How to Prevent Emphysema

Do you struggle to breathe? Do you have asthma? Is your morning breakfast a cigarette? You may have emphysema. Emphysema is caused by damage to some of the 300+ million alveoli (the small, thin air sacs clustered at the ends of the airways inside the lungs) so that they become hardened and unable to squeeze air from the body. Nearly two million Americans suffer emphysema symptoms. This article will educate you on what causes emphysema, how to prevent it and how to treat it. If you have been smoking for a while, you might want to listen up.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Long-term smoking causes the alveoli (the air sacs) to become enlarged and the small blood vessels that supply these air sacs die off. This results in the most common symptoms of emphysema: inflammation, hardening of the lung tissue and difficulty in breathing. Like a balloon that has been blown up and flattened many times, air sacs in people who suffer from emphysema lose their ability to stretch and shrink with breathing. This results in air becoming trapped in the damaged air sacs. As air gets trapped in these tiny sacs, some of them rupture to form one large air space. The trapped air cannot be fully released when the person exhales and breathing then becomes more difficult over time. The first emphysema symptom is not getting enough air. In the early stages of the disease, shortness of breath may be noticeable only during activity. In later stages, a person may struggle for air even when sitting quietly or lying down. Unfortunately, because the disease gradually progresses over the years, you may not experience emphysema symptoms such as shortness of breath until damage has already occured. By that time, most of the damage done can't be reversed.
2. To this date, no cures have been found that can reverse the damage caused by emphysema symptoms. Treatment of emphysema is limited to easing the discomfort and preventing further damage by smoking. People that are in the advanced stages of the disease who need to use oxygen may find that nutritional supplements are very useful for the treatment of emphysema. Prevention is the best treatment of emphysema available. The best way to prevent emphysema is to stay away from cigarette smoke first-hand and second-hand. If you smoke, you are highly encouraged to quit immediately. Keep in mind, you don't have to be an actual smoker to be at risk for emphysema.
3. A healthy diet full of good nutrition is not only important and essential to good overall health. Eat foods that are high in protein to help maintain muscle strength in all muscles including the ones that help you breathe. Minimize salt, especially with advanced emphysema. Drink eight to ten glasses of purified water per day to keep mucus thin and easier to cough up. Drinking water is also crucial to your overall vitality. Increase the intake of sources of carotenoid pigments usually found in carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, and leafy green vegetables. Start a regular exercise program, which can help you build up resistance to lung infections and improve your overall health. Consult with your doctor before starting diet and exercise regimen.

Tips & Warnings

• Smoking is dangerous. If you do it, please quit. if you need help on gradually ceasing your smoking habits, please refer to the Resources for help.