Breathe Happy

For the more than 12 million people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD it is poorly understood. It is several ailments that are characterized by airflow obstructions which includes emphysema, chronic asthmatic bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. Many who have COPD don't even know it.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute(NHLBI) these respitory diseases are the fourth leading cause of death after heart disease, cancer and strokes. COPD symptoms are very much like viral respiratory illnesses but if wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing that produces mucus are being suffered by you seeing your doctor is very important for early treatment is key in managing COPD effectively.

Unfortunately there is no cure for COPD but there are medications that will dilate airways and reduce inflammation and exercises to lessen symptoms and strenghthen the lungs.

More women are smoking now days and more women are being found to have the disease. They decline faster than men. And women that smoke the same amount as men are more likely to have greater loss in lung function. This is probably because women's lungs are usually smaller than men's.

Usually COPD is more common in seniors but if they smoke people younger than 65 can develope the disease. A person who started smoking in their teens can develope shortness of breath and wheezing in their 30's or 40's. There may be the early signs of bronchitis or emphazema in the lungs even before the signs of COPD become apparent. For common cancers and heart disease death rates are actually going down but the rates for COPD sufferers are going up. With proper medications and treatments people with COPD can do pretty well but others can develope heart disease and death from respiratory failure. COPD is now the leading cause of death in the U.S.

The life expectancy of a COPD patient can improve drastically if they give up smoking, change their lifestyle, take up a healthy diet, take medication and get on a exercise program. There is less strain on the lungs if the patient also loses some weight. If the patient stops smoking they will prevent more damage to the lungs and they start breathing better.

Ninety percent of COPD patients are smokers. Quitting will make a difference even if the patient has smoked for many years. COPD patients don't all have to use oxygen 24/7. Some with less severe cases only need the oxygen when they are exercizing or sleeping. Taking a spirometry test for lung function can determine if oxygen is needed or not. Those with less than 90% oxygen saturation in their lungs will need supplemental oxygen. Breathing may sap the strength of a COPD patient and they may lose muscle mass and can even become emaciated so they need more daily calories. A healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. This may also prevent malnutrition.

It is a good idea for the COPD patient to talk to their doctor about an exercise program tailored to their particular needs. Low impact exercise such as aerobic conditioning, light weight lifting, tread mill, stationary bikes, walking and swimming will help to strengthen the muscles in the lungs. They will want to build up endurance working slowly and sustain what they are able to do. When exercising outdoors they don't want the air to be too dry, too cold or too wet.

According to a 2009 study of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention those who practice deep breathing, power breathing, slow abdominal breathing experience less shortness of breath and increased oxygen absorption.It is recommended that COPD patients get a yearly flu shot, vaccine for pneumococcal infections and booster for pertussis (whooping cough).

Nicotine is popularly known as the addictive compound contained in cigarettes and that's how the market for Nicotine patches and Nicotine gum developed. So, yes, NICOTINE is popularly known but not popularly understood from a scientific perspective, nor from the latest anthropological finding; so let the scholarly adventure begin:

I have been pondering for several weeks about this substance called nicotine: What is it? Where does it come from? How long has it been around? And finally, How harmful  is it really?

As most good researchers probably assume, the answers have been coming to me in a sychronistic manner. Today's research is intended to be part 1 of a trilogy.

 First, a Merriam webster definition of the popular word Nicotine: a poisonous alkaloid C10H14N2 that is the chief active principle of tobacco and is used as an insecticide.

So never mind that it is addictive, (which does not seem to phase most smokers anyway). What did I just  read?  POISONOUS. And was that INSECTICIDE? The medical definition also stresses the poisonous nature of nicotine, and the fact that it is used as an insecticide. Those two words alone should steer away any smoker who has an ounce of common sense.

  All environmentalists and nature conservationists remember the admirable work of Rachel Carson published as Silent Spring in 1962. Thanks to her relentless efforts, the deadly effects of  insecticides on plants, waterways and humans were documented, and now many  insecticides such as DDT have been outlawed and some others are being carefully regulated. So what's the link? Well,  if DDT is harmful to animals, water, plants and humans, why would anyone want to expose himself to the insecticide-in-disguise called NICOTINE. The American Chemical Society explains this very well,

"Chemicals that don't outright kill, can accumulate in fat tissues causing medical problems." In addition to: "Chemicals can be transferred generationally from mothers to their young".

 So even if you don't feel sick, you may be still carrying some serious dormant medical problems from just waiting on your stubbornness to quit doing it's ravaging job on your health. After all, why would anyone want to play Russian Roulette and  find out about that one fateful cigarette that ignited it all, after all the times that nothing happened. It could be your fatal bullet.

Experts say that even people with COPD still need to keep moving. The balloon-like sacs in the lungs have lost their elasticity, leaving the patient wheezing, coughing and gasping for breath. So gardening or pushing a cart at the grocery store can be difficult. And though there is no cure for the disease, there are things such as inhaled medication that can make the patient more comfortable. There is one other thing that will ease the ongoing breathing problem, and that is exercise. Many patients feel that since it is difficult to breathe, being inactive is normal for them but this is not the case. There are activities such as walking, riding a stationary bike, swimming, or other forms of aerobic activity that let the patient be active without causing breathing problems.

This can improve quality of life because it strengthens the lungs and makes every day of life more enjoyable. The lungs need to exercise, so that they will fill with air properly and remain elastic. By getting in the habit of exercising, the patient can reduce any feeling of anxiety or fear that they may be feeling. This can help a person with COPD feel more independent, have an improved quality of life, and a better sense of well-being.

Walking is a great way to build endurance, and help body's ability to use oxygen without placing a great deal of pressure on the joints. Walking will also help to strengthen and recondition the muscles. The diaphragm, which is a muscle, needs to have a work out as well, and resistance training for the uppper body is a good way to do this. But walking is a good start. It might be a good idea to keep a walking journal to keep track of your progress. The goal you want to reach is 10,000 steps per day. A pedometer may be of aid here. Being consistent is most important. Try to add more steps each day. Adding some aerobic exercises at some point is a good way to strengthen the upper body and the diaphragm.

As we all know, smoking is a most unattractive habit. It makes people less attractive in many ways, including the smell. Not to mention, the drying-out and premature wrinkling of the skin, and bad breath. Smokers often have ash on their clothes.  In addition to all that, one of the unpleasant outward tell-tale signs of smoking is the yellow/brown nicotine stains on hands and nails. Although in actual fact they are caused not from the nicotine (which is a clear substance) but from the tar in cigarettes, it is a residue from this sticky brown chemical. Apparently tar is one of the chemicals in cigarettes which is the most dangerous to health. It is certainly not a pretty sight, is it?

Yellow or brownish fingers are not just cosmetically unsightly, but they may also indicate a fungal infection. Smokers are far more likely to get these types of infections, as smoking affects the circulation to the extremities, like fingers and toes. Even worse than that, yellowed fingers can also be an indicator of lung disease, which is known medically as "yellow nail syndrome." This can arise as a result of a genetic disorder, or due to the lungs being adversely affected by smoking.

In my previous life as a smoker, I never got stains on my fingers as I never smoked that heavily. But I have known quite a lot of people with that those tell-tale yellow marks. They are hard to remove, but people say you can get them off by scrubbing with salt and lemon juice (or better still, giving up smoking!)

There is also another way to remove these stains, and it will probably gross you out, so brace yourselves! A friend told me about this the other day (and I confirmed it by doing an Internet search). My friend said her Dad used to be a heavy smoker. He also used to make nice apple pies, and said once:

 "Making pastry is great for getting the nicotine stains off my fingers!"

 Ewwww! I wouldn't have wanted to eat any of his apple pies! This is what I also found out via the Internet. Someone else said that making bread is a good way of removing these stains. It really makes me wish that all bakers and chefs were non-smokers!

Hope you got something from this blog, and I appreciate your votes and comments.

Picture courtesy of www.puff.com