Lung Health

The lungs are the center of the respiratory (breathing) system. Learn about conditions and illnesses affecting the lungs along with treatment options.

Man getting an x-ray
Understanding White Lung Pneumonia: A Diagnostic Finding
Buteyko Breathing Technique photo composite
Buteyko Breathing: A Complementary Technique
Woman with cough at home
Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) Infection and Lung Effects
Mature woman using an inhalation mask at home
How Nebulizer Breathing Treatment Works
Pulse oximeter
Pulse Oximeters Are Less Accurate on Darker Skin—And There's No Good Alternative
Woman doing lung capacity test
How to Increase Lung Capacity Using Breathing Exercises
A swimmer checks their sports training device for VO2 max and other indicators
Understanding and Improving Your VO2 Max Is Key to Optimal Health
What Blood Oxygen Level Tells You
Using Blood Oxygen Level to Assess Breathing Quality
Close-up of tweezers holding a blue Viagra pill with the Viagra package and blister pack in the background
Revatio vs. Viagra: What Is the Difference?
Old man doing lung capacity test
Emphysema vs. COPD: Similarities and Differences
Man doing lung capacity test
Lung Scarring: What to Know
Doctor using stethoscope on older patient's lungs
Everything You Need to Know About Punctured Lung
drug news illo
New Drug Helps Patients With High Blood Pressure of the Lungs Breathe Easier
An image of shrimp, oysters, and mussels on an ice plate
The Best and Worst Foods for Healthy Lungs
Close up image of a healthcare provider holding an oxygen mask to treat a patient
Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD): Everything You Need to Know
A man trail running with his dog in Big Sky.
Lung Detox: How to Cleanse Your Lungs
Woman sitting at a table with her hand on her chest, while a healthcare provider listens to her lungs through a stethoscope
Pulmonary Contusion (Bruised Lung): Causes and Treatments
Young person sitting in coffeeshop
How to Quit and Stay Off Vaping
Coal miner hauling ventilation tube through mine
Pneumoconiosis
Healthcare provider wearing a mask and gloves, looking at a computer screen while the wand of an imaging tool is on the chest of a side-lying patient.
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH): What Happens?
Man holding a cigarette
How to Realistically Quit Smoking: 24+ Steps to Take Right Now
A man laying in bed out of breath
Respiratory Depression: Drug and Nondrug Causes of Symptoms
Woman practicing breathing exercises in her apartment
Breathing Techniques Just About Anyone Can Try
Older woman using oxygen mask at home
How to Manage Progressive Pulmonary Hypertension
Medications for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Medications for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
healthcare provider speaking with patient
Blood Clots in Lungs: Before and After Pulmonary Embolism
person making tea with honey
How to Get Rid of a Wheezing Cough
Image of unrecognizable person holding a smoldering cigarette
10 Things That Happen When You Quit Smoking
person holding chest
When Is Pneumomediastinum (When Air Enters the Chest) Serious?
person out of breath on a bridge
What Is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Healthcare provider wearing a stethoscope listening to the heart and lungs of a patient
Hypoventilation
An illustration showing normal and Kussmaul breathing patterns.
Kussmaul Breathing: Sign of a Medical Emergency
A young woman using a nebulizer inhaler at home.
What Are the Types of Fibrosis?
Man coughing
What Is SARS?
Nurse checking older woman patient's heartbeat
What Is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Woman sitting on couch feeling chest pain and difficulty breathing
What Is a Pleural Effusion?
Man with gray hair and beard at home, having breathing difficulty
What Is Asbestosis?
Person at home on sofa coughing, with tissue
What Causes Thick, Rubbery Mucus?
Woman holding a hand up to her lungs/chest.
Lung Cysts
Man talking to doctor.
Life Expectancy and Recovery After Pulmonary Embolism
a person standing outside, with eyes closed, and focusing on their breathing
Hypoxemia (Low Blood Oxygen)
A person from above with tissues, a mug, and thermometer
What Does Brown Mucus Phlegm Mean?
Female doctor wearing a mask looking at X-ray - stock photo
Can You Live With One Lung?
Lung X-ray for lung cancer
What Causes Black Mucus and Phlegm?
Person with shortness of breath due to cystic lung disease
What Is Cystic Lung Disease?
Person checking their fitness tracker for aerobic capacity measurement
Aerobic Capacity: What to Know
Blood on tissue due to hemoptysis
Coughing Up Blood (Hemoptysis)
Person with shortness of breath due to cystic lung disease
Hyperventilation (Overbreathing)
Close up of doctor wearing surgical gloves, holding oxygen mask over patient in operating theater
What Is Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP)?
Itchy lungs
Why Do My Lungs Itch?
An illustration of a woman looking tired in a chair
Diseases That Mimic Lung Cancer: Symptoms & Diagnosis
A healthcare provider with an x-ray of the chest and two people sitting on the other side of a desk
What Causes Lung Consolidation?
breathing-hands-on-chest-and-belly.jpg
Understanding Diaphragmatic Breathing
Aspergillus
What Is Aspergillosis?
A young Black man wearing an iPhone sleeve with headphones in his ears; he's bent over like he's out of breath.
Types of Lung Disease
A patient and doctor wearing face masks and looking at a chest x-ray on a computer screen
The 7 Most Common Types of Respiratory Disease
Healthy lung vs. smoker's lung
Lung Disease From Smoking
Woman grasping her chest sitting on a couch
What Is Jugular Vein Distention (JVD)?
Doctor examining chest X-ray
Comparing Bronchiectasis, Bronchitis, and Pediatric Bronchiolitis
Senior woman suffering from chest pain in bed
Lung Problems From Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis)