Bronchiectasis Definition, Symptoms And What Can Be Done

Bronchiectasis Definition, Symptoms And What Can Be Done

Bronchiectasis is a lung condition in which the bronchi (airways leading to the lungs) are chronically dilated (expanded). This condition cannot be reversed but there are treatments aimed at lessening the severity of the symptoms. This article shares more about what bronchiectasis is, how it is caused, and what can be done about the symptoms of this disease.
Bronchiectasis Symptoms And Causes
Symptoms may include a persistent daily cough with a foul smelling sputum, difficulty breathing, fatigue, a general ill-feeling, and frequent lung infections.
Bronchiectasis usually results from damage to the bronchi. This damage destroys the muscles and elastic tissue layers that allow the bronchial tubes to contract normally. Due to the inability to contract, secretions from the lungs are not able to be cleared, this can lead to an increased risk of infection, which leads to more damage and a vicious cycle develops.
Damage may result due to chronic lung infections or bronchitis, trauma caused by an obstruction in the bronchi, tuberculosis, allergies, or cystic fibrosis.
Bronchiectasis Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis begins with the observation of the aforementioned symptoms and an evaluation by a physician. The evaluation may include a physical examination, x-rays or a high resolution CT scan of the chest, culture of the sputum, and possibly a bronchogram (study of the bronchi) or pulmonary function tests.
The goal of treatment is to control secretions and prevent infections. Instructions will be given on positioning to allow drainage (postural drainage), sleeping with the head slightly elevated and chest clapping (percussion or clapping on the back to loosen secretions).
Smoking, air pollutants, heavy exertion, and rapid temperature changes should be avoided. A physician will advise the patient to drink plenty of fluids to make mucous secretions less sticky and may prescribe expectorants to loosen secretions in the lungs or antibiotics to fight frequent lung infections.

Whooping Cough - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Whooping Cough - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Whooping cough is an infectious bacterial illness that affects the respiratory passages. The disease is most contagious during the cold-like initial phase (catarrhal phase). In its early stages, pertussis is indistinguishable from the many colds common in children. However, after one or two weeks, the illness gets progressively worse. Worldwide there are over 60 million cases of pertussis a year with more than half a million deaths. Whooping cough is still a very serious disease when it occurs in children under the age of one year old. Pertussis can be fatal, but in the United States, widespread vaccination against the infection has made the disease rare. In the more advanced stages, it's marked by the symptom that gives the disease its name: a severe, hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop." It is spread by droplets from the respiratory tract, rarely it may also spread on clothes, toys, etc. You can also become infected through direct contact with discharges from the nose or throat of an infected person.
Whooping cough exists everywhere in the world and can lead to a variety of diseases and complications, including death. Whooping cough in a recognizable form evolves over a period of 2 weeks. Sometimes the patient stops breathing after a severe bout of coughing, long enough to go blue. Occasionally the patient faints as well. It's mainly affected infants who are younger than 6 months old before they are adequately protected by their immunizations, and kids who are 11 to 18 years old whose immunity has faded. With proper care, most teenagers and adults recover from whooping cough without complications. There is a danger that people with less severe, undiagnosed cases may spread the infection to infants who have not yet been immunized. Treatment of whooping cough is supportive, meaning that treatment is directed at the symptoms, e.g., cough; however, young infants often need hospitalization if the coughing becomes severe.
Causes of Whooping cough
The common causes and risk factor's of Whooping cough include the following:
Whooping cough is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis .
It is spread through children from exposure to infected persons through droplets in the air.
Any one who is not protected (by recent immunisation or by having had the infection before) can get whooping cough, including older children and adults.
Underlying medical conditions are other medical conditions that may possibly cause Whooping Cough.
Symptoms of Whooping cough
Some symptoms related to Whooping cough are as follows:
Runny nose.
Sneezing.
General feeling of being unwell and loss of appetite.
Dry cough.
Characteristic 'whooping' sound on inhalation.
A mild fever.
Vomiting at the end of a bout of coughing.
Watery eyes.
Cough can be started by many factors, including feeding, crying, or playing.
Treatment of Whooping cough
Here is list of the methods for treating Whooping cough:
Whooping cough is generally treated with antibiotics.
Drink plenty of fluids, including water, juices, soups, and fruits to prevent dehydration.
Isolation to prevent contagion.
Young babies with whooping cough are often so ill that they need hospital treatment. Feeding can be a problem because they often vomit after coughing. A baby may need tube feeding.

Asthma Symptoms

Asthma Symptoms

Asthma is a condition that affects the lungs and eventually your breathing. Asthma symptoms include: chest tightening, pain, pressure, wheezing, coughing (especially at night), and breathlessness. Everybody with Asthma doesn't have the same symptoms. Some people experience some of the symptoms but not at one time. Asthma symptoms can also change from one episode to the next.
Asthma attacks occur at different times under different circumstances. Exercise may bring about asthma symptoms and sometimes people only experience an episode that coincides with viral infections such as the common cold. Not all, but some individuals are fortunate enough to go for prolonged periods with no symptoms at all, with only periodic severity called Asthma attacks.
Warning signs of Asthma may come about prior to or at the onset of an attack. In most cases, these symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with your daily life. Paying attention to these signs though, can help keep your condition under control. Early warning signs includes: frequent cough, breathlessness, feeling tired/weak when exercising, wheezing or coughing after exercising, feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy, moody, decrease or change in lung function when measured on a peak flow meter, signs of a cold or allergies, and trouble sleeping.
Asthma symptoms in kids usually occur before age five. Asthma occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed due to increased secretions within the tubes. Severe chronic coughing may be the only indication of Asthma in kids. Asthma amongst children is steadily increasing due to unknown reasons.
Asthma attacks are produced when the airways tighten. The lining within the airways swell or become inflamed; the cells within the bronchial tubes produce more and thicker secretions than normal. Other symptoms of an Asthma attack includes: coughing that won't end, rapid breathing, difficulty speaking, chest pain/pressure, and feeling of anxiety. Asthma attacks will worsen with time so seek help immediately! Without immediate medical attention, breathing will become harder, air movement will decrease, and you'll lose the ability to speak, all of which can lead to death.
Some people do not experience common Asthma symptoms. Some individuals have symptoms that most people wouldn't attribute to Asthma but they are. These unusual symptoms include: rapid breathing, sighing, and fatigue, inability to exercise properly, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and chronic cough without wheezing. Asthma symptoms can resemble other condition so it's important to know your body, talk to your doctor and to be educated and aware of both Asthmas common and uncommon symptoms.

Asbestosis Mesothelioma Settlement Issues

Asbestosis Mesothelioma Settlement Issues

Asbestosis, by its character, is a non-cancerous ailment of the lungs. It's brought about by inhalation and exposure of asbestos over a lengthy time period and can take many years to develop. The micro fibers become trapped in one's lungs and it could take 25 to 40 years before symptoms begin to enroot. Asbestosis symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain are the more common examples.
In order to get compensation for the disease, one has to assemble health and employment records to present to their attorney-at-law. Ask for quotes and consultations from reputable a mesothelioma settlement legal adviser or work with them on a contingency groundwork.
Since asbestosis may not show up for years, it may behoove you to study the nature of this disease. Asbestos fibers get trapped in your lungs when you were exposed to breathing contaminated air. In order to get rid of the asbestos in your lungs, your body produces an acid to try to flush out these fibers and the continued production of the acid can eventually scar the lung tissue. Extra scarring can cause improper function of the lungs and serious breathing difficulty.
Sadly, there is no compelling treatment for this disease. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, laborers are often exposed to asbestos in either demolition or construction and have a sizable risk to asbestosis. Ships used asbestos widely because of the burn resistance qualities as well as the good insulation and non-corrosive qualities. Naval shipyard workers who were exposed were the first ones diagnosed with asbestosis.
When asbestos gets disturbed, it becomes hazardous to your health. Asbestos is composed of almost undetectable bundles of fibers that when disturbed or damaged, these fibers separate and may become airborne. Inhaling these tiny micro-fibers cause them to lodge in the lungs and may in the course of time lead to fatal or serious affliction such as mesothelioma. Asbestosis symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain are the more common examples of symptoms.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the pleura (the outer membrane that encloses the lung and chest cavity) and even the peritoneum (the membrane lining the walls of the abdominal cavity). Exposure to asbestos has been the primary predicament cause in these cases.
Employing a mesothelioma law firm is the jump off point in getting a mesothelioma settlement that will dampen the effects of continual asbestos exposure expense or possible future expenditure. Acquiring a specialized attorney-at-law or law firm adequately trained to deal with all challenges of a mesothelioma lawsuit are one's best bet. Any mesothelioma settlement; arrived at considers the fact that the family of the victim has a right to be financially secure.
The money a lawyers receives after the successful lawsuit is sliced from the total compensation, which normally figures around 35%. Mesothelioma settlements are not only available for the victims of the ailment. Settlements are also available for families of the victims for the reason that they have lost a loved one and suffered pain and anguish on the financial and the sentiment front. It usually takes fifteen to thirty years of exposure to asbestos to come down with lung cancer. Consider a specialize mesothelioma law firm for your plight.

Causes of AIDS

Causes of AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency sydrome (AIDS) is one of the disease in the world that has no cure and it is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This disease affects the immune system of the body and makes individual to be exposed to infections and tumors. According to AVERT, a report in 2009 shows an estimate of 33.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS with about 2.6 million people gets infected with HIV every year while 1.8 million deaths are been recorded yearly as a result of AIDS.
HIV is spread in the body through direct contact of a mucous membrane or blood stream with a bodily fluid containing HIV. Examples of bodily fluid that may be infected with HIV includes blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluid. HIV is transmitted when people have anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion and using needles that is been infected with HIV. Babies tends to have HIV from their mother during pregnancy, childbirth and breast feeding. HIV have also been detected in saliva, tears, nervous system tissue and spinal fluid but only blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk is the major way HIV is been transmitted to others. HIV infections is not spread by mosquitoes, casual contact such as hugging, touching a person infected with HIV or participating in sports or any activities.
The symptoms of AIDS are as a result of HIV infections caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, which affects nearly every system of the organ. Symptoms common with AIDS includes fever, sweats (most especially at night), weight loss, chills, weakness and swollen glands. The risk of developing various cancers such as cervical cancer and Kaposi's sarcoma are high in people that has AIDS. One major infection that is associated with HIV is tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is transmissible to people and is not easily treatable once some has the infection. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2007, records shows that 456,000 deaths as a result of tuberculosis were HIV positive.
Chronic diarrhea is associated with people that are HIV positive and this is due to many possible causes such as bacteria and parasitic infections. Diarrhea is believed to be a result of changes in the way the intestinal tract captures nutrient. On the other hand diarrhea may be a side effect of drugs that is been used to treat HIV. It can also be the side effect of taking antibiotics which is been used to treat diarrhea.
The major ways HIV is been transmitted to people are sexual contact, during childbearing and exposure to infected body fluids. Knowing the major ways HIV is been transmitted will help in the prevention of the spread of HIV. The use of male or female condoms can reduce the risk of infection with HIV and other sexual transmitted diseases. The risk of contracting HIV through sexual contacts can be reduced to about 80% if condoms is been used during sexual intercourse. The risk can be reduced further if the condom is used the right way every time. Research carried on couples where one partner is infected with HIV and there is constant use of condom shows rate of HIV was below 1% per year for the uninfected partner.
Mothers who are infected with HIV should avoid breast-feeding their infant as this will help in preventing the transmission of HIV to the infant. People working in clinics, hospitals or other health related works should always use barriers which can expose them to body fluids. Such barriers includes gloves, protective eye wares or shields, masks, and gowns or aprons which will prevent the exposure of the skin to blood borne pathogens. Sharp objects such as needles, glass and scalpels should be disposed off carefully.
Lastly the best way to prevent the spread of AIDS is educating the people on the causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Ways of educating people starts from schools, because the youths are more prone to the disease and the media to inform the general public.
There is no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS so extra precaution needs to be made so that you don't get infected with the disease but if you do then you have to able to manage it. The best way of managing AIDS after someone is being exposed to the virus is with the use of antiretroviral drugs. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the current treatment of HIV infections.