A nebulizer is a piece of medical equipment that a person with asthma or another respiratory condition can use to administer medication directly and quickly to the lungs. A nebulizer turns liquid medicine into a very fine mist that a person can inhale through a face mask or mouthpiece. Taking medicine this way allows it […]
Tachypnea is a medical term that refers to fast, shallow breathing. A lack of oxygen or too much carbon dioxide in the body is a common cause. It can also result from other health issues. Tachypnea is not a disease, but a symptom that the body is trying to correct another problem. Newborns with developing […]
Breathing too fast can cause a person to go into respiratory alkalosis. This occurs when a person’s pH level is higher than 7.45. A person may breathe too fast due to anxiety, overdosing on certain medications, or using a ventilator. Symptoms of respiratory alkalosis may include muscle spasms, irritability, dizziness, and nausea. Respiratory alkalosis is […]
Aging cells can become toxic to surrounding tissue, thus leading to numerous health problems. A class of drugs scientists call senolytics could help address these health issues, and improve symptoms. Can a new drug combination help fight off the ill effects of cellular aging? Senolytics are a class of drugs that target cells that have […]
Doctors classify asthma into four main stages. How do the symptoms and treatments for each stage differ? Asthma is a common, long-term condition that affects a person’s airways. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 8.1 percent of adults and 8.4 percent of children in the United States have asthma. This article […]
People with asthma may wonder how smoking conventional cigarettes or using electronic cigarettes can affect the condition. Cigarette smoke can trigger asthma symptoms. Despite this, in the United States, 21 percent of people who have asthma currently smoke, compared with 16.8 percent of people who do not have asthma. This article discusses how smoke, secondhand […]
HIV can cause a dry cough and other symptoms that affect the lungs and respiratory system. A dry cough may occur because HIV reduces the body’s ability to fight off infection and other diseases. However, respiratory problems can have many causes that are not necessarily linked to HIV. A person with persistent or severe respiratory […]
Dementia refers to a series of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, where a person’s memory and other cognitive abilities decline. A recent study may have found a new risk factor that might predispose people to dementia: lung disease. To limit the risk of dementia, people may also want to look after the health of their […]
The lungs are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that keep the brain, heart, and other parts of the body healthy. Age, smoking, inhaling pollutants, and other factors can affect lung function. People cannot necessarily change their lung capacity in terms of how much oxygen their lungs can hold. However, they can […]
Asthma is a long-term lung disease with no cure, but a range of treatments exists. If very severe symptoms do not respond to other medications, a doctor may administer magnesium sulfate. Asthma is a common condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, asthma affects around 20.4 million […]