Respiratory Diseases
respiratory-diseases therapy is needed by patients who have an intermittent or continual need for oxygen, as well as those who simply want to improve the air they breathe. Today more than 30 million Americans are living with chronic lung disease such as asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The lungs supply oxygen to a person’s blood while also removing carbon dioxide from it. COPD obstructs a person’s airways and interferes with their breathing, thereby inhibiting their lung’s ability to perform this function. Shortness of breath and a chronic cough are the most common symptoms (other symptoms include chest tightness, increased mucus production, frequent throat clearing and wheezing when exhaling). However, COPD patients each have different symptoms because they usually manifest more than one of these diseases. Their primary symptoms reflect the disease - chronic bronchitis, emphysema or asthma - that affects them the most.
Asthma See section on asthma.
Chronic Bronchitis is the long-term inflammation and eventual scarring of the lungs. The walls of the bronchial tubes thicken, narrowing the lung’s opening and reducing the amount of air that can enter upon inhaling. The primary symptoms include coughing and increased mucous production, resulting in increased lung congestion and further difficulty in breathing.
Emphysema is the inflammation of the alveoli, which are the small air sacs located on the ends of the numerous tubes called bronchioles in the lungs. When these sacs loose their natural elasticity to expand and deflate for holding and releasing oxygen, then air becomes trapped in the lungs the patient experiences shortness of breath and coughing.
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder that affects over 18 million Americans, most of whom are over 40. The main symptoms are snoring loudly or experiencing long pauses in breathing while sleeping. Often people with sleep apnea stop breathing for up to thirty seconds at a time when they are asleep. They do not experience a deep, REM sleep and are often sleepy and irritable. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type, where something such as tonsils or tongue are physically blocking the windpipe and obstructing the air flow into your body.
respiratory-diseases Treatment
The quality of life for COPD patients is affected over time as the disease progresses. Existing medications work to manage the disease and decrease its symptoms rather than prevent or stop chronic lung disease (no cure exists as of yet). Patients need to nebulize their medications, use supplemental oxygen, and eventually often need mechanical respiratory-diseases assistance to breathe. But by using a combination of oxygen therapy, proper medication, daily activity and a positive attitude, many COPD patients regain their lung function and enjoy a more normal life.
Sleep apnea patients usually are prescribed CPAP or BiPAP machines to help them breathe more easily at night (see product section below).
respiratory-diseases Products
respiratory-diseases Resources
American Lung Association
800-586-4872
www.lungusa.org
U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services
www.nlm.nih.gov