Lung Disease: What Is It and how Can You Prevent It

Did you know about 35 million Americans are suffering from one kind of lung disease or the other? Did you know that lung infections are believed to be one of the most important causes for infant mortality in America? Probably you also did not know that diseases related to lung claim one in seven lives every year. Well, it is an alarming statistics, isn’t it? But what does a lung disease mean? Precisely, Lung disease refers to any kind of disorder in which the functions of respiratory system get affected and impaired and this impairment manifest in several ways, such as, troubled breathing, nagging cough, short of breath, pain or uneasiness in the chest, inability of taking up physical labor and likes.

The medical science divides all kinds of lung diseases into two broad categories: Obstructive lung diseases and Restrictive lung diseases.

In obstructive lung diseases, the airways get narrowed or blocked and the result is a decrease in exhaled air flow. The disorders like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma, and bronchiectasis are cause by such obstructions of lungs.

Image source: dedeep.com

Restrictive Lung Diseases result into either loss of lung tissue or decrease in the lung’s ability to expand. It may also decrease lung’s ability to transfer oxygen or carbon dioxide into the bloodstream. The killer disease of lung cancer is a kind of restrictive lung disease. Pulmonary fibrosis and pneumonia are also caused by the same lung disorder.

Probably lung cancer is the most common form of ling diseases that the people are more familiar with. Another commonly found diseases among Americans–asthma– is also a kind of lung disorder. Tuberculosis is also the result of bad lungs. Then you might have heard of such diseases like Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema or Mesothelioma…they all are the manifestation of some kind of lung disorders.

Are you a heavy smoker? Well, you run the maximum risk of developing lung disease. What did you tell, you don’t smoke? Well this is not adequate; you have to stay clear of the smokers, for it is the passive smokers who are at higher risk than the smokers themselves to develop some kind of lung disease, even cancer. Make it a point to request a smoker to enjoy his cigarette in a secluded place so that the others are not forced to inhale second hand smoke.

Then if you work in mines or somehow exposed to radon gas, you run the risk of developing a bad lungs. In the USA, radon is sometimes found in the households also and so it is important for everybody to invest in a kit for measuring the concentration of radon at your home and take the steps accordingly.

If you are working in the sectors which use asbestos, you are required by the Federal Law to use protective gears including a face mask. The same is necessary if you are constantly exposed to dust or harmful chemical fumes, for these also considerably damage your lungs in the long run.

Last of all, the medical authorities always recommend a healthy diet for preventing lung cancer. A diet consisting lots of anti- oxidant rich fresh fruits and vegetables, considerably reduces the risks of cancer. Also go for regular Spirometry testing to make sure that your precious lungs are in perfect shape.

Writer : Barney Garcia
Source : Ezinearticles.com

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Title: Lung Disease: What Is It and how Can You Prevent It
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Related Post Lung Diseases :

The effect of smoking on loss of lung function over time

Today’s column is dedicated to smokers. I just saw a patient that I have been seeing for the past 5 years. As my responsibility requires, I pointed out again, as I have at each visit, that her increasing symptoms, her declining lung function, and her increasing medication use are all the direct result of her smoking. Her health becomes increasingly and irreversibly affected. Her response was angrily to ask me why couldn’t I give her better and less expensive medications to reduce her symptoms.

To the left is a very famous study of the effects of lung function with increasing age in groups of people who did or did not smoke. Every medical student had to memorize this chart, because we were tested on it. Even non-smokers have a mild decline in lung function over time, because their lungs are getting older. Regular smokers have a much accelerated rate of loss of lung function, resulting in a much higher chance of symptoms, disability and finally death at an early age. Interestingly, if smokers stop, the rate of decline decreases to that of the non-smokers. That’s good news. The bad news is that lung function that is lost remains lost. The comment above is also stunning and true in my practice.

Conclusions: stop smoking or using tobacco products ASAP. Try not even get exposed to second-hand smoke from any tobacco products. These are inflammatory comments, especially since I’m writing this from South Carolina, whose economy is in part dependent on growing tobacco. But it’s the truth.

Soon smokers at least employed by the state of South Carolina will be paying higher premiums. It’s their choice.

If you have questions about smoking and accelerated loss of lung function, ask your doctor.

Good Foods for Lung Health

A part of a home remedy to detox lungs is a change of diet to incorporate a few extra foodstuffs that have been proven to really help in fighting tar and mucus along with invigorating your health all over!

Here is a quick list of what should be in your shopping basket if you are worried about the state of your lungs.

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  Water – While you don’t need to by water having a water purifier dose help. Drinking lots of water helps hydrate yourself and the body will flush out old stale fluids with toxins in it for newer fresher water.


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  Garlic – Also onions and Ginger are very good for lung health and detoxification


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  Rosemary – Helps open up the bronchial tubes and is good for clearing mucus


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  Alkaline Foods – Keeping your body slightly in the Alkaline side of PH neutral has been found to deliver many health benefits which boost your immune system. Click here to find out more on this.
  


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  Green Tea - Green tea is full of antioxidants which should be included in any sort of detox

Thre are also some things you want to stay away from:

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  Dairy foods – Milk, cheese, cream and so on cause mucus which is not good for your lung health and breathing.


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  Corn Wheat & Soy – Can all cause mucus as well and should be eaten in moderation


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  Processed food – The additives in these foods are not healthy and can cause mucus building that drains fluid and toxins into the lungs.

For more on how to clean out your lungs click below.

Lung Detoxification Program

Baker"s Lung Occupational Asthma: In other words My Story

I am one of six New Zealand Adults who live with Asthma.
However my story is not like the norm!

My name is Lisa Taylor.
In 2009 I moved from Taranaki to Wellington to study at Victoria University. I was nearly 21 and had decided to uproot my entire life; To live in the Capital city of New Zealand. A place where I knew no one.
After I’d met some amazing flatmates who are now my best friends, and I had been living in Wellington a few weeks. I’d learned my way around the university campus and been going to classes where I met more friends.

I decided I needed to supplement my income with a part time job. So I searched around. One day I was in the local mall and saw a bakery position. I applied and naturally got the job.

After a period of around 18 months I found I’d become quite sick, all of a sudden over a period of around 6 months,  I had developed allergies, a constant cough (worse at night) and sort of wheezy breathing. I didn’t know what was wrong. I’d also moved house and I was still studying and working at the bakery. It got so bad that I was seeing my doctor nearly every second or third week (luckily for me it’s free when you’re a student).

It was suggested to me to try to change a few things in my diet – one doctor thought it may have been a food allergy symptom. So I went Dairy Free for over 9 months, no changes. I went semi-vegetarian as well. I eliminated 95% of the dairy I was consuming. (I allowed myself yoghurt and even that was very occasional).
I also did a food/body awareness course through the university health clinic. This taught me that I was “dieting” all wrong, eliminating the wrong things for my body and it wasn’t making any effect on my health/ allergy symptoms or cold house. This lasted for months. Months and months of sneezing, coughing, allergies… This became a daily battle with anti-histamines. Yes, I was treating what I now know to be daily asthma attacks with an anti-histamine. This is because I don’t have “normal” Asthma!

One day my usual doctor was away so I saw someone else. They noticed my breathing wasn’t normal. It sounded wheezy and I had a cough. They listened to my chest. They asked if I had Asthma? When I said no, they looked confused. The doctor gave me some medicine and it made my chest relax and my breathing improved. I coughed less often. I continued with the medication. I was sent to get an allergy test done. (Skin prick test). The tests came back negative.
After a year of getting the allergy symptoms, the night time cough, the chesty weird wheezy breath I finally had an answer: I could have Asthma.
I was given Pulmicort to take 2 x per day (morning and night). It is a preventer. http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/p/pulmicort.pdf
I was given Ventolin to take if I had another Asthma attack. It is a bronco-dilator (it opens the airways).
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/v/VentolinCFC-freeinh.pdf

I had a bad Asthma attack when I was running late to a doctors appointment. (Luckily I was going there and not somewhere else!) I took my Ventolin as I’d been told to do. My doctor noticed I was very, very flushed (bright red face) and asked if I always look that red? I do have a skin condition/allergy on my face which means I flush easily – so I often look red. Never *this* red though! She realised I was having an allergic reaction to the Ventolin. The Ventolin had calmed my lungs and breathing (as it is supposed to), but instead it gave me another problem: Acute Sinus Tachycardia. In other words a very, very, very fast heartbeat.
With my heart racing out of control I was put onto a bed and an ECG machine was hooked up to me. Wires crossed my chest, legs and arms. I stayed lying there for hours. Three ECG’s later, I was sent to the hospital. They inserted an IV line into my arm which left me in pain and bruised. (Curse thee tiny veins).

8 hours after I’d gone into the doctors with the initial Asthma attack I was finally allowed to leave the hospital.

A few weeks later I saw a respiratory specialist at the hospital. for my follow up They ran all sorts of tests. They tested my lung function, my ability to ‘blow’ into a machine. They re-tested my allergies, another SPT. Again negative for any allergies. My lung function is Normal for my height/size. I don’t have anything wrong with my lungs. The only problem they found was that inhaled Flour Particles cause an Asthma type attack to occur. As such I have been formally diagnosed with Baker’s Lung. (A form of Occupational Asthma).

When I was at the specialist, he also changed my medication, so I would be off Ventolin and onto something else: A green inhaler called Atrovent. http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/a/AtroventInhaler.pdf
Although – they left the Ventolin with me as well – if the Atrovent fails I take the Ventolin and go to hospital regardless. I also was told to leave the Bakery job immediately. I have been away from the bakery for over 2 years now, symptom free for months.

Although it seems like I have had a lot of turmoil and uprooting, my life (and Asthma) is better controlled and well balanced now. I live in a newer apartment, I’m warm and dry. I haven’t had an Asthma attack in months.
My skin condition is still a daily challenge, but some days are better than others.