When a patient reports any of the symptoms of lung cancer, or something suspicious shows up on an x-ray, the next step is to obtain a definitive diagnosis. There are fortunately a wide-array of modern techniques to carry that out. An x-ray, for example, can display worrisome shadows, but other tests will show for sure [...]

Tragically, there is no cure for chronic bronchitis or emphysema, the two major types of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). But there are a wide variety of symptom treatments that can ease discomfort and improve daily life. Stop Smoking The first rule of medicine is ‘do no harm’. The first rule of treating COPD for [...]

There are two major aspects of an asthma inhaler to consider when selecting the one right for you: drug and delivery. Which drug? Which drug is best for you will, of course, be decided in consultation with your doctor. There are several to choose from. Corticosteroids, despite the risks associated with side effects from long-term [...]

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a generic term used to cover two conditions – chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both cause obstruction of the airways, though in different ways, and reduce oxygen-CO2 exchange efficiency. As a result, detailed tests are required to distinguish the two diseases. But a set of generic tests which measure airflow, [...]

Introduction Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the airways (the bronchi), resulting in excess mucus production. Though infections often result from this form of COPD, they are not typically the cause. An infection may produce acute bronchitis, a similar condition which can last days or weeks, but chronic bronchitis is persistent, lasting months or (more [...]

Emphysema is one of the two major forms of COPD. It results when the alveoli are damaged. Those are the tiny sacs in the lung that exchange oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood. Picture the airways and lungs as an upside down tree, with a trunk (trachea or windpipe), branches (bronchi), twigs [...]

Unlike asthma or COPD, tuberculosis has a known cause. It results from infection by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While secondary infections are more likely when a person has COPD (as a result of the tendency to retain excess mucus), the bacterial infection itself is the prime cause of TB. The symptoms of TB [...]

Think of your lungs as a tree turned upside down. A long trunk (called the trachea) leads to thick branches. Off those branches (bronchi) shoot smaller limbs (bronchioles). At the ends are the leaves (alveoli). Through the airways – the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles – passes air, containing about 18% oxygen. It moves down to [...]

An action plan to keep your lungs healthy is a mixture of things to avoid and things to do. Don’t smoke. It can be tough to resist and even tougher to quit. But smoking is one of the major risk factors for COPD, asthma, lung cancer, and a host of other lung problems. It’s even [...]

As with nearly any disease, the symptoms of lung cancer can overlap those of many other conditions. Still, there are a number of common things that anyone can watch out for. Coughing is a common behavior. We do it spontaneously when anything irritates the airways. But a new cough that persists for a few weeks [...]