Aspiration pneumonia is a specific variant of pneumonia caused by inhalation of a noxious substance. Accidental inhalation of stomach contents is a frequent cause of aspiration pneumonia. Impaired consciousness is a major risk factor for...
Two types of the herpes simplex virus, or HSV, can infect the human body. HSV-1 typically affects the mouth, and HSV-2 normally affects the genitals. The virus causes painful blisters that rupture and cause open sores. The sores occur on the area...
Shortness of breath feels like you just can't get enough air. It can also be accompanied by a feeling of tightness in your chest, coughing, fever or chest pain. Shortness of breath may happen only when you exercise or when lying down flat.
There are 56,300 new cases of HIV infection in the United States yearly according to 2010 information from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the immune system by destroying...
Pneumonia complicated by inflammation of the outer lung sac, or pleura, is called pleuritic pneumonia. The usual symptoms of pneumonia occur with this condition, accompanied by additional symptoms arising from inflammation of the pleura. Fluid...
Pneumonia is an infection of the air-exchanging tissues of the lungs. Fluid accumulates in these tissues due to the infection, impeding air exchange. Many viruses can cause community or hospital-acquired pneumonia. Influenza and parainfluenza...
Fortovase is a medication used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS). The Physicians Desktop Reference explains that, in combination with other drugs, Fortovase is capable of blocking an enzyme that...
The human lung is a common site for viral infections, particularly during the fall and winter months. This is because when it's cold outside, people remain in close proximity, sneezing and coughing indoors, which facilitates the viruses'...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, affects the motor neurons, which control voluntary movement such as walking. MedlinePlus from the National Institutes of Health notes that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects one...
Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung tissue. Symptoms will vary depending on the micro-organisms causing the pneumonia. A chest x-ray along with the patient's signs and symptoms are used to determine if pneumonia is present. A sputum...
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. According to the Children's Hospital Boston, pneumonia tends to occur more during the winter and spring, and is more common in boys than girls. The most common causes of pneumonia in children are bacteria,...
A runny nose occurs when the membranes in the nasal passages become irritated and inflamed. The irritation causes an increase in mucus production that leads to the runny nose and nasal congestion. A fever, defined as a body temperature greater...
A sore chest is a common side effect of a chronic cough. Coughing is the body's way of clearing the throat and keeping mucus from building-up in the chest. A chronic cough is any cough that lasts for more than eight weeks and is caused by a...
Shortness of breath and chest pains can have many causes, some acute and some chronic. Most of the time, these symptoms are caused by lung diseases or abnormal blood flow due to problems with the heart. Although the underlying cause of shortness...
Fever is a common symptom in a variety of health ailments, but treatment is indicated when fever is accompanied by additional symptoms such as headache and cough. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, recognizing the different...
Bacteria, viruses or fungi cause pneumonia, defined as inflammation of the lungs. The infection results in worsening lung function and difficulty breathing. Risk factors for pneumonia include cigarette smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary...
Viral or bacterial organisms cause bronchitis and pneumonia. Pneumonia results from infection of the lower respiratory system that can spread throughout the body. Bronchitis inflames the lung airways. In non-smokers, it often results from...
The term "atypical pneumonia" is a general reference to any pneumonia that is unusual in terms of the causative infectious germ, the symptoms or the clinical course. Medical professionals sometimes use the term to refer specifically to pneumonias...
Staphylococcal bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and interior of the nose. Microscopic or visible breaks in the surface barrier of the body--the skin and mucous membranes--provide an opportunity for these bacteria to cause localized infections....
The respiratory system can be divided into two compartments--the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose, nasal cavity and sinuses, pharynx, larynx and trachea. Infectious processes that cause...
The respiratory system is composed of the trachea (windpipe), a set of lungs and its blood vessels and bronchioles (smaller airways). Sometimes, an infection can invade the respiratory system. In some cases, an anatomical problem is to blame for...
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, may cause you to feel that you can't get enough air in your lungs, or that you are suffocating. You may also experience a tightening sensation in your chest. If you have shortness of breath while exercising, it...
According to the Mayo Clinic, 39.5 million people in the world are infected with HIV. Because the disorder damages the immune system's ability to defend against disease-causing pathogens, AIDS patients can suffer from opportunistic infections that...
AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is a chronic illness caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS is contracted through contaminated blood products and syringes, sexual contact with an infected person, and through mother-to-child...
Pneumonia is an infectious illness that primarily affects children, the elderly and people with other illnesses that lower the immune system or damage the lungs. Pneumonia is commonly caused by a bacteria or virus, though more rare cases can also...
Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by the Varicella-zoster virus. Prior to the introduction of the Varicella vaccine in 1995, roughly 4 million cases of chickenpox occurred annually in the U.S., mostly among children. As a result,...
When a person undergoes a spinal fusion, the doctor joins two of the spine's vertebrae together. After the spinal fusion, no movement occurs between these two spinal vertebrae. The MayoClinic.com explains that a spinal fusion corrects certain...
Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicate a persistent obstruction of the airways caused by underlying lung problems. The symptoms may not be apparent until significant lung damage has occurred, according to the Mayo...
Both the common cold and influenza may cause complications. Most healthy adults do not suffer from complications; however, young children, people with insufficient immune systems and the elderly remain most at risk. According to the National...
