Dr. Steven W Stites M.D.

Researchers have been trying to figure out why Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients are unable to fight off bacterial infections.Recently, studying pigs have helped scientists understand CF better.Why pigs?Initially, mice were used to evaluate CF, but they did not spontaneously develop CF like humans do....

When an individual has COPD, air is being blocked because of the tightening of the airways due to inflammation (bronchitis), and it is also possible for the patient to experience alveolar over-inflation (emphysema). The latter condition creates a problem to the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide,...

Hospital-acquired pneumonia occurs in patients who have been hospitalized, usually after two to three days of hospital admission. Pneumonia contracted in such a setting is often more severe than a community-acquired pneumonia because the organisms causing it are more aggressive. This means that the...

OrthopneaOrthopnea is a condition that causes breathing difficulties when an individual is lying down. It usually happens at night when the person is going to sleep. People with orthopnea usually experience tightness in the chest and being oxygen-deficit. The shortness of breath is due to lying down...

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that still does not have a cure. The World Health Organization predicts that COPD will become the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. The predominant cause for COPD is tobacco smoking. Most symptoms are irreversible,...

Sue Britton, a 47-year-old woman has cystic fibrosis. In her 20s, she became tired of being known and labeled as the ‘sick girl’, so she left her home to embark on a 7-month journey around the world. The fact that she had cystic fibrosis and needed medication on a daily basis did not stop her....