Pleural Effusion : Risk Factors

Drug interactions are changes in the effect of one drug due to the effect of either another drug taken at the same time (drug-drug interactions) or food consumed while the drug is being taken (drug-food interactions). Some drugs are deliberately combined for administration because there are beneficial effects to be derived.

Drug allergies are a group of symptoms caused by allergic reaction to a drug (medication).

Detailed information on different types of drug rashes, including acne, exfoliative dermatitis, fixed drug eruption, hives, morbiliform/maculopapular rash, purpuric eruptions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome

A drug allergy is an adverse reaction to a medication, often an antibiotic, that is mediated by the body ' s immune system. A drug sensitivity is an unusual reaction to a drug that does not involve the immune system.

If you want to be fully informed, you should read the fine print connected with any drug that you intend to use.

Drug metabolism is the process by which the body breaks down and converts medication into active chemical substances. Precautions Drugs can interact with other drugs, foods, and beverages.

Detailed information on food-drug interactions

A guide to information available online and in print about the side effects of prescription drugs.

Can the high blood pressure drugs Vasotec and Toprol affect the libido?

Exploring the causes and treatment for loss of taste, which may result from years of taking high blood pressure medications.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments save lives. They also can bring a variety of temporary but unpleasant side effects.

Asbestosis is chronic, progressive inflammation of the lung. It is not contagious.

Asbestosis is a respiratory disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.

Asbestos Exposure: Questions and AnswersKey Points"Asbestos" is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers (see Question 1).Exposure toasbestosmay increase the risk of asbestosis,lung cancer,mesothelioma, and o...

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a disorder in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. The term "heart failure" should not be confused with cardiac arrest, a situation in which the heart actually stops beating.

If you have CHF, it's important to stick with your treatment, even when you're feeling better. You also need to maintain healthy habits.

Are CHF and CAD the same thing? Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.

Heart failure can happen in two ways. The heart muscle may become weak and enlarged (systolic dysfunction). The weakened muscle doesn’t pump enough blood forward when the ventricles contract. Or, the heart muscle may become stiff (diastolic dysfunction). The stiff muscle can’t relax between contractions, which keeps the ventricles from filling with enough blood.

BNP is a hormone produced by the body when the heart is enlarged. Testing a person's BNP level is an easy and accurate way to help doctors diagnose congestive heart failure.

Lung abscess is an acute or chronic infection of the lung, marked by a localized collection of pus, inflammation, and destruction of tissue. Lung abscess is the end result of a number of different disease processes ranging from fungal and bacterial infections to cancer .

Lung cancer is a malignant disease in which lung cells become abnormal, characterized by uncontrollable, unlimited growth. These cells can then invade nearby normal tissue and destroy organ structure, a process called " invasion.

Lung cancer is cancer that begins in the lungs, the two organs found in the chest that help you breathe. The lungs are made up of areas called lobes. The right lung has three lobes; the left lung has two, so there's room for the heart. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe (trachea), and into the lungs where it spreads through tubes called bronchi. Most lung cancer begins in the cells that line these tubes. There are two main types of lung cancer: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer; Small cell lung cancer makes up about 20% of all lung cancer cases. If the lung cancer is made up of both types, it is called mixed small cell/large cell cancer. If the cancer started somewhere else in the body and spread to the lungs, it is called metastatic cancer to the lung.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lung CancerQ: Can lung cancer be prevented?A:The best way to avoid getting lung cancer is to quit smoking or never to start.

Lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. It is the leading cause of death from cancer among both men and women in the United States.

Detailed information on lung cancer, lung cancer symptom, lung cancer treatment, lung cancer sign, lung cancer medication, malignant lung tumor, lung cancer cause, benign lung tumor, lung cancer risk factor, lung cancer prevention

Understanding Your Type of Lung CancerThere are two main types of lung cancer. They are non-small cell lung cancer and small- cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. It is the leading cause of death from cancer among both men and women in the United States.

I’ve Just Been Told I Have Lung CancerLung cancer is cancer that starts in your lungs. It is the second most common cancer in men and women.

Your Treatment Options for Lung CancerResearchers are continually finding new ways to treat lung cancer. People diagnosed with the disease now have more hope for survival than ever before.The choices that you have for treatment depend on these fac...

What Can  I Do If I Am At Risk for Lung Cancer?If you are at risk for lung cancer, what can you do?

Understanding Your Stage of Lung CancerLung cancer acts differently in each person. The way a cancer grows is called its pathophysiology.

Expert-reviewed information summary about factors that may influence the risk of developing lung cancer and about research aimed at the prevention of this disease.

Making the Decision to Have Chemotherapy to Treat Lung CancerYour doctor may suggest chemotherapy to treat lung cancer for any of the following situations.You have small cell lung cancer.You are getting ready to have surgery for early-stage non-sm...

Making the Decision to Have Radiation Treatment for Lung CancerYour doctor may suggest radiation for you in any of the following situations.You have non-small cell lung cancer and are not able to have surgery.You have small-cell lung cancer. When ...

What Happens During Surgery for Lung CancerYou may have another type of treatment before surgery to make the tumor smaller and easier to remove. If so, it’s called neoadjuvant therapy.

Goal of PDT for Lung CancerThe goal of PDT is to kill cancer cells. It’s done in a kind of two-step process.

Goal of Lung Cancer SurgeryThe goal of surgery is to remove the tumor from your lung. Your doctor will try to take out the tumor without harming other parts of your body, but he or she usually has to remove part, or all of, the cancerous lung.Surg...

How Can I Prevent Lung Cancer?The best way you can protect yourself from lung cancer is to be aware of what makes a person more likely to get it.

Can I Survive Lung Cancer? What Is My Prognosis?

The American Cancer Society estimates that 87 percent of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. However, a small percentage of people who get lung cancer do not have a history of smoking or being around secondhand smoke. So, not all smokers get lung cancer and not all lung cancer patients were smokers.

What Are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer?You may not notice signs of lung cancer in its early stages.

How Does My Doctor Know I Have Lung Cancer?If you’re having lung-cancer-like symptoms, your doctor will want to know why.

Treatment for lung cancer usually begins a few weeks after diagnosis. This gives patients time to talk with their doctor about treatment choices, to get a second opinion, to decide about treatment, and to prepare themselves and their loved ones.

Making the Decision to Have Surgery for Lung CancerYou have to be healthy enough to have surgery for it to be a good choice for you. If you have heart disease, your lung cancer surgeon may ask your heart doctor to give approval for your surgery.

Goal of Chemotherapy for Lung CancerChemotherapy is the use of drugs. It can be used for several reasons.To kill cancer cellsTo help keep the cancer from growing or spreading if a cure isn’t possibleTo help ease symptoms caused by cancer and impro...

What Happens During PDT for Lung CancerYou can usually have PDT as an outpatient, meaning you do not have to stay in the hospital. A trained nurse or doctor injects you with a drug calledPhotofrin (porfimer sodium).You’ll be sent home for 24 to 72...

What Happens During Chemotherapy for Lung CancerThe doctor who directs your chemotherapy treatment is called amedical oncologist.Most people have chemotherapy in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor’s office, or at home. However, depe...

A small but significant percentage of lung cancer deaths occur in nonsmokers. Research suggests that they may get a different form of the disease than do smokers, one that may respond better to certain medications.

Lung cancer doesn't strike only smokers, and women appear to be more vulnerable to it than men: a review of new information about this most deadly cancer.

Managing Your Lung Cancer SymptomsMost people with lung cancer have both the symptoms of their cancer and the side effects from treatment. Although people with lung cancer can have different symptoms, there are a few symptoms that most people with...

What Happens During External Radiation Treatment for Lung CancerExternal radiation is the most common type of radiation given for lung cancer. You can get this as an outpatient in a hospital or a clinic.

Goal of Targeted Therapy for Lung CancerTargeted cancer treatment uses drugs. They target the specific molecules that let cancer grow and spread.

Goal of Radiation Treatment for Lung CancerRadiation treatment is also called radiotherapy. It’s one way to treat lung cancer.

Surgery for Lung CancerSurgery can be done to both diagnose and treat lung cancer. In most cases, surgery is used if the cancer is found in an early stage.

Women are at greater risk of developing lung cancer than men, even if they have never smoked. Screening via a spiral CT scan can detect tumors while they are still treatable.

What to Expect After Chemotherapy for Lung CancerAsk your oncologist and chemotherapy nurse for the details on each drug’s side effects. Side effects are different for everyone and vary based on the drugs you take.Side effects may be short-term, c...

What to Expect After Radiation Treatment for Lung CancerRadiation affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. That means you may have some side effects.

What to Expect After Surgery for Lung CancerAfter surgery, you may have to stay in the hospital for a few days. How long you must stay depends on these things.How much of your lung was removedHow extensive the surgery wasHow well you begin to reco...

What to Expect After PDT for Lung CancerAs soon as you are injected with Photofrin, you are at high risk for dangerous sunburn, so you need to protect your skin and eyes immediately after you are injected with it and for at least a month to 6 week...

Making the Decision to Have PDT for Lung CancerYour doctor may suggest PDT if you have stage 0 lung cancer. That means you have a very early tumor that is smaller than a dime.

What to Expect After Targeted Therapy for Lung CancerYou may have side effects from these drugs. Here’s a list of common side effects fromIressa (gefitinib).They are listed from the most to the least common.RashDiarrheaBlemishes on the skin or pim...

What Happens During Targeted Therapy for Lung CancerYou take targeted therapy drugs as pills every day. Usually you have this treatment alone, not combined with other treatment.

Making the Decision to Have Targeted Therapy for Lung CancerYour doctor may suggest you have targeted therapy if you’ve had one or more courses of chemotherapy and it didn’t work. Some studies showed that the drugs worked better in people who:Had ...

What Are the Survival Rates for People With Lung Cancer?For most people with small cell lung cancer, current treatments rarely cure the cancer.

Gene Therapy: Targeting the Cause of Lung Cancer to Treat ItThe American Cancer Society estimates that about 160,00 people die of lung cancer  each year. This is more than the deaths caused by the next three leading cancers—colon, breast, an...

Questions to Ask About Treatment for Lung CancerAt first, the information you receive about treatment options may seem overwhelming. You may ease the stress by allowing yourself the time to gather as much information as possible about your disease...

Statistics About Lung CancerSome people use statistics to try to know their chance of getting cancer. Or they use them to know the chance they can be cured.

Do What You Can to Ease Side Effects of Treatment and Symptoms of Lung CancerIt’s likely that you will have physical concerns since your cancer may cause symptoms and you may have side effects from your treatment. In this section, you’ll learn mor...

I'm a lung cancer survivor. My feet and hands are always hot, like they're on fire. Why could this be?

A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question regarding mold spores as a potential risk factor for lung cancer.

A guide to the tests available for screening colon, lung, and skin cancers, and how to determine whether they're right for you.

Prolonged exposure to radon gas may lead to an increased risk of lung cancer. Combined with smoking, the risk is much higher. Testing can reveal if there is an unsafe level of radon in a home's air.

Lung cancer is caused by mutations in cell DNA, which is unconnected to the influenza virus or vaccine.

Ex-smokers' risk of heart disease may eventually approach that of a lifetime nonsmoker, but their risk of lung cancer is less likely to fade, even after long periods of time.

Tips for Feeling Your Best During Treatment for Lung CancerWhen you are being treated for lung cancer, it’s likely that you will have side effects from that treatment and, perhaps, symptoms of the disease itself as well. For instance, the cancer c...

Lung disease is any disease or disorder where lung function is impaired. There are three major physiologic categories of lung diseases: Obstructive lung disease -- a decrease in the exhaled air flow caused by a narrowing or blockage of the airways, such as with asthma , emphysema , and chronic bronchitis . Restrictive lung disease -- a decrease in the total volume of air that the lungs are able to hold. Often, this is due to a decrease in the elasticity of the lungs themselves or caused by a problem related to the expansion of the chest wall during inhalation. A defect in the ability of the lung's air sac tissue to move oxygen into a person's blood. Most lung diseases actually involve a combination of these categories, such as emphysema, which involves both airflow obstruction and oxygenation problems. Major lung diseases include: asthma BOOP chronic bronchitis COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) emphysema interstitial lung disease pulmonary fibrosis sarcoidosis Other lung diseases include: asbestosis aspergilloma aspergillosis aspergillosis - acute invasive atelectasis eosinophilic pneumonia lung cancer metastatic lung cancer necrotizing pneumonia pleural effusion pneumoconiosis pneumocystosis pneumonia pneumonia in immunodeficient patient pneumothorax pulmonary actinomycosis pulmonary alveolar proteinosis pulmonary anthrax pulmonary arteriovenous malformation pulmonary edema pulmonary embolus pulmonary histiocytosis X (eosinophilic granuloma) pulmonary hypertension pulmonary nocardiosis pulmonary tuberculosis pulmonary veno-occlusive disease rheumatoid lung disease This list is not complete. There are other lung diseases and disorders.

Detailed information on lung disorders and diseases, signs of respiratory distress, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis, Pulmonary Emphysema, Acute Bronchitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Occupational Lung Diseases, Pneumonia, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Embolism, Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Tuberculosis

When you have COPD, you’re more likely to develop a lung infection (pneumonia) with a cold or the flu. To stay healthier, avoid contact with germs. Get prompt treatment at the first sign of illness.

I have a spot on my lung that was picked up on a CAT scan of my abdomen. I am a non-smoker. What could this be besides cancer?

What causes lung nodules? Robert Shmerling, M.D., is associate physician and clinical chief of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an associate professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is an active teacher in the Internal Medicine Residency Program, serving as the Robinson Firm Chief. He is also a teacher in the Rheumatology Fellowship Program and has been a practicing rheumatologist for over 25 years.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease encompases both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This report covers treatment, medications, surgeries, and many practical techniques and exercises to improve your quality of life.

The most common mechanism by which the lung is inoculated with pathogenic organisms is through microaspiration of oropharyngeal contents, a process that occurs in otherwise healthy individuals during sleep ( Chapter 82 ). Colonization of the oral pharynx with pathogenic organisms, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae ( Chapter 303 ), can thereby lead to delivery of sufficient quantities of organisms to infect the lung.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung, and can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections. These include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection. Many different organisms can cause it, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Pneumonia can range from mild to severe, even fatal. The severity depends on the type of organism causing pneumonia, as well as your age and underlying health.

Detailed information on pneumonia, including different types, diagnosis, and treatment

Introduction Pneumonia has been recognized as a disease entity since remote times, with definitions of the condition traceable in ancient Greek, Roman, and Arabic writings. Definitive recognition of the etiologic role of microorganisms in pneumonia, and the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae as the most common causative agent was only achieved roughly 120 years ago.

Healthcare-Associated PneumoniaPneumonia is a serious lung infection. It’s caused by germs, such as bacteria and viruses, and by certain types of fungi.

Detailed information on pneumonia, types of pneumonia, diagnoses of pneumonia, pneumonia treatment

The actual incidence of pneumonia in ambulatory patients is difficult to estimate because the etiologic agent is rarely identified except in clinical trials, and CAP is not currently considered a reportable disease. Each year in the United States there are 2 to 3 million cases of CAP.

The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of pneumococcal pneumonia and was adapted by materials published by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the CDC.

While pneumonia is still a serious illness, flu shots and the pneumococcal vaccine may help protect against it, particularly for older people or those at high risk of infection.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections . These include bacteria, amoebae, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

One of the most common pulmonary complications affecting cancer patients, pneumonia is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of one or both lungs. Causes Serious side effects in cancer patients most often occur in the lungs and may indicate that the cancer is progressing or that the patient has developed a new problem.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It results in an inflammatory response within the small air spaces of the lung (alveoli).

Chlamydial pneumonia refers to one of several types of pneumonia that can be caused by various types of the bacteria known as Chlamydia . Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs.

Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lung that impairs breathing. Small air sacs in the lung (alveoli) become filled with pus, mucus or other fluid, and cannot supply oxygen to circulating blood .

Eosinophilic pneumonia is a group of diseases in which there is an above normal number of eosinophils in the lungs and blood. Eosinophilia is an increase in the number of eosinophils.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a common but serious infection and inflammation of the lungs. It is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae .

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs primarily in people with weakened immune systems- especially people who are HIV-positive. The disease agent is an organism whose biological classification is still uncertain.

Those most at risk for pneumonia include the elderly, smokers, and people with chronic lung diseases.

There is growing evidence of a link between gum disease and heart disease and pneumonia. Hospital patients on ventilators seem particularly vulnerable to pneumonia infections.

I understand that there are several different types of pneumonia. Which ones does the vaccine cover?