Dr. Carolyn M Kercsmar MD

Croup is a common viral infection among children. It causes inflammation and swelling of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (throat). As a result, a barking cough and noisy breathing often occur. Children under five years old are the most susceptible to the condition.Children who contract croup...

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer are two ends of the same spectrum. Though vastly different in core characteristics, they share many symptoms such as painful wheezing, a persistent cough, and the production of copious mucus. Both these diseases have similar causes and...

The Nature of Cancerous CellsEvery cell in the human body is programmed to carry out a specific role. For example, a red blood cell carries oxygen to tissues, a white blood cell wards off infection, and an intestinal cell absorbs nutrients in the digestive tract. All these cells are programmed to...

Lung Cancer is one of the most common and serious forms of cancers in the world. In fact, it is also one of the leading causes of cancer deaths for both men and women. This form of cancer is known to mainly affect older people, primarily those in their seventies. Smoking has been identified as one...

What is cystic fibrosis?It is a genetic disease that affects both young children and adults. It mainly affects the lungs and the digestive system. When a child inherits two copies of the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis, the child develops the disease.The complications associated with the...

What is a barking cough?The medical term for a barking cough is croup, which is a viral condition that causes swelling of the upper airways of children, especially those who are younger than 5 years old. It is also described as the inflammation of the larynx and the trachea in children.There are a...