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
Lung Health
Maybe She’s Born with It: Genetics Give Competitive Swimmers Their Edge
Competitive swimming is a demanding sport that requires maintaining a high level of activity—while partially submerged in the water—without being able to breathe naturally. It’s a sport—like any form of exercise—that may not be suited to everyone. Years of research have shown that competitive swimmers have larger lungs and better lung function than non-swimmers. In … Continue reading Maybe She’s Born with It: Genetics Give Competitive Swimmers Their Edge
The Trouble with E-Cigs: Why They May Pose More Harm than Good
The market for electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and vaping has surged in popularity within the past five years, while traditional cigarette sales have declined. From 2012 to 2013, e-cig sales more than doubled to $1.7 billion. By 2015, sales were estimated at $3.7 billion. Although manufacturers claim that e-cigs are safer than traditional cigarettes, their use … Continue reading The Trouble with E-Cigs: Why They May Pose More Harm than Good
When Hormones Take Your Breath Away
After a healthy childhood, my best friend suddenly started having breathing difficulties when she was 20 years old. The doctor diagnosed her with asthma. With the help of inhaled medications, she was able to control her symptoms. But a year later, the medications were no longer effective and she started having monthly, life-threatening asthma attacks. … Continue reading When Hormones Take Your Breath Away
Nanoparticles: A High-Tech Solution for Lung Cancer Treatment
Credit: iStock Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death for both men and women in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Responsible for 1 in 4 cancer deaths, there were approximately 224,390 new cases and 158,000 lung cancer deaths in 2016 alone. Despite the seemingly grim outlook for lung cancer … Continue reading Nanoparticles: A High-Tech Solution for Lung Cancer Treatment
The Antioxidant-Activity Connection
Antioxidants: It’s one of the biggest health buzzwords today. The fabled powers of these mysterious compounds have been featured on daytime TV, plastered on age-defying beauty products and foods in the grocery store, and sold to us as a major reason to frequent juice bars and smoothie shops. Antioxidants are not just an overblown fad, though. … Continue reading The Antioxidant-Activity Connection
Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
I live in South Dakota where the winter days can be frigid and very dry. Many people, including me, have difficulty breathing while exercising in the winter because our airways temporarily narrow during exercise. This condition is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), formerly known as exercise-induced asthma, and it’s often triggered by working out in cold, … Continue reading Why Do You Gasp for Air on a Cold Winter’s Day?
Bee-ware the Cause of Childhood Asthma
Childhood asthma has reached epidemic proportions across the globe for unknown reasons. Maternal smoking is associated with childhood asthma, but a study published in 2005 suggested that if your grandmother smoked, you were at greater risk of developing asthma than if your mother smoked. How could this happen? Your genes determine the traits you … Continue reading Bee-ware the Cause of Childhood Asthma
Life After A Life-Saving Treatment: Lung Health in Young Adults Who Were Born Prematurely
In 1963, President John Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, gave birth to a little boy three weeks early. The baby survived only 39 hours before dying of hyaline membrane disease, more commonly known as respiratory distress syndrome. The first successful treatments began in 1991, and now nearly 99 percent of babies like the Kennedy baby survive prematurity. … Continue reading Life After A Life-Saving Treatment: Lung Health in Young Adults Who Were Born Prematurely