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Health Information
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Friday, May 16, 2008
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Environmental
Diseases
from A to Z
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Emphysema
(EM-fuh-ZEE-ma)
Air pollution
and cigarette smoke can break down sensitive tissue in the
lungs. Once this happens, the lungs cannot expand and contract
properly. This condition is called emphysema. About 2 million
Americans have this disease. For these people, each breath
is hard work. Even moderate exercise is difficult. Some
emphysema patients must breath from tanks of oxygen.
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Fertility Problems
Fertility
is the ability to produce children. However, one in eight
couples has a problem. This can occur when a woman can't produce
an egg, or when a man can't produce enough sperm. Infertility
can be caused by infections that come from sexual diseases
or from exposure to chemicals on the job or elsewhere in the
environment. Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS) have shown that too much caffeine
in the diet can temporarily reduce a woman's fertility. NIEHS
scientists have also pinpointed the days when a woman is likely
to be fertile.
Goiter (GOY-ter)
Sometimes
people don’t get enough iodine from the foods they eat. This
can cause a small gland called the thyroid to grow larger.
The thyroid can become so large that it looks like a baseball
sticking out of the front of your neck. This is called goiter.
Since the thyroid controls basic functions like growth and
energy, goiter can produce a wide range of effects. Some goiter
patients are unusually restless and nervous. Others tend to
be sluggish and lethargic. Goiter became rare after public
health officials decided that iodine should be added to salt.
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Heart Disease
More than one
in four Americans suffer from diseases of the heart and
blood vessels. These diseases cause almost half of all
deaths in the United States. While these may be due in
part to poor eating habits and/or lack of exercise, environmental
chemicals also play a role. While most chemicals that
enter the body are broken down into harmless substances
by the liver, some are converted into particles called
free radicals that can react with proteins in the blood
to form fatty deposits called plaques, which can clog
blood vessels. A blockage can cut off the flow of blood
to the heart, causing a heart attack.
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Immune Deficiency
Diseases
The
immune system fights germs, viruses and poisons that attack
the body. It is composed of white blood cells and other warrior
cells. When a foreign particle enters the body, these cells
surround and destroy this "enemy." We have all heard of AIDS
and the harm it does to the immune system. Some chemicals
and drugs can also weaken the immune system by damaging its
specialized cells. When this occurs, the body is more vulnerable
to diseases and infections.
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National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National
Institutes of Health
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