Lung Health Guide: Managing COPD, Infections & Asthma

Breathing disorders like COPD and pulmonary fibrosis require a combination of pharmacological tools, airway clearance techniques, and environmental management.

Nurse helping elderly woman walk down hallway

What Are the Causes of Shortness of Breath in the Elderly?

Attributing shortness of breath to old age is a common misconception and could be dangerous if it delays medical evaluation of this important symptom. Smoking and alcohol abuse increase the risks for conditions that cause difficulty breathing, as do the use of some over-the-counter pain medications.

Read more →
Checking breathing

Reasons for Crackling in the Lungs

Lung crackles are abnormal breath sounds heard with a stethoscope during a physical exam. Crackling in the lungs usually reflects a buildup of fluid, mucus or pus in the small airways. This is commonly due to lung disease, such as pneumonia or another respiratory disorder.

Read more →
Beautiful blonde woman breathing happy

Open Throat Breathing Techniques

Breathing with an "open throat" means breathing with the muscles of the throat relaxed. This allows for faster air flow, which can be a help in athletic and musical endeavors. Most people breathe with a "closed throat."

Read more →
Cigarette in ashtray

Foods That Make Psoriasis Worse

Psoriasis is a chronic condition that causes reddish-colored, scaly dry patches on your skin. Psoriasis is not contagious and usually not painful, although severe cases lead to arthritis.

Read more →

What Are Top 10 Worst States for Allergies?

Some regions of the United States have more allergens than others. According to Asthmacapitals.com, more than 20 million American children and adults live with asthma, of which common allergens can trigger attacks. Asthmacapitals.

Read more →

Does Melatonin Make Depression Worse?

Your body follows a circadian rhythm, a series of sleep-wake cycles that are regulated by your brain. In some individuals, this preset system is faulty, which can cause sleep problems, fatigue and even depression. Melatonin is a hormone in your body that works to help regulate your internal rhythm.

Read more →
Active tired blonde catching her breath

Breathing Problems After Exercise

Shortness of breath or breathing problems involves difficult breathing unrelated to the intensity of physical activity. Breathing problems after a workout may be a side effect of medication, a symptom of a health problem or an indication of stress or anxiety.

Read more →
Nebulizer) isolated on white background.

How to Make a Nebulizer

If you have breathing difficulties, such as asthma or bronchitis, you may find it necessary to use a nebulizer. There are several of these on the market that you can purchase, but if you don't have a medical plan that covers such purchases, it may be far more cost effective to make your own.

Read more →
Close up of a nebulizer

What Are Nebulizers Used For?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a nebulizer changes liquid medicine into fine droplets (in aerosol or mist form). These machines are available in a portable variety or powered by compressed air and plugged into an electrical outlet.

Read more →

Complications & Implications of Mucus Plugs

Mucus plug, the excessive secretion of slippery substance produced by the cells lining the airways of the lungs, is a result of various respiratory conditions that exhibit mucus hypersecretion.

Read more →
Sniffle

Foods to Avoid for Allergic Rhinitis

Whether itโ€™s labeled as hay fever, seasonal allergies or allergic rhinitis, the symptoms are miserable and include a runny nose, eyes and dry cough. Certain foods can trigger or worsen these allergies, but results vary from person to person.

Read more →
Young Woman Blowing Her Nose

How to Bring Up Mucus

Various medical conditions such as bronchitis or cystic fibrosis may cause mucus to collect in the lungs. Congestion in the lungs may cause symptoms such as coughing and pain in the chest. The symptoms may become bothersome medications and treatments may help relieve congestion in the lungs.

Read more →
Pediatrician examining little girl

What Are the Causes of Shortness of Breath in Children?

When a child is short of breath, it can be difficult for him to get the oxygen his body needs to operate correctly. Symptoms may include nostril flaring, grunting and rapid or shallow breaths. MayoClinic.com warns parents to take breathing problems seriously, no matter the cause.

Read more →

Can Chocolate Make My Asthma Worse?

If you are allergic to chocolate, or common ingredients found in chocolate, eating it can make your asthma worse. Asthma is the result of inflammation and swelling in the lungs that restricts your airways, leading to shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and chest pain.

Read more →

Heavy Breathing During Exercise

Strenuous exercise, especially when you are not used to exercising regularly, can cause difficulty breathing. Heavy breathing is the bodyโ€™s way of delivering more oxygen to the cells. Heavy breathing during exercise is not necessarily cause for concern unless you have an underlying medical problem.

Read more →
a young caucasian mother lies in the bed alongside her newborn baby

Rapid Breathing in Newborns

To the parents of newborns, any changes in a baby's respiratory pattern may seem alarming. Although many babies experience brief episodes of rapid breathing, a condition clinically known as tachypnea, this symptom is only rarely a sign of a medical problem.

Read more →

Different Types of Oxygen Masks

The body needs oxygen to function properly and receives oxygen via the lungs to be metabolized in all cells of the body. Conditions affecting the lungs such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, require oxygen therapy so that the body can get adequate oxygenation.

Read more →