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The body’s muscles and nervous system help control your breathing. The lungs are like sponges; they cannot move on their own. Muscles in your chest and abdomen contract, or tighten, to create space in your lungs for air to flow in. The muscles then relax, causing the space in the chest to get smaller and squeeze the air back out. Your breathing usually does not require any thought, because it is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, also called the involuntary nervous system.

Long-term exposure to lung irritants—smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, or dusts—that damage the lungs and the airways usually is the cause of COPD. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency can also cause the disease.

Breathing involves two phases: breathing in and breathing out. Your lungs deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from your blood in a process called gas exchange. Gas exchange happens in the capillaries surrounding the alveoli, where the oxygen that is breathed in enters the circulatory system and carbon dioxide in the blood is released to the lungs and then breathed out. If you have problems breathing, gas exchange may be impaired, increasing the risk of serious health problems.

El tratamiento para la anemia por deficiencia de hierro dependerá de las causas y la gravedad. Los tratamientos pueden incluir suplementos de hierro, transfusiones de glóbulos rojos, cambios en su patrón de alimentación o procedimientos como la endoscopia para detener el sangrado.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body.

Las personas que tienen la anemia de células falciformes tienen hemoglobina anormal, llamada hemoglobina S o hemoglobina falciforme, en sus glóbulos rojos. La hemoglobina es una proteína en los glóbulos rojos que transporta el oxígeno por todo el cuerpo. Las personas que tienen la anemia de células falciformes heredan dos genes de hemoglobina anormales, uno de cada padre.

Treatments for peripheral artery disease include lifestyle changes, anti-clotting medicines, statins to control cholesterol, and medicines to treat high blood pressure. When peripheral artery disease is advanced or does not respond to lifestyle changes and medicines, your doctor may recommend surgery or procedures such as bypass grafting, angioplasty and stent placement, and atherectomy.

Risk factors for iron-deficiency anemia include being of certain age groups, some unhealthy environmental factors, family history and genetics, being female, and certain lifestyle habits such as vegetarianism.

If you have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, it is important that you continue treatment plan. Get regular follow-up care to control your condition and prevent complications.

Your doctor may recommend a stent to provide support inside an artery that has become narrowed by plaque buildup from atherosclerosis, or for lung airways that have narrowed due to other medical conditions. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of the procedure with you. Sometimes, a stenting procedure is not recommended or another procedure is recommended instead. Learn more about the use of stents in the following conditions.