Emphysema and Its Causes,

Anyone that’s stricken with this disease knows how precious air is to the lungs. Those of us without this disease take breathing for granted but not so with someone that has emphysema. So what happens in the lungs to cause this affliction?

Emphysema is a lung disease where the air sacs in the lungs burst, when this happens the air sacs that remain tries to make up for the ones that are damaged and they become enlarged. Over time you end up with larger remaining air sacs but a lot less of them. As soon as an air sac is enlarged they are not as flexible as healthy ones and the result is that a person can’t release the air from their lungs. This is why most emphysema patients end up on oxygen to force the air into their lungs and out again. Emphysema not only affects the lungs but also the bronchial tubes. To push air out of the bronchial tubes requires force from the lungs. This force sometimes causes the bronchial tubes to collapse giving the person more problems with breathing.

The causes of emphysemia are many but the number one contributor is smoking. The risks get higher the longer a person smokes and the amount of smoking they do. There is microscopic hair like structures on the inside of the airways in the lungs that move in an upward direction. These hair structures are called cilia. They remove any mucus from our lungs as we breathe. Smoking can cause inflammation in the airways which leads to emphysema over time. Smoking will increase more mucus in the lungs and the cilia will find it more difficult to expel it. After time the cilia is destroyed which in turn permanently impairs the airways to get rid of the mucus. Mucus then stats to build up in the lungs and the person finds it very difficult to breathe. This leads to the perfect place for bacteria to strike which leads to respiratory infections.

To combat Emphysema a good diet will help. Do not overdo it with salt. Salt will cause you to retain fluid which also leads to more difficulty in breathing. Caffeine is another culprit in all of this; it can make a person restless and nervous and can interfere with some of the medications you may have to take. Try to avoid foods that are gassy that may cause you to bloat. Try to eat several small nutritional meals a day instead of large meals. When you feel full the lungs have a harder time at working so you can breathe, while you’re eating use your oxygen your body needs it due to the fact that eating expends energy. Try and eat your main meal of the day early it will give you more energy throughout the day. There are ways you can make your life more comfortable and learning about these ways is probably the best thing you can do to help yourself. With this disease you will need all the help you can get and you can do this by being informed.