Credit: Amin Mohajeri Take a slow, deep breath. Feel the pleasant airflow entering your lungs, nourishing your blood and fueling your cells. This effortless, automatic rhythm is a priceless gift. With each breath, oxygen flows into the body and carbon dioxide leaves. Yet this delicate exchange can be disrupted over time by long-term exposure to … Continue reading The Quiet Art of Protecting Your Lungs Against COPD
Lung Disease
Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
Credit: iStock Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease caused by mutations, or changes, in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Cystic fibrosis is most common in people of Northern European ancestry, but it occurs in people of all races and ethnicities. People who inherit a mutated CFTR gene from both of their … Continue reading Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
Spotlight On: Asthma
Credit: iStock Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the lungs of people of all ages. Asthma causes repeated episodes of coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and airflow obstruction. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed to help people with the condition lead a normal and healthy life. Interestingly, asthma … Continue reading Spotlight On: Asthma
Spotlight On: Tuberculosis
If you’ve ever volunteered or worked in a hospital, nursing home or laboratory, you may remember having a tuberculosis (TB) skin test. But did you fully understand what TB is and why the tests are necessary? Though TB may not seem to be a major health concern in the U.S., this cunning disease remains a … Continue reading Spotlight On: Tuberculosis