subject: Emphysema: The Smoker's Disease [print this page] Emphysema: The Smoker's Disease Emphysema: The Smoker's Disease
Emphysema from the Greek word "inflation" frequently occurs together with chronic bronchitis, and together these two diseases are called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. In emphysema, the walls of the alveoli in the lung are destroyed and lose elasticity, hindering the outflow of air when a person exhales. With progressive inelasticity of the lungs, the small airways collapse in expiration, making it impossible to fully exhale air. In 2005, 3.8 million people in the United States were diagnosed with this kind of disease. Of those 54.4% were male and 45.6 % were female.
One of the main causes of emphysema is smoking cigarettes due to the inhalation of cigarette tar, and other chemicals. This stimulates the inflammatory cells present in the lungs thereby causing inflammation inside the bronchioles and stimulation of specific enzymes known as proteases that assault and damages the lung tissues. Emphysema can also be triggered by a genetic deficiency of a chemical that guards the lungs against destruction by proteases. Another factor that causes this problem is ageing.
The most common indication of this disease is the persistent chest pain. It is often accompanied by the overall decrease in normal lung function resulting into cough, shortness of breath during normal activity, and wheezing. Chest pain can indicate associated heart condition in response to this disease. This occurs due to the hearts increased activity of supplying oxygen to vital organs. This is often obvious when a chest pain accompanies blood pressure problems and swelling of the ankles, legs, or abdomen. A person suffering this kind of disease will have to take the Pulmonary Function Test in order to determine the four successive stages. The four stages are:
Stage 1- Mild
Stage 2- Moderate
Stage 3- Severe
Stage 4- Terminal
If you are suffering this kind of disease, do not be worried, there are treatment for emphysema that is available online, but you need to consider doing the first step in treating this disease that is to quit smoking to prevent further deterioration of breathing ability. Mild exercise is also recommended to improve breathing. Commonly used medications include bronchodilators and asteroids. Bronchodilators relax the bronchial muscles so the airways are widened and easier to breathe. These medications are taken via hand held inhalers or machine driven nebulizers which create a fine mist that can be inhaled. Steroids called corticosteroids can help reduce inflammation in the lungs. They are often given in a pill form or injection during an acute flare up symptoms. These said medication is said to have many side effects that is why this is not described for long term use.
Hence, many have turned to natural treatment for emphysema using herbal product. Usually the product needs patience but not to an extent beyond normality. The most severe patients use it for no more than three months. Hence, pills for emphysema are packed with 90 pieces per bottle. For normal severity cases it could take two months. Obvious effects are observed within 30 days. The good thing on this natural product for emphysema is that you are guaranteed for 30 days.
