bowang0911/MedQuAD huggingface dataset:
Taking steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy might prevent your infant from being born before his or her lungs have fully developed. These steps include:
                
Seeing your doctor regularly during your pregnancy
                
Following a healthy diet
                
Avoiding tobacco smoke, alcohol, and illegal drugs
                
Managing any medical conditions you have
                
Preventing infections
                
If you're having a planned cesarean delivery (C-section), your doctor can do tests before delivery to show whether it's likely that your baby's lungs are fully developed. These tests assess the age of the fetus or lung maturity.
                
Your doctor may give you injections of a corticosteroid medicine if he or she thinks you may give birth too early. This medicine can speed up surfactant production and development of the lungs, brain, and kidneys in your baby.
                
Treatment with corticosteroids can reduce your baby's risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). If the baby does develop RDS, it will probably be fairly mild.
                
Corticosteroid treatment also can reduce the chances that your baby will have bleeding in the brain.
Doctors often don't know what causes tetralogy of Fallot and other congenital heart defects.
                
Some conditions or factors that occur during pregnancy may raise your risk of having a child who has tetralogy of Fallot. These conditions and factors include:
                
German measles (rubella) and some other viral illnesses
                
Poor nutrition
                
Alcohol use
                
Age (being older than 40)
                
Diabetes
                
Heredity may play a role in causing tetralogy of Fallot. An adult who has tetralogy of Fallot may be more likely than other people to have a baby with the condition.
                
Children who have certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome, often have congenital heart defects, including tetralogy of Fallot.
                
Researchers continue to search for the causes of tetralogy of Fallot and other congenital heart defects.
Cyanosis is an important sign of tetralogy of Fallot. Cyanosis is a bluish tint to the skin, lips, and fingernails. Low oxygen levels in the blood cause cyanosis.
                
Babies who have unrepaired tetralogy of Fallot sometimes have "tet spells." These spells happen in response to an activity like crying or having a bowel movement.
                
A tet spell occurs when the oxygen level in the blood suddenly drops. This causes the baby to become very blue. The baby also may:
                
Have a hard time breathing
                
Become very tired and limp
                
Not respond to a parent's voice or touch
                
Become very fussy
                
Pass out
                
In years past, when tetralogy of Fallot wasn't treated in infancy, children would get very tired during exercise and could faint. Now, doctors repair tetralogy of Fallot in infancy to prevent these symptoms.
                
Another common sign of tetralogy of Fallot is a heart murmur. A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound that doctors might hear while listening to the heart.
                
The sound occurs because the heart defect causes abnormal blood flow through the heart. However, not all heart murmurs are signs of congenital heart defects. Many healthy children have heart murmurs.
                
Babies who have tetralogy of Fallot may tire easily while feeding. Thus, they may not gain weight or grow as quickly as children who have healthy hearts. Also, normal growth depends on a normal workload for the heart and normal flow of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.
                
Children who have tetralogy of Fallot also may have clubbing. Clubbing is the widening or rounding of the skin or bone around the tips of the fingers.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.
                
SCA usually causes death if it's not treated within minutes.
                
Overview
                
To understand SCA, it helps to understand how the heart works. The heart has an electrical system that controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Problems with the heart's electrical system can cause irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias.
                
There are many types of arrhythmias. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Some arrhythmias can cause the heart to stop pumping blood to the bodythese arrhythmias cause SCA.
                
SCA is not the same as a heart attack. A heart attack occurs if blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked. During a heart attack, the heart usually doesn't suddenly stop beating. SCA, however, may happen after or during recovery from a heart attack.
                
People who have heart disease are at higher risk for SCA. However, SCA can happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors for SCA.
                
Outlook
                
Most people who have SCA die from itoften within minutes. Rapid treatment of SCA with a defibrillator can be lifesaving. A defibrillator is a device that sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore its normal rhythm.
                
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can be used by bystanders to save the lives of people who are having SCA. These portable devices often are found in public places, such as shopping malls, golf courses, businesses, airports, airplanes, casinos, convention centers, hotels, sports venues, and schools.
The risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) increases:
                
With age
                
If you are a man. Men are more likely than women to have SCA.
                
Some studies show that blacksparticularly those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease or certain cardiac findings on tests such as an electrocardiogramhave a higher risk forSCA.
                
Major Risk Factor
                
The major risk factor for SCA is coronary heart disease. Most people who have SCA have some degree of coronary heart disease; however, many people may not know that they have coronary heart disease until SCA occurs. Usually their coronary heart disease is silentthat is, it has no signs or symptoms. Because of this, doctors and nurses have not detected it.
                
Many people who have SCA also have silent, or undiagnosed, heart attacks before sudden cardiac arrest happens. These people have no clear signs of heart attack, and they dont even realize that theyve had one. Read more about coronary heart disease risk factors.
                
Other Risk Factors
                
Other risk factors for SCA include:
                
A personal history of arrhythmias
                
A personal or family history of SCA or inherited disorders that make you prone toarrhythmias
                
Drug or alcohol abuse
                
Heart attack
                
Heart failure
Holes in the heart are simple congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defects. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.
                
The heart has two sides, separated by an inner wall called the septum. With each heartbeat, the right side of the heart receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs. The left side of the heart receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body.
                
The septum prevents mixing of blood between the two sides of the heart. However, some babies are born with holes in the upper or lower septum.
                
A hole in the septum between the heart's two upper chambers is called an atrial septal defect (ASD). A hole in the septum between the heart's two lower chambers is called a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
                
ASDs and VSDs allow blood to pass from the left side of the heart to the right side. Thus, oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood. As a result, some oxygen-rich blood is pumped to the lungs instead of the body.
                
Over the past few decades, the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs and VSDs have greatly improved. Children who have simple congenital heart defects can survive to adulthood. They can live normal, active lives because their heart defects close on their own or have been repaired.
Mothers of children who are born with atrial septal defects (ASDs), ventricular septal defects (VSDs), or other heart defects may think they did something wrong during their pregnancies. However, most of the time, doctors don't know why congenital heart defects occur.
                
Heredity may play a role in some heart defects. For example, a parent who has a congenital heart defect is slightly more likely than other people to have a child who has the problem. Very rarely, more than one child in a family is born with a heart defect.
                
Children who have genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, often have congenital heart defects. Half of all babies who have Down syndrome have congenital heart defects.
                
Smoking during pregnancy also has been linked to several congenital heart defects, including septal defects.
                
Scientists continue to search for the causes of congenital heart defects.
Atrial Septal Defect
                
Many babies who are born with atrial septal defects (ASDs) have no signs or symptoms. However, as they grow, these children may be small for their age. 
                
When signs and symptoms do occur, a heart murmur is the most common. A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during a heartbeat.
                
Often, a heart murmur is the only sign of an ASD. However, not all murmurs are signs of congenital heart defects. Many healthy children have heart murmurs. Doctors can listen to heart murmurs and tell whether they're harmless or signs of heart problems.
                
If a large ASD isn't repaired, the extra blood flow to the right side of the heart can damage the heart and lungs and cause heart failure. This generally doesn't occur until adulthood. Signs and symptoms of heart failure include:
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
Tiring easily during physical activity
                
Shortness of breath
                
A buildup of blood and fluid in the lungs
                
Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck
                
Ventricular Septal Defect
                
Babies born with ventricular septal defects (VSDs) usually have heart murmurs. Murmurs may be the first and only sign of a VSD. Heart murmurs often are present right after birth in many infants. However, the murmurs may not be heard until the babies are 6 to 8 weeks old.
                
Most newborns who have VSDs don't have heart-related symptoms. However, babies who have medium or large VSDs can develop heart failure. Signs and symptoms of heart failure usually occur during the baby's first 2 months of life.
                
The signs and symptoms of heart failure due to VSD are similar to those listed above for ASD, but they occur in infancy.
                
A major sign of heart failure in infancy is poor feeding and growth. VSD signs and symptoms are rare after infancy. This is because the defects either decrease in size on their own or they're repaired.
Congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve:
                
The interior walls of the heart
                
The valves inside the heart
                
The arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or the body
                
Congenital heart defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.
                
There are many types of congenital heart defects. They range from simple defects with no symptoms to complex defects with severe, life-threatening symptoms.
                
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect. They affect 8 out of every 1,000 newborns. Each year, more than 35,000 babies in the United States are born with congenital heart defects.
                
Many of these defects are simple conditions. They need no treatment or are easily fixed. Some babies are born with complex congenital heart defects. These defects require special medical care soon after birth.
                
The diagnosis and treatment of complex heart defects has greatly improved over the past few decades. As a result, almost all children who have complex heart defects survive to adulthood and can live active, productive lives.
                
Most people who have complex heart defects continue to need special heart care throughout their lives. They may need to pay special attention to how their condition affects issues such as health insurance, employment, birth control and pregnancy, and other health issues.
                
In the United States, more than 1 million adults are living with congenital heart defects.
If your child has a congenital heart defect, you may think you did something wrong during your pregnancy to cause the problem. However, doctors often don't know why congenital heart defects occur.
                
Heredity may play a role in some heart defects. For example, a parent who has a congenital heart defect may be more likely than other people to have a child with the defect. Rarely, more than one child in a family is born with a heart defect.
                
Children who have genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, often have congenital heart defects. In fact, half of all babies who have Down syndrome have congenital heart defects.
                
Smoking during pregnancy also has been linked to several congenital heart defects, including septal defects.
                
Researchers continue to search for the causes of congenital heart defects.
Many congenital heart defects cause few or no signs and symptoms. A doctor may not even detect signs of a heart defect during a physical exam.
                
Some heart defects do cause signs and symptoms. They depend on the number, type, and severity of the defects. Severe defects can cause signs and symptoms, usually in newborns. These signs and symptoms may include:
                
Rapid breathing
                
Cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin, lips, and fingernails)
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
Poor blood circulation
                
Congenital heart defects don't cause chest pain or other painful symptoms.
                
Heart defects can cause heart murmurs (extra or unusual sounds heard during a heartbeat). Doctors can hear heart murmurs using a stethoscope. However, not all murmurs are signs of congenital heart defects. Many healthy children have heart murmurs.
                
Normal growth and development depend on a normal workload for the heart and normal flow of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. Babies who have congenital heart defects may have cyanosis and tire easily while feeding. As a result, they may not gain weight or grow as they should.
                
Older children who have congenital heart defects may get tired easily or short of breath during physical activity.
                
Many types of congenital heart defects cause the heart to work harder than it should. With severe defects, this can lead to heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Symptoms of heart failure include:
                
Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
                
Fatigue with physical activity
                
A buildup of blood and fluid in the lungs
                
Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck
Espaol
                
Bronchitis (bron-KI-tis) is a condition in which the bronchial tubes become inflamed. These tubes carry air to your lungs. (For more information about the bronchial tubes and airways, go to the Diseases and Conditions Index How the Lungs Work article.)
                
People who have bronchitis often have a cough that brings up mucus. Mucus is a slimy substance made by the lining of the bronchial tubes. Bronchitis also may cause wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe), chest pain or discomfort, a low fever, and shortness of breath.
                
Bronchitis
                

                
Overview
                
The two main types of bronchitis are acute (short term) and chronic (ongoing).
                
Acute Bronchitis
                
Infections or lung irritants cause acute bronchitis. The same viruses that cause colds and the flu are the most common cause of acute bronchitis. These viruses are spread through the air when people cough. They also are spread through physical contact (for example, on hands that have not been washed).
                
Sometimes bacteria cause acute bronchitis.
                
Acute bronchitis lasts from a few days to 10 days. However, coughing may last for several weeks after the infection is gone.
                
Several factors increase your risk for acute bronchitis. Examples include exposure to tobacco smoke (including secondhand smoke), dust, fumes, vapors, and air pollution. Avoiding these lung irritants as much as possible can help lower your risk for acute bronchitis.
                
Most cases of acute bronchitis go away within a few days. If you think you have acute bronchitis, see your doctor. He or she will want to rule out other, more serious health conditions that require medical care.
                
Chronic Bronchitis
                
Chronic bronchitis is an ongoing, serious condition. It occurs if the lining of the bronchial tubes is constantly irritated and inflamed, causing a long-term cough with mucus. Smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis.
                
Viruses or bacteria can easily infect the irritated bronchial tubes. If this happens, the condition worsens and lasts longer. As a result, people who have chronic bronchitis have periods when symptoms get much worse than usual.
                
Chronic bronchitis is a serious, long-term medical condition. Early diagnosis and treatment, combined with quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke, can improve quality of life. The chance of complete recovery is low for people who have severe chronic bronchitis.
Acute Bronchitis
                
Infections or lung irritants cause acute bronchitis. The same viruses that cause colds and the flu are the most common cause of acute bronchitis. Sometimes bacteria can cause the condition.
                
Certain substances can irritate your lungs and airways and raise your risk for acute bronchitis. For example, inhaling or being exposed to tobacco smoke, dust, fumes, vapors, or air pollution raises your risk for the condition. These lung irritants also can make symptoms worse.
                
Being exposed to a high level of dust or fumes, such as from an explosion or a big fire, also may lead to acute bronchitis.
                
Chronic Bronchitis
                
Repeatedly breathing in fumes that irritate and damage lung and airway tissues causes chronic bronchitis. Smoking is the major cause of the condition.
                
Breathing in air pollution and dust or fumes from the environment or workplace also can lead to chronic bronchitis.
                
People who have chronic bronchitis go through periods when symptoms become much worse than usual. During these times, they also may have acute viral or bacterial bronchitis.
Bronchitis is a very common condition. Millions of cases occur every year.
                
Elderly people, infants, and young children are at higher risk for acute bronchitis than people in other age groups.
                
People of all ages can develop chronic bronchitis, but it occurs more often in people who are older than 45. Also, many adults who develop chronic bronchitis are smokers. Women are more than twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with chronic bronchitis.
                
Smoking and having an existing lung disease greatly increase your risk for bronchitis. Contact with dust, chemical fumes, and vapors from certain jobs also increases your risk for the condition. Examples include jobs in coal mining, textile manufacturing, grain handling, and livestock farming.
                
Air pollution, infections, and allergies can worsen the symptoms of chronic bronchitis, especially if you smoke.
Acute Bronchitis
                
Acute bronchitis caused by an infection usually develops after you already have a cold or the flu. Symptoms of a cold or the flu include sore throat, fatigue (tiredness), fever, body aches, stuffy or runny nose, vomiting, and diarrhea.
                
The main symptom of acute bronchitis is a persistent cough, which may last 10 to 20 days. The cough may produce clear mucus (a slimy substance). If the mucus is yellow or green, you may have a bacterial infection as well. Even after the infection clears up, you may still have a dry cough for days or weeks.
                
Other symptoms of acute bronchitis include wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe), low fever, and chest tightness or pain.
                
If your acute bronchitis is severe, you also may have shortness of breath, especially with physical activity.
                
Chronic Bronchitis
                
The signs and symptoms of chronic bronchitis include coughing, wheezing, and chest discomfort. The coughing may produce large amounts of mucus. This type of cough often is called a smoker's cough.
Your doctor usually will diagnose bronchitis based on your signs and symptoms. He or she may ask questions about your cough, such as how long you've had it, what you're coughing up, and how much you cough.
                
Your doctor also will likely ask:
                
About your medical history
                
Whether you've recently had a cold or the flu
                
Whether you smoke or spend time around others who smoke
                
Whether you've been exposed to dust, fumes, vapors, or air pollution
                
Your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen for wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe) or other abnormal sounds in your lungs. He or she also may:
                
Look at your mucus to see whether you have a bacterial infection
                
Test the oxygen levels in your blood using a sensor attached to your fingertip or toe
                
Recommend a chest x ray, lung function tests, or blood tests