to trauma or surgical procedures. Sores can be of an infectious origin, such as from the herpes simplex virus, or from trauma to the skin surface. According to the book "Surgery" by...
Effective listening skills are important in many areas of life. Schoolwork, careers and friendships all require listening skills for the best results. It is wise to start developing listening skills in childhood. Children should learn the...
Spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical technique used to treat back pain, particularly pain that is due to disc injuries in the lower back and neck. Equipment is used to apply force to various areas on the spine and create distractions at...
Most babies are born with an innate ability to suck. Sucking not only is a means to nourishment but also a source of comfort. Even so, there are some newborns that encounter issues with sucking and swallowing. If you are concerned with your...
Middle ear infections hurt. They often cause children to awaken in the middle of the night, screaming in pain. Inflammation of the ear drum and pressure that stretches the drum are the cause of the pain caused by fluid from infection in the...
Radon gas is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas that can seep into your home through cracks in the home's structure or be carried into your home in the water. It is a leading cause of lung cancer in America. It's important to test your home...
Blocked ears can be painful and can temporarily impair hearing. The most common causes include colds, air travel, sinus infections and impacted earwax. There are exercises you can try to unblock your ears. If your ears remain blocked for more than...
There are two major categories of chest wounds, blunt and penetrating, but there are a number of injuries to specific structures and organs within the chest. Chest wounds can range from a minor bruising of the chest wall to fatal injuries of the...
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD, is the medical term for heartburn. If the muscles that wrap around the lower esophagus do not work properly, acids from the stomach reflux back into the esophagus causing a burning sensation in the chest or...
