Bronchitis is the swelling of the tubes leading to lungs and pneumonia is severe infection of lungs. Both bronchitis and pneumonia are commonly caused by bacteria or viruses and are characterized by a fever, headaches, a cough with thick mucus, difficulty in breathing and pain in the chest.

Penicillin is an antibiotic used to treat systemic (throughout the body) infections. Many people experience allergic reactions to penicillin. Billie Ann Wilson, Ph.D., Margaret Shannon, Ph.D., and Kelly Shields Pharm.D.

When you or your child scratch an eye, it can be a frightening situation. Whether it is due to a fingernail, piece of dirt, contact lens or paper cut, having a scratch in such a tender area can get you rattled.

Coldness and fatigue are not conditions — they are symptoms attributable to multiple causes. Fatigue alone is often associated with lifestyle causes, physical or psychological causes, or a combination of all three.

A bacterial infection of the throat is quite common. There are many strains of bacterium that can lead to throat infection. Sometimes the symptoms of a viral infection are exactly the same as a bacterial infection.

Kids pick up a number of viruses during their childhood and cough through many of the coldest months of the year. Coughing is a normal way in which your child responds to an itchy throat or clears chest congestion.

Millions of Americans contract the flu each year. In most cases, according to Dr. Raphael Dolin in “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine,” acute illness resolves within two to five days, although respiratory symptoms, such as cough and sore throat, may persist for up to two weeks.

Air passes through the lungs via branching airways that lead to air sacs, where gas exchange occurs. Bronchitis refers to inflammation of the lining of large to medium-sized airways, called bronchi.

Klebsiella bacterial infections cause symptoms that vary depending on the site of the infection. People often develop klebsiella infections because they have impaired immunity from being sick or required medical interventions.

Coughing is nature's way of removing unwanted particles from the airway. Often, a cough produces mucus, which aids in eliminating the intruder. When the cough is dry and non-productive, it can be due to irritation in the upper respiratory system.

Humidifiers offer definite benefits if you suffer from the effects of dry indoor air, but those benefits can come at a price. You’ll pay, literally, for the cost of operating the humidifier--warm-mist humidifiers are more expensive to run than cool-mist humidifiers, because you’re paying to heat the water involved.

Saliva is a necessary part of the digestive process. It begins when enzymes are produced to initiate the breakdown of foods during chewing. The continual production of saliva keeps the mouth moist.