Lungs and Airways
Learn about your lungs and airways
Healthy lungs allow you to breathe easily, without discomfort or pain. They supply oxygen to your bloodstream to keep the rest of your body healthy. When your lungs are healthy, you're more likely to be able to do the activities you love and have a good quality of life.
But some people have problems with their lungs from smoking, disease, or infection. When your lungs are unhealthy, your entire body and activity level can suffer. It's important to know how to deal with certain lung conditions so you can stay active and do the things you enjoy.
Our topics can help you learn more about lung and airway conditions and treatments. To start, explore these lung and airway topics:
Health Topics
- Acute Bronchitis
- Acute Bronchitis: Medical History
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Allergy Shots (Immunotherapy) for Asthma
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Genetic Testing
- Alternative Treatment Methods for Allergies
- Altitude Sickness
- Anesthesia
- Anesthesia: Malignant Hyperthermia Response
- Anthrax
- Asbestos and Lung Cancer
- Assessing Your Asthma Knowledge
- Asthma Action Plan
- Asthma Action Plan: Green Zone
- Asthma Action Plan: Red Zone
- Asthma Action Plan: Yellow Zone
- Asthma and GERD
- Asthma and Vocal Cord Problems
- Asthma and Wheezing
- Asthma Attack
- Asthma Diary
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Asthma in Children
- Asthma in Children: Knowing How Bad an Attack Is
- Asthma in Older Adults: Managing Treatment
- Asthma in Teens and Adults
- Asthma Treatment Goals
- Asthma Triggers
- Asthma: Controlling Cockroaches
- Asthma: Educating Yourself and Your Child
- Asthma: How to Overcome Treatment Obstacles
- Asthma: Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Medicines
- Asthma: Overuse of Quick-Relief Medicines
- Asthma: Peak Expiratory Flow and Personal Best
- Asthma: Pollen as a Trigger
- Asthma: Symptoms of Difficulty Breathing
- Asthma: Ways to Take Inhaled Medicines
- Asthma's Impact on Your Child's Life
- Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
- Barking Coughs in Children
- Belly-Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing)
- Black Lung Disease
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchiolitis
- Bullectomy for COPD
- Carbon Monoxide Detectors
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Protecting Your Home
- Caring for Your Baby's Nasal Cannula
- Causes of Snoring and Sleep Apnea
- Central Venous Catheters
- Challenge Tests for Asthma
- Chest Problems
- Choking Rescue for Babies
- Choking Rescue Procedure (Heimlich Maneuver)
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants: Caring for Your Baby
- Classification of Asthma
- Clearing Extra Mucus From the Lungs
- Colds
- Collapsed Lung (Pneumothorax)
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Comparing Nicotine Replacement Methods
- Complications of Allergic Rhinitis
- Complications of Whooping Cough
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- COPD and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency
- COPD and Sexual Activity
- COPD Flare-Ups
- COPD: Handling a Flare-Up
- COPD: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery
- COPD's Effect on the Lungs
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Coughs, Age 11 and Younger
- Coughs, Age 12 and Older
- Croup
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cystic Fibrosis and Exercise
- Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Screening
- Cystic Fibrosis: Alternate Ways to Clear the Airways
- Differences Between COPD and Asthma
- Dry Coughs
- Environmental Illness
- Environmental Illness in Children
- Environmental Illness: Evaluating Your Home or Workplace
- Epinephrine for Croup
- Flu Complications
- Flu Vaccine Myths
- Flu: Signs of Bacterial Infection
- Forced Expiratory Volume and Forced Vital Capacity
- Fractured Rib
- General Anesthesia
- Glucocorticoids for Croup
- Handling a Dead Bird
- Handling Wild Birds
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
- Hantavirus: Advice for Hikers and Campers
- Hantavirus: Cleaning Up Rodent-Infested Areas
- Hantavirus: Keeping Rodent Numbers Down
- Hantavirus: Questions Your Doctor May Ask
- Health Problems Associated With Adult Obesity
- Health Tracking Forms and Checklists
- Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia (Nosocomial Pneumonia)
- Heart Failure: Avoiding Colds and Flu
- Heart Failure: Tips for Easier Breathing
- Heimlich Maneuver for Adults and Children Older Than 1 Year
- Hiccups
- How Asthma Develops in Children
- How Cystic Fibrosis Affects Breathing and the Lungs
- How Cystic Fibrosis Affects the Sweat Glands
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Hyperventilation
- Influenza (Seasonal Flu)
- Inhalant Abuse
- Interactive Tool: Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
- Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Affect Your Lifespan?
- Interactive Tool: How Much Is Smoking Costing You?
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever
- Living Organ Donation
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Lung Cancer
- Lung Function in COPD
- Lung Infections and COPD
- Lung Surgery for Lung Cancer
- Lung Transplant for COPD
- Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis
- Medical History for Asthma
- Medical History for Pneumonia
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
- Monitoring Asthma Treatment
- Monitoring During Anesthesia
- Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (TB)
- Nasal Potential Difference Test for Cystic Fibrosis
- Near-Drowning
- Nebulizer for Asthma Treatment
- Ned's Story: Quitting Smoking
- Nicotine Gum
- Nicotine Inhaler
- Nicotine Patches
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Occupational Asthma
- Omalizumab for Asthma
- Oral Breathing Devices for Snoring
- Organ Transplant
- Organ Transplants: Antirejection Medicines
- Oxygen Delivery Systems
- Oxygen Therapy
- Oxygen Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Paradoxical Embolism
- Physical Exam for Asthma
- Physical Exam for Pleurisy
- Physical Exam for Pneumonia
- Physical Therapy
- Planning to Be an Organ Donor
- Pleurisy
- Pneumocystis Pneumonia and AIDS
- Pneumonia
- Pollen Counts
- Postoperative Problems
- Premature Infant: Treating Underdeveloped Lungs
- Pressure Injuries From Scuba Diving
- Preventing Choking
- Procedural Sedation
- Productive Coughs
- Pseudomonas Infection
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Quick Tips: What to Do When You Crave Nicotine
- Quit-Smoking Programs
- Quitting Smoking
- Quitting Smoking: How Family and Friends Can Help
- Quitting Smoking: How Support Groups Can Help
- Quitting Smoking: Temptations and Cravings
- Quitting Smoking: Your Social Life
- Radon
- Radon Prevention: Sub-Slab Depressurization
- Rapid Sputum Tests for Tuberculosis (TB)
- Relieving A Cough
- Respiratory Problems, Age 11 and Younger
- Respiratory Problems, Age 12 and Older
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Risks of Smoking Cigars and Pipes
- Rodents That Carry Hantavirus
- RSV: Risk of Complications
- Rubber Bulbs
- Sarcoidosis
- Schizophrenia: Other Health Problems That May Occur
- Scleroderma
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
- Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Apnea Complications
- Sleep Apnea: Fiber-Optic Pharyngoscopy
- Sleep Apnea: Less Common Surgeries
- Sleep Apnea: Oral Devices
- Smallpox
- Smoking Fewer Cigarettes
- Smoking Journal
- Smoking Triggers
- Smoking: Choosing a Good Time to Quit
- Smoking: Health Risk for Family Members
- Smoking: Impotence and Fertility Problems
- Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Medical History
- Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Physical Exam
- Solitary Pulmonary Nodule
- Spinal Cord Injury: Assisted Cough
- Spinal Cord Injury: Breathing Practice
- Spirometry Tests for COPD
- Stages of Sleep Apnea
- Steroid Medicine for Asthma: Myths and Facts
- Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis
- Stress Management: Breathing Exercises
- Swallowed or Inhaled Objects
- Syphilis: Gummata
- Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Teen Smokers: Reasons to Quit
- Tests for Lung Infections
- Thrombolytic Medicines for Pulmonary Embolism
- Tips for Reducing Indoor Pollutants in Your Home
- Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring
- Tracheostomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Traveling With Oxygen
- Treating Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
- Treating Tuberculosis in Children
- Treating Tuberculosis in People With HIV
- Treating Tuberculosis in Pregnant Women
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tuberculosis in Infants and Children
- Tuberculosis in People With HIV
- Tuberculosis Screening
- Using Antibiotics Wisely
- Using Vaporizers and Humidifiers
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for Snoring
- Valley Fever
- Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
- Ventilation Options for COPD
- Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Medical Tests
- Angiogram
- Angiogram of the Lung
- Arterial Blood Gases
- Bronchoscopy
- Carbon Dioxide (Bicarbonate)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Chest X-Ray
- Cold Agglutinins
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
- Home Lung Function Test
- Lung Biopsy
- Lung Function Tests
- Lung Scan
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Mediastinoscopy
- Sleep Studies
- Sputum Culture
- Sputum Cytology
- Sweat Test
- Thoracentesis
- Tuberculin Skin Test
Medications
- Amantadine or Rimantadine for Influenza (Flu)
- Antenatal Corticosteroids for Fetal Lung Development
- Antibiotics for Acute Bronchitis
- Antibiotics for Cystic Fibrosis
- Antibiotics for Pneumonia
- Anticholinergics for Asthma
- Anticholinergics for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Anticholinergics for Cystic Fibrosis
- Anticoagulants for Pulmonary Embolism
- Beta2-Agonists for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Bronchodilators for Cystic Fibrosis
- Bronchodilators for RSV Infection in Children
- Bupropion (Zyban) for Quitting Smoking
- Carboplatin
- Corticosteroids for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Corticosteroids for Cystic Fibrosis
- DNase (Dornase Alfa) for Cystic Fibrosis
- Docetaxel
- Enzyme Replacement Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis
- Erlotinib
- Etoposide
- Gemcitabine
- Ifosfamide
- Inhaled Corticosteroids for Long-Term Control of Asthma
- Irinotecan
- Leukotriene Pathway Modifiers for Long-Term Control of Asthma
- Long-Acting Beta2-Agonists for Long-Term Control of Asthma
- Mast Cell Stabilizers for Long-Term Control of Asthma
- Methylxanthines for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Monoclonal Antibodies to Prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Multiple-Drug Therapy for Tuberculosis (TB)
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Quitting Tobacco
- Oseltamivir or Zanamivir
- Paclitaxel
- Pemetrexed
- Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) Inhibitors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Ribavirin for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Short-Acting Beta2-Agonists for Quick Relief of Asthma Symptoms
- Systemic Corticosteroids for Relief During Asthma Attacks
- Theophylline for Long-Term Control of Asthma
- Topotecan
- Varenicline (Chantix) for Quitting Smoking
- Vinorelbine
- Wakefulness-Promoting Medicines
Make a Wise Decision
- Allergies: Should I Take Allergy Shots?
- Bronchitis: Should I Take Antibiotics?
- End-of-Life Care: Should I Receive CPR and Life Support?
- Flu Vaccines: Should I Get a Flu Vaccine?
- Flu: Should I Take Antiviral Medicine?
- Quitting Smoking: Should I Use Medicine?
- Sleep Apnea: Should I Have a Sleep Study?
- Sleep Apnea: Should I Have Surgery?
Take Action
- Allergies: Avoiding Indoor Triggers
- Asthma in Children: Helping a Child Use a Metered-Dose Inhaler and Mask Spacer
- Asthma: Identifying Your Triggers
- Asthma: Measuring Peak Flow
- Asthma: Taking Charge of Your Asthma
- Asthma: Using an Asthma Action Plan
- Breathing Exercises: Using a Manual Incentive Spirometer
- Breathing Problems: Using a Dry Powder Inhaler
- Breathing Problems: Using a Metered-Dose Inhaler
- COPD: Avoiding Weight Loss
- COPD: Avoiding Your Triggers
- COPD: Clearing Your Lungs
- COPD: Keeping Your Diet Healthy
- COPD: Learning to Breathe Easier
- COPD: Using Exercise to Feel Better
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Cystic Fibrosis: Helping Your Child Cough Up Mucus
- Oxygen Therapy: Using Oxygen at Home
- Quitting Smoking: Coping With Cravings and Withdrawal
- Quitting Smoking: Getting Support
- Quitting Smoking: Helping Someone Quit
- Quitting Smoking: Preventing Slips or Relapses
- Substance Abuse: Dealing With Teen Substance Use
Last Revised: August 24, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
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