Pneumonia - Diseases

Pneumonia - Diseases

Pneumonia is an acute lung inflammation in which the lungs fill with a fibrous material, impairing gas exchange. With poor gas exchange, the blood has too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen.
People with normal lungs and adequate immune defenses usually recover fully. However, pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Classifying pneumonia
Pneumonia can be classified by location or type, as well as cause .
" Location: Bronchopneumonia involves the lungs and small airways of the respiratory tract. Lobular pneumonia involves part of a lobe of the lung. Lobar pneumonia involves an entire lobe .
" Type: Primary pneumonia occurs when a person inhales or aspirates a disease-producing microorganism; it includes pneumococcal and viral pneumonia. Secondary pneumonia may occur in someone who's suffered lung damage from a noxious chemical or other insult, or it may be caused by the blood-borne spread of bacteria from a distant site.
What causes it?
Pneumonia can be caused by a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoa, mycobacterium, mycoplasma, or rickettsia.
Certain factors can predispose a person to bacterial and viral pneumonia-chronic illness and debilitation, cancer (especially lung cancer), abdominal or chest surgery, atelectasis (the collapse of air sacs in the lung), the flu, common colds or other viral respiratory infections, chronic respiratory disease (such a, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, or cystic fibrosis), smoking, malnutrition, alcoholism, sickle cell disease, tracheostomy, exposure to harmful gases, aspiration, and drugs that suppress the immune system.

Diphtheria - Cause and Prevention

Diphtheria - Cause and Prevention

Diphtheria cases have become increasingly rare because of immunization. In some countries where immunization is not a part of public health standard, diphtheria fatality rate is 5-20% approximately.
The inflammation in upper respiratory tract is due to the rapid multiplication of the diphtheria bacteria, corynebacterium diphteriae. If not checked it is also known to produce a toxin which can enter the bloodstream and affect heart, brain and the nervous system.
Diphtheria is a contagious disease and can be contracted by air from an infected person. Sneeze and cough are the most common carriers of the bacteria. Diphtheria can also spread from one person to other by the secretions form nose and mouth of the infected person and also if a person comes in contact with skin ulcers of the infected person.

Cause of Acidosis

Cause of Acidosis

Acidosis is the breeding ground for most diseases. Nepthritis or Bright's disease, rheumatism, premature old age, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, skin disorders, and various degenerative diseases are traceable to this condition. It seriously interferes with the functions of the glands and organs of the body. It also lowers the vitality of the system, thereby increasing the danger of infectious diseases.
The main cause of acidosis or hypo-alkalinity of the blood is faulty diet, in which too many acid
forming foods have been consumed. In the normal process of metabolism or converting the food
into energy by the body, various acids are formed in the system and in addition, other acids are
introduced in food. Whenever there is substantial increase in the formation of acids in the
system and these acids are not properly eliminated through the lungs, the kidneys and the
bowels, the alkalinity of the blood is reduced, resulting in acidosis.
Other causes of acidosis are depletion of alkali reserve due to diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera etc.,

Laryngitis Home Remedies

Laryngitis Home Remedies

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx, which basically means an inflammation of the vocal chords. You know you have it when you lose your voice.
What Causes Inflammation Of The Vocal Chords?
Inflammation can be caused by overuse of your voice - or by infection or in very rare cases by a growth on the chords. You will usually know if you have been shouting, laughing or singing a great deal - at a rock concert for example or perhaps a football game - or even a birthday party or comedy show - its likely you have over strained your vocal chords and caused them to swell up.
On the other hand if you feel unwell or have an upper respiratory tract infection (a cold) then its likely the inflammation is caused by the same infection.
What's The Best Treatment For Laryngitis?
The first step is to rest your vocal chords completely by not speaking at all or by whispering when you need to communicate rather than speaking out loud.
Next, nearly all infectious cases of laryngitis are caused viruses rather than by bacteria. So taking antibiotics is not only a waste of time and money - since antibiotics only kill bacteria - but could also be harmful to your body.