If you have a first- degree family member with asthma, it is more likely that you might develop asthma than someone who has no family history of this beathing disorder. A child is twice as likely to get asthma as someone who does not have a history of the condition in the family. A child’s…
Read MoreWhy are Pulmonary Function Tests Performed Your doctor might arrange for Pulmonary Function tests (PFT) to evaluate how well your lungs are functioning. These are not blood tests but rather tests that are done by a trained technician in the clinic. You will be explained and demonstrated on how to perform the test. If you…
Read MoreHow Do Allergies Cause Asthma? An allergic response occurs when the body’s immune system proteins also called antibodies mistakenly identify a harmless substance, such as tree pollen or animal dander, and considers it as an invader (allergen). This misrecognition causes an allergic reaction to result. Antibodies formed by the body bind to the allergen in…
Read MoreAre allergies and asthma treated differently? Most treatments are designed to treat either asthma or allergic rhinitis. But a few treatments help with both conditions. The main treatment modalities include Antihistamine: They are a class of drugs that are commonly used to treat the symptoms of allergies including sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, rhinorrhea (runny…
Read MoreThe hazards of smoking for heart health are numerous. Smoking can result in atherosclerosis resulting in problems such as gradual or sudden obstruction of critical blood vessels in the heart, abnormal heart beat or abnormal heart rhythms known as arrhythmias, as well as blood pressure also known as hypertension. These problems have the potential to…
Read MoreWhat is Pulmonary Embolism? Pulmonary Embolism is a condition in which a blood clot obstructs the vessels of the lung. This restricts the flow of the blood in the lungs causing low oxygen levels of oxygen in blood. A blood clot originates from the deep blood vessels of our lower extremities/limbs or pelvis region. From…
Read MoreWhat Is Pulmonary Edema? Pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, is a condition caused by excess fluid collecting within the lungs themselves. Our lungs contain many small elastic sacs called alveoli. These air sacs expand with each breath and tend to take in oxygen while releasing carbon dioxide. This allows oxygen to reach…
Read MoreWhat Is Pulmonary Edema? Pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, is a condition caused by excess fluid collecting within the lungs themselves. Our lungs contain many small elastic sacs called alveoli. These air sacs expand with each breath and tend to take in oxygen while releasing carbon dioxide. This allows oxygen to reach…
Read MorePeople suffering from lung diseases such as Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD), lung fibrosis, diabetes, kidney failure, liver diseases, heart diseases and other immune system compromising conditions are at a much higher risk of developing serious complications from diseases which can be prevented or reduced from the use of vaccines. There are two main…
Read MoreWhat is Bronchoscopy ? Bronchoscopy is an invasive but very safe procedure that helps a pulmonologist definitively see inside a patient’s airways which lead into their lungs. This procedure is extremely helpful in finding any abnormality that may be the cause of difficulty in breathing and respiratory distress. When should a bronchoscopy be performed?…
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