Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Restricted airflow characterizes all these conditions, and COPD causes difficulty when breathing. The inability to get enough oxygen into the lungs raises the risk of developing hypoxia. Hypoxia is a condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in…
What is a lung cleanse? Our lungs do a lot for us. Even though most of us don’t think of the lungs as something we can exercise, it’s possible to take steps to help them work better. The air we breathe can be contaminated with many kinds of pollutants. Everything from pollen to chemicals to secondhand smoke can be trapped in the…
A connection found between asthma, eczema, and osteoarthritis indicates that drugs to treat allergic conditions could be used in future studies aimed at slowing the progression of osteoarthritis. Stanford Medicine scientists and their colleagues have found that having asthma or eczema increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis — signaling that there may be an allergic…
Among other side effects, smoking does cause blood vessels to constrict. This can lead to sometimes life-threatening events like a heart attack or stroke. Smoking is linked to a wide range of negative health effects, including heart disease. The chemicals in cigarette smoke irritate blood vessels, causing inflammation and swelling. Quitting smoking allows your heart…
The results suggest that some diseases that are considered non-communicable, such as cancer, could have a component that makes them transmissible by microorganisms in the digestive system. Here’s an unsettling fact: there are more bacterial cells in a person’s body (38 trillion) than human cells (30 trillion). One of the world’s gurus of microbiology, Frederic…
Fewer acute exacerbations, and better lung function were seen with a year of regular use People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience fewer acute disease exacerbations if they regularly use noninvasive ventilation at night, a small study in Greece reported. “Good” nighttime use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a…
A study aims to quantify the burden of current childhood asthma in the United States in association with smoke from indoor gas stoves. A study aimed to quantify the burden of current childhood asthma in the United States in association with smoke from indoor gas stoves. In light of recent growing public concerns over the safety of…
Those who smoke are much more likely to develop symptoms of COPD, but secondhand smoke can also be the cause. Treatments are available; in some cases, your lung tissue can regenerate. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of diseases that impact the health of your lungs and your ability to breathe….