Primary bone cancers are relatively rare, accounting for less than 1 percent of cancer cases, reports the National Cancer Institute. Bone cancers develop from specialized bone tissue, leading to the formation of abnormal growths on bone tissue in...
Asthma is a condition of chronic inflammation in the lungs. The inflammation causes narrowing of the airways, which results in a characteristic high-pitched sound, called wheezing, as air tries to move out through the narrowed airways. Children...
A sharp pain in the right or left side, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, dizziness and an increased respiratory rate are some symptoms of a collapsed lung, or pneumothorax. The pain will get progressively worse, because a collapsed lung...
The diaphragm, a muscle located in the chest cavity, contains a small opening called a hiatus. The esophagus passes through this opening and connects to the stomach. According to MayoClinic.com, a hiatal hernia, a condition in which a part of the...
Nitric oxide is a gas that the body creates naturally. Nitric oxide is composed of one atom of nitrogen bonded to one atom of oxygen, with the chemical formula NO. This molecule contains an unpaired electron, making it a free radical. Its role...
The use of hydrogen peroxide as a nasal spray is controversial. Some alternative medicine practitioners recommend its use; however, traditional medical texts argue against exposing mucous membranes to hydrogen peroxide. According to Princeton...
When an individual is no longer able to maintain a respiratory rate and effort that will support adequate oxygenation, he will require breathing assistance. One way to provide assisted breathing is with the use of a bag-mask device, also known as...
Lung disorders can cause symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain and tightness. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library notes that some of the symptoms due to lung problems, such as chest pressure, pain and...
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...
If you lead a healthful and physically active lifestyle, sudden shortness of breath during exercise might seem insignificant, a nuisance to be ignored and worked through. But shortness of breath accompanied by chest pain can be symptomatic of...
Coronary artery bypass grafting is an open-heart surgical procedure by which a healthy vein or artery from the body is connected to a blocked artery in the heart, bypassing the blocked portion and facilitating improved blood flow to heart muscle....
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...
Stabbing pain when breathing, also described as "knife-like," is distressing. Pain caused by a condition in the lung is often sharp, and commonly worsens during a deep breath. A variety of disorders, some which are very serious, can cause stabbing...
A collapsed lung is a condition called pneumothorax. The condition of a collapsed lung occurs when air gets into the space between the lungs and the chest wall. This air leaks from the lung and creates pressure against the lung. This pressure can...
Atelectasis and scarring are two conditions of the lungs that make it difficult to breath. Atelectasis, a complete or partial collapse of a lung, can be reversed; scars in the lung cannot. Atelectasis can lead to lung scarring and, in some...
The normal function of lung cells is to absorb oxygen from the air and expel carbon dioxide from the blood, a process called respiration. When lung cancer develops, abnormal tumor cells grow out of control and begin to interfere with this vital...
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment in which patients breathe in pure oxygen within a pressurized chamber or room, according to MayoClinic.com. The therapy works by raising the air pressure within a hyperbaric chamber to a higher level than...
