Emphysema:
Does it Have to Be A Burden Forever?
Emphysema is a serious chronic
lung disease of the category COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease.
Unlike bronchitis or asthma, emphysema can develop silently over
many years. Classic symptoms like shortness of breath do not appear
until irreparable lung damage has occurred. More than 11 million
Americans are known sufferers from COPD-class lung diseases, but
there are millions more unknowingly in the early stages of emphysema.
- Emphysema affects two parts of the
respiratory system:
- The alveoli – the final branches
into the lungs from the respiratory system which control the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. A thin gas-blood barrier
between the alveolar space and the pulmonary capillaries allows
for rapid gas exchange. To reach the blood, oxygen diffuses
through the alveolar epithelium, a thin space, and the capillary
endothelium; CO2 passes through in reverse order.
- The ends of the smallest bronchi –
airways inside the lungs. Damage to these air sacs can result
in permanent damage to lower lung tissue.
In emphysema, the lungs lose their elasticity.
These two areas of the lungs become enlarged and less efficient
at delivering oxygen to the blood. This causes difficulty breathing;
in fact emphysema takes 20% more of a person’s energy. The
shortness of breath from too little oxygen is the reason these
sufferers must tote oxygen tanks and wear nasal tubes.
Other symptoms are fatigue, a chronic cough with or without phlegm,
and loss of appetite due to the effort it takes to breathe while
eating.
- What causes Emphysema?
The greatest risk factor for emphysema, hands down,
is smoking. Most smokers will first develop symptoms
when they are in their 50’s and 60’s. Other risks
are:
- Long term exposure to second hand smoke
- Working with chemical fumes
- HIV-positive smokers are at higher risk
for emphysema
- Tissue disorders – premature aging
diseases and organ diseases
- Heredity – A rare inherited deficiency
of a protein, alpha-1-antitrypsin, can cause emphysema,
usually before age 50.
- Easing Emphysema – Lifestyle
and Treatment
- Keep exercising,
as hard as it may seem! Becoming sedentary is one of the worst
things you can do. It may be hard at first, but breathing
will become easier if you are physically working your muscles.
Many emphysema medications tend to make people gain weight.
Stay active.
- Consider complementary
medicine. Currently, there is no prescription
medicine with permanent effectiveness in stopping the decline
of health associated with emphysema. But there IS natural
and homeopathic help! VÄXA Lung
Formula can help stop further damage by aiding the body
in:
- easing the cough
- relaxing bronchial muscles
- controlling the amount and consistency
of phlegm
- lessening lung congestions
Lung Formula can be taken 2 hours
apart from prescription medication without interfering with
each other.
- Balanced diet and antioxidant
vitamins can help. First, eat well even if you
don’t feel like it. Next, antioxidants chase away “free
radicals” – harmful atom particles which cling
to our cells and cause damage. VÄXA Anti-Oxin+
contains these powerful protective agents. Dark green vegetables,
and sweet potatoes which are very healthy and easy to digest,
also contain great antioxidants.
- Get vaccines for pneumonia
and influenza. The American Lung Association
highly advises this, as sufferers from emphysema are very
likely to contract contagious influenza or to develop pneumonia.
VÄXA also offers a Flu
Support Pac to provide nutritional support for the Immune
System. It is especially geared to people with lowered Immune
Systems from other bacterial and viral ailments like respiratory
illnesses.
- Keep clean. Wash
hands often and avoid hand contact whenever possible. This
is how most viral infections are passed.
- Stop smoking.
It is never too late to prevent even more damage.
- If you live with a smoker, show them this
article and ask them to smoke outside the home for your safety
as well as theirs.
Emphysema can be life-threatening. Very
severe cases may warrant lung transplant under the right circumstances.
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