Dr. Christian Walter Stetz M.D.

What is a persistent cough?It can be annoying to have a cough that lasts for more than a couple of weeks. A cough is considered chronic or persistent if it does not go away after four weeks in children and eight weeks in adults. However, most persistent coughs are due to colds, flu, infection, or...

Pneumonia as a disease was once dreaded, since most of the cases would turn out to be fatal. This was many years ago, and with medical advances, times have changed. However, in some severe cases of pneumonia, especially in people with weakened immune systems, the disease can still be fatal. If the...

Medications for cystic fibrosis can help control the mucus in the lungs and keep the lungs’ normal functioning as much as possible. What is Cystic Fibrosis?Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease known to affect the cells that make mucus, digestive fluids, and sweat. Usually, these fluids are thin...

Is bronchitis contagious? In most cases, only acute bronchitis is contagious. Learn more about when bronchitis is contagious, and how to prevent it from spreading.What is bronchitis?Tubes made of glandular goblet cells that direct air into your lungs, also known as bronchi, are located below the...

IntroductionCyanosis is the medical term for a bluish discoloration of the skin, nails, toes, and mucous membranes. It is generally caused by low levels of oxygen in the blood. Normally, blood appears bright red when it is fully oxygenated. However, when blood does not have enough oxygen, it turns...

A new study has shown that asthma treatment may not actually increase the risk of birth defects as generally thought. This is reassuring news for many pregnant women who have asthma and need treatment. There was a very mild increase in the risk of rare birth defects in women who took the medication...