Most people are familiar with the idea of allergies and many have at least a passing knowledge of asthma, but what happens when someone experiences an allergy and asthma at the same time? Allergy-induced asthma, also called allergic asthma, affects around 15 million people in the United States. Here’s everything...
Smoking affects nearly every organ in your body, especially your lungs. Every time you smoke a cigarette, you damage your lungs and airways and prevent them from functionally properly. You also subject your lungs and airways to harmful, acute side effects, including troublesome coughing and wheezing. Other side effects are more...
The National Institutes of Health estimates between 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, which can influence your overall health and quality of life. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders, affecting approximately 22 million people across the country, but this number could be higher, with...
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder that affects your breathing while you’re trying to sleep. People may stop breathing multiple times during the night, which causes them to wake up feeling exhausted as if they haven’t slept at all. If you believe that you have a sleep problem, watch...
Your lungs take in oxygen and deliver it to your bloodstream when you breathe. All the cells in your body need this oxygen to function and grow. Your body’s ability to function appropriately is hampered when you have a breathing disorder. Breathing disorders can be long-term or chronic, such as...
When you have obstructive sleep apnea or other difficulties breathing at night, a CPAP machine helps keep your airways clear while you’re asleep. Regular CPAP maintenance keeps your breathing device working efficiently to minimize nighttime disruptions and taking care of your machine is fairly simple if you create a regular schedule...
Sleep disorders not only keep you awake at night, they also can affect how you feel during the day. If you’re having trouble staying awake during the day or feel groggy on a regular basis, these could be early sleep disorder symptoms. Being able to tell the difference between occasional sleep problems...
Breathing allergies affect your daily life, but early detection can limit the impact and help you breathe easy. Learning the early signs and symptoms of an allergy to mold, dust, pollen or other airborne irritants helps you recognize when to call an experienced pulmonary doctor for testing and treatment. The...
Breathing problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, can be made worse with outdoor air that’s of poor quality, such as when pollen levels are high, air pollution sources are present or there are environmental sources of poor air quality such as wildfires. Air Quality Index The Air...
As Bridgewater lung doctors, our main priority is your health. We are proud to announce that the American Lung Association has launched an online tool to help users determine whether they meet the guidelines for CT screening for lung cancer. If this screening were widely implemented, 3,000 to 4,000 lives...
It is officially the beginning of flu season, so right now is the best time to get an influenza vaccination. The flu is a serious illness and has the potential to be life threatening. “It’s important to understand that the flu is not just a bad cold, it’s a serious...
