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Damage to the lung’s air sacs—called alveoli—causes ARDS. Fluid from tiny blood vessels leaks through the damaged walls of the air sacs and collects, limiting the lungs’ normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The damage also causes inflammation that leads to the breakdown of surfactant—a liquid that helps keep your air sacs open.

The body’s muscles and nervous system help control your breathing. The lungs are like sponges; they cannot move on their own. Muscles in your chest and abdomen contract, or tighten, to create space in your lungs for air to flow in. The muscles then relax, causing the space in the chest to get smaller and squeeze the air back out. Your breathing usually does not require any thought, because it is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, also called the involuntary nervous system.

Breathing involves two phases: breathing in and breathing out. Your lungs deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from your blood in a process called gas exchange. Gas exchange happens in the capillaries surrounding the alveoli, where the oxygen that is breathed in enters the circulatory system and carbon dioxide in the blood is released to the lungs and then breathed out. If you have problems breathing, gas exchange may be impaired, increasing the risk of serious health problems.

A stress test is usually done in a hospital or doctor’s office. Your doctor will give you instructions to prepare for the test and tell you what to expect during and after the test.

Se desconoce exactamente qué produce el asma, y las causas pueden variar de una persona a otra. A menudo, el asma es el resultado de una fuerte respuesta del sistema inmunológico a un alérgeno en el medioambiente. Por ejemplo, la exposición a un alérgeno en el medioambiente, como la ambrosía, puede hacer que sus vías aéreas reaccionen fuertemente. Es posible que otras personas expuestas al mismo alérgeno no reaccionen en absoluto, o que su respuesta sea diferente. La razón por la que una persona reacciona a una exposición, mientras que otras no lo hacen, no se entiende por completo, aunque se lo puede explicar parcialmente por medio de los genes.

Signs and symptoms of DIC depend on whether the condition is acute or chronic. Acute DIC is more severe and develops quickly over hours or days. Chronic DIC happens more slowly and sometimes has no signs or symptoms. Complications from DIC can occur from both the clotting that happens in the early stages of the condition and from bleeding in the later stages. Serious complications include organ damage and hemorrhage.

The signs, symptoms, and complications of vasculitis vary depending on which type of vasculitis you have, the organs involved, and the severity of the condition. Some people may have few signs and symptoms. Other people may become very sick.

Marfan syndrome is a genetic condition caused by a mutation, or change, in one of your genes, called the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene. The FBN1 gene makes fibrillin-1, which is a protein that forms elastic fibers within connective tissue. Fibrillin-1 also affects levels of another protein that helps control how you grow.

If you have a known family history of Marfan syndrome or physical features of the condition, your doctor may recommend screening to find the condition early. Relatives of people who have Marfan syndrome may also want to have genetic screening. There is no way to prevent Marfan syndrome.

Certain diseases, conditions, or factors can raise your risk for cardiomyopathy. Major risk factors include a family history, preexisting disease or condition, diabetes, diseases that can damage the heart, long-term alcoholism, and long-term high blood pressure.