Signs of Pulmonary Embolism

When you consider the health hazards of smoking, lung disease and cancer likely come to mind. But the truth is that smoking impacts more than just your lung health. It can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke, high cholesterol, and other heart health issues. In fact, people who smoke are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than people who don't, according to the American Heart Association. And your risk for stroke doubles if you smoke cigarettes. Much of this increased risk stems from the fact that cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals that can damage your blood vessels and increase your cholesterol levels. This can make it harder for your body to remove unhealthy cholesterol from your blood, allowing cholesterol to build up in your arteries. This article will explain how smoking affects your cholesterol levels and what you can do to improve your heart health if you smoke. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance in your blood that's pr

In vaccinated and boosted people, breakthrough Covid-19 cases can often be quite mild, akin to an annoying cold; these relatively manageable symptoms can result in infected people dismissing a slightly scratchy throat and perhaps forgoing testing. The "what is a symptom" question is also impacting those who do test positive, with new federal guidelines relying on symptoms as a deciding factor in whether you go back to work or stay home after testing positive for Covid-19 — especially for essential workers and those who don't have paid time off. In December 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its recommendations for isolation after a positive test, with the number of days someone must isolate being largely dependent on the presence of symptoms. Now, people who test positive but do not develop symptoms must isolate for just five days; if they remain asymptomatic, they can end isolation after five days (but continue to wear a mask around others at

When you consider the health hazards of smoking, lung disease and cancer likely come to mind. But the truth is that smoking impacts more than just your lung health. It can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke, high cholesterol, and other heart health issues. In fact, people who smoke are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than people who don't, according to the American Heart Association. And your risk for stroke doubles if you smoke cigarettes. Much of this increased risk stems from the fact that cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals that can damage your blood vessels and increase your cholesterol levels. This can make it harder for your body to remove unhealthy cholesterol from your blood, allowing cholesterol to build up in your arteries. This article will explain how smoking affects your cholesterol levels and what you can do to improve your heart health if you smoke. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance in your blood that's pr

Everyone has a cough from time to time. In fact, coughing can serve a useful purpose by ridding the lungs of irritants or excess mucus. Coughing may also help remove germs from the lungs and prevent infection. But when coughing occurs at nighttime, it can interrupt sleep and prevent a person from getting a good night's rest. Fortunately, there are several ways to relieve coughing at night, including medication, lifestyle changes, and natural remedies. The following 10 tips may help a person reduce or ease their nighttime coughing: 1. Try a humidifier A humidifier machine may help if the coughing is caused by dry air. Dry air can make a cough worse. Air conditioning and cooling fans in the summer and heating systems in the winter can make the environment dry. A person can try using a humidifier at night to add moisture to the air where they sleep. Adding humidity by this method may help soothe the throat and prevent coughing. However, too much moisture can contribute to mold growth.

If you think you have bronchitis, It's normal to wonder how long it takes to get over it. In many cases, a doctor won't prescribe anything except rest and over-the-counter treatments. So how long will you have to endure this hacking, productive cough? Figuring out how long your bronchitis will last is a complicated question. There are two different types of bronchitis, acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). Within each type, there can be multiple causes. Individual causes have unique treatments and recovery times.  Generally, acute bronchitis caused by an infection will last a few weeks, but chronic bronchitis caused by pollution or smoking can last months and come back yearly. Either way, you'll probably have a worn-out, bronchitis-fatigue feeling for several weeks. This article will review the types of bronchitis, their causes, and how long they last. Science Photo Library / Getty Chronic vs. Acute Bronchitis T

Postnasal drip occurs when excess mucus from the nose drips down the back of the throat, leading to an upper airway cough. Other symptoms of postnasal drip include: sore throat swallowing frequently feeling a lump in the throat Sometimes, postnasal drip is a temporary issue when a person has an infection, such as a cold or flu, or allergies to something in the environment, including seasonal allergies. In other cases, postnasal drip can be a more chronic problem. People with chronic congestion from a deviated septum or gastroesophageal reflux may experience frequent postnasal drip. Advancing age may also increase the risk. Treatment options If an infection is causing postnasal drip, it will usually disappear on its own. If it lasts longer than a few weeks, a person may need antibiotics to clear a bacterial infection. The following remedies may also help: drinking lots of water sleeping in a room with a humidifier sleeping with the head slightly elevated Asthma causes chronic airway inf

(CNN) Do you have a sore throat, a runny nose and muscle aches? It could be a common cold, a case of the flu -- or Covid-19. The illnesses all share similar symptoms, sometimes making it hard to distinguish which is putting you under the weather. Case rates of Covid-19 have been on the rise as the Omicron variant has spread, but hospitalization numbers appear to be staying relatively low. For vaccinated people, evidence suggests that infection with this variant seems less likely to be severe, epidemiologist and former Detroit Health Department executive director, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed said. "The important thing to remember is a vaccine is like giving a 'be on the lookout' call to your immune system. So its capacity to identify, target and destroy viruses is so much higher every time we take another boost of the vaccine," El-Sayed said. "It makes sense that the symptoms you would experience are milder if you have been vaccinated." That does not mean, however, t

When you first start coughing, feeling fatigued, and noticing a low-grade fever, it can be hard to determine whether you have the common cold or bronchitis. A cold can potentially turn into bronchitis. Acute bronchitis, which lasts for seven to 10 days, is also known as a chest cold. Understanding the differences between a cold and bronchitis can help you determine what to do to get better. The most significant difference between the two is that a cold is a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract while bronchitis is a lower respiratory infection that affects the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. Therefore, with a cold, you will feel it in your nose or sinus area, but you will feel it in the lungs if you have bronchitis.    South_agency / Getty Images  Causes and Symptoms Both a cold and bronchitis can be caused by a virus. For a cold, you can get it from being in close contact with another perso

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FILE - In this 1918 photo made available by the Library of Congress, volunteer nurses from the American Red Cross tend to influenza patients in the Oakland Municipal Auditorium, used as a temporary hospital. (Edward A. "Doc" Rogers/Library of Congress via AP, File) (Edward A. "Doc" Rogers/AP) COVID-19 scare stories continue, sensationally spurred by media, even as we collectively reopen and return to a more normal existence. To provide context, TV talking heads often mention the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. The reference ignores health challenges over the intervening decades. In fact, pandemics have plagued the world's populations throughout time, including the 20th century. During 1957-1958, the Asian flu was a major public health problem. The pandemic originated in China, as the misnamed Spanish Flu of 1918 probably did as well. The Hong Kong Flu came to the United States in 1968, spread by several hundred thousand mostly

Special Report With the second anniversary of the pandemic nearing, we don't need to be reminded of the deadliness of viruses. As of Jan. 22, 5.58 million deaths worldwide have been attributed to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. More than 864,000 of the deaths have been reported  in the United States, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. As deadly as the novel coronavirus has been, there are many other viruses that are lethal to humans. ( COVID-19: These are the states fighting it most successfully .) To find how COVID-19 fatality rate compares with other diseases, 24/7 Tempo reviewed several resources. The measure, case fatality rate, or CFR,  uses known infections and deaths, and therefore may be an overestimate or an underestimate of the actual overall infection fatality rate. The case fatality rate listed is assuming no treatment or vaccines, which

An experimental treatment helped asthmatics with cat allergies to spend several hours exposed to cat allergens without wheezing or coughing, a proof-of-concept study finds. Scientists with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the asthma and eczema biologic drug Dupixent (dupilumab), have been exploring the use of monoclonal antibodies to reduce asthma and allergy symptoms in people with cat allergies. The treatment uses two lab-created antibodies to Fel d1, the protein found in a cat's skin and saliva that's to blame for wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath in those with asthma. The antibodies, which are given as two injections just under the skin, bind to Fel d1. The concept is that this blocks IgE antibodies circulating in the blood from binding to the cat allergy protein, preventing the allergic reaction. In the Phase 2 trial, 56 people with cat allergy and mild asthma were given the monoclonal antibodies or a placebo. After eight days, they

Patients coming down with an Omicron infection have so far recorded mild, cold-like symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose and body pain, says Dr. Pavan Yadav, Lead Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology and Lung Transplantation, Aster RV Hospital, J.P. Nagar, Bengaluru. According to the doctor, most cases are being managed at the OPD level and admissions to the hospital due to drop in oxygen levels are lesser compared to first and second waves. However, Dr Yadav cautions people with multiple comorbidities, on immuno-suppressants and the elderly against the variant and urges them to take extra care. Dr Rajender Saini, Consultant - Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital, Ghaziabad, is of the opinion that no matter how mild the symptoms of Omicron are, one must not let their guard down. "It is too early to predict the severity of the variant and assume that it will continue to be mild in the coming days," he says.

Here are some of the reasons why your throat may be irritated and hurt when you yawn. Throat dryness A dry throat can cause irritation that gives your throat a scratchy feeling, especially when swallowing, talking, or yawning. A dry throat often develops when your membranes don't produce enough mucus to keep your esophagus moist. Many factors can contribute, including: Common cold, flu, and COVID-19 Many types of viruses, such as those responsible for the common cold, flu, and COVID-19, can enter the tissue in your throat and cause inflammation. When you yawn, air, food particles, and saliva may contact the inflamed areas and stimulate pain receptors. About 50 to 80 percent of sore throats are caused by viral infections. Throat inflammation can also be caused by pharyngitis. Strep throat Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by highly contagious Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. It commonly causes a sore throat, especially when swallowing, but yawning can also potentially