Just about every type of exercise entails an increased need for oxygen and, therefore, an increase in ventilation, or breathing.

All components of human development are interwoven and are influenced by environment. Home, community, physical and school environments influence the way humans behave, think, engage one another, grow, and process emotions.

Increasing your body’s oxygen intake requires changing the depth rather than the rate of each breath. Although the process of respiration is one over which you have little control, the techniques you use to accomplish each breath are well within your control.

Your child's stuffy nose and mild cough can travel downwards through the respiratory system and transform into a chest cold in no time. The congestion and breathing difficulties that are often symptoms of a chest cold might be scary, but in most cases are manageable at home.

You may have heard people joke about being "mouth breathers," but when you spend most of your time breathing through your mouth instead of your nose, it's really no laughing matter.

Asthma inflames and constricts your bronchial tubes, which are essential tools in helping you breathe correctly. Symptoms include breathing difficulties, chest pain and wheezing, which vary in intensity depending on the severity of your asthma.

Your lung capacity can decrease with age or with insufficient use. If you always use shallow breathing techniques, your lungs will not fully expand. Over time, this shallow breathing can result in rib cage stiffness and muscle tension, and may prevent you from taking in a deep breath.

Deep breathing relieves stress and anxiety due to its physiological effect on the nervous system. Breathing slowly and mindfully activates the hypothalamus, connected to the pituitary gland in the brain, to send out neurohormones that inhibit stress-producing hormones and trigger a relaxation response in the body.

People with chronic lung conditions, such as asthma or emphysema, may use a nebulizer -- a machine that turns liquid medicine into mist. During a treatment, the mist is inhaled through a face mask or mouthpiece for a span of about 10 to 15 minutes. Nebulized medicines are often used to help improve airflow.

Bronchiolitis is swelling and excess mucus in the bronchioles, which lead into your baby's lungs. Pneumonia is an infection inside the lungs. The only way to be certain of your child’s illness is by making a doctor’s appointment.

Lung disorders such as pneumonia, silicosis, asbestosis and cystic fibrosis often cause the air sacs or alveoli to fill with fluids comprised of white blood cells, cancer cells, pus, proteins or blood. These substances are called infiltrates.

A wheezing cough can be annoying, and in some cases it may indicate an underlying lung illness. The wheezing sound is created by an obstruction of the oxygen flow leaving the lungs and partially blocked by either excess sputum, or phlegm, or a constricted airway.