By Dee Braun
Emphysema is a respiratory disease that continues to get worse over time. It makes it hard to breathe and causes an individual to feel as if they are constantly short of breath. The tiny air sacs and airways in the lungs lose their elastic qualities and this in turn makes it hard to completely exhale the air from the body.
Normal lungs work like a balloon and bring in vast amounts of fresh air and then release equal amounts of Co2. When emphysema is present some of this carbon dioxide is left in the lungs and each breath becomes more difficult. As this terrible medical condition becomes worse breathing starts to come at great effort and physical activities take a great amount of energy.
Emphysema usually develops over years and there are treatments that can slow it's progress. Some symptoms that you should be on the lookout for include: consistent shortness of breath, headaches, constant coughing, fatigue, wheezing, difficulty concentrating, tightness in the chest, irritability and a distended chest. If you have one or more of these symptoms then you should see a doctor for testing. You will receive a physical and the doctor will look closely at your medical history. If you are a smoker the doctor will be very interested in this. You might receive tests to check the functioning of your lungs, blood tests, X-rays or a CT-scan.
Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema. The chemicals in cigarettes irritate the airways and alveoli in the lungs and end up causing extensive damage. As the smoke, or other particles, reach the lungs macrophages are released to destroy them. This is good, but the bad part is they also kill off essential proteins that are responsible for keeping the lungs elastic in quality.
Another condition that can cause emphysema is a deficiency of the protein alpha-1-antitrypsin. This proteins main job is to make sure the lungs keep their elasticity. This condition runs in families and is often the cause of emphysema in people who have never smoked.
Herbal medicine can help to support your lungs and often work well with a conventional treatment plan. Matricaria recutita and astralagus can help to lessen the spasms and inflammation. Mag Phos and Nat Sulph can also help to lessen the constriction on your throat and chest. Phlegm is a major problem with emphysema and these can help to reduce it. Using natural remedies regularly can help to strengthen your respiratory system and immune system. Make sure that your doctor is aware you are using a complementary treatment.
Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Cert. Aromatherapist & natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Natural Holistic Health Blog which offers info on more natural home remedies & healing techniques for common health & emotional ailments and conditions at http://www.Natural-Holistic-Health.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Emphysema---The-Smokers-Disease&id=3982825] Emphysema - The Smoker's Disease
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Showing posts with label smoking. Show all posts
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Friday, 14 October 2011
Silent Killer: Emphysema
By Peter Ville
Drowning in air? A paradox? Not really, with lungs filled with large pockets of air, its victims must gasp for life-giving oxygen. This is because waste air is not easily removed from the lungs allowing oxygen-rich air to replace it. More feared by cigarette smokers than lung cancer, Emphysema is yet little understood today. Its is one of the most destructive, yet least publicized lung diseases. This may be due in part to the fact that there have not been any dramatic treatment or prevention breakthroughs in man's fight against emphysema.
Although cigarette smoking plays a key role in most cases of emphysema, Scientist have no idea what actually causes the majority of human cases. It is known, however, that smoking makes the condition much worse and speeds up the lung's destruction.
Once the condition develops, it continues to worsen until there is permanent lung damage. By the time emphysema is detected, considerable damage has already occurred. For reasons not clearly understood, the walls of alveoli. The lung's tiny air sacs, begin to disappear. Several sacs join together forming larger spaces, the alveoli walls lose their flexibility, and air is trapped.
As the damaged progresses, the lungs have greater difficulty in transferring oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide from it. Once established, the disease cannot be reversed. Breathing becomes increasingly difficult and victim's physical strength ebbs away. Death from emphysema has been described as slow drowning. Eventually exchange of air in the lungs becomes impossible and the sufferer suffocates.
There is also a rare inherited form of emphysema. In this form persons usually become
ill at an early age in their 30s or 40s whereas classical emphysema victims are stricken at much older age, sometime in the late 60s or later. In the inherited form of disease, the effects are much more significant because it greatly restricts the victim's life at a time
when he would normally be very active. Because it is irreversible, the outlook for emphysema victims is not good.
Since it is sometimes possible to slow the spread of emphysema, it is important to detect it early, before much damage occurs. The breathing restriction imposed by the disease will likewise be minimized.
Until more about preventing emphysema is understood, everyone should be alert to the symptoms. Primarily excess sputum and shortness of breath. This is not normal and should be reported to your physician and above all, quit smoking or better yet, don't start. [http://cure-smoking.blogspot.com] QUIT SMOKING NOW.COM
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Silent-Killer:-Emphysema&id=348203] Silent Killer: Emphysema
Drowning in air? A paradox? Not really, with lungs filled with large pockets of air, its victims must gasp for life-giving oxygen. This is because waste air is not easily removed from the lungs allowing oxygen-rich air to replace it. More feared by cigarette smokers than lung cancer, Emphysema is yet little understood today. Its is one of the most destructive, yet least publicized lung diseases. This may be due in part to the fact that there have not been any dramatic treatment or prevention breakthroughs in man's fight against emphysema.
Although cigarette smoking plays a key role in most cases of emphysema, Scientist have no idea what actually causes the majority of human cases. It is known, however, that smoking makes the condition much worse and speeds up the lung's destruction.
Once the condition develops, it continues to worsen until there is permanent lung damage. By the time emphysema is detected, considerable damage has already occurred. For reasons not clearly understood, the walls of alveoli. The lung's tiny air sacs, begin to disappear. Several sacs join together forming larger spaces, the alveoli walls lose their flexibility, and air is trapped.
As the damaged progresses, the lungs have greater difficulty in transferring oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide from it. Once established, the disease cannot be reversed. Breathing becomes increasingly difficult and victim's physical strength ebbs away. Death from emphysema has been described as slow drowning. Eventually exchange of air in the lungs becomes impossible and the sufferer suffocates.
There is also a rare inherited form of emphysema. In this form persons usually become
ill at an early age in their 30s or 40s whereas classical emphysema victims are stricken at much older age, sometime in the late 60s or later. In the inherited form of disease, the effects are much more significant because it greatly restricts the victim's life at a time
when he would normally be very active. Because it is irreversible, the outlook for emphysema victims is not good.
Since it is sometimes possible to slow the spread of emphysema, it is important to detect it early, before much damage occurs. The breathing restriction imposed by the disease will likewise be minimized.
Until more about preventing emphysema is understood, everyone should be alert to the symptoms. Primarily excess sputum and shortness of breath. This is not normal and should be reported to your physician and above all, quit smoking or better yet, don't start. [http://cure-smoking.blogspot.com] QUIT SMOKING NOW.COM
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Silent-Killer:-Emphysema&id=348203] Silent Killer: Emphysema
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