General Health

The overwhelming majority of illnesses in infancy and childhood involve the respiratory (or breathing) system. Adults also have lots of infections here, so it is worth having a general idea of how the system works and what some of the commonly used terms mean. It is quite straightforward.

Basically, we breathe in (inhale) pure air rich in oxygen, and later we breathe out (exhale) air in which the oxygen has been replaced by carbon dioxide, the chief respiratory waste product of the body. Air reaches the lungs, where the oxygen is taken up by the blood, and this is exchanged for … Continue Reading