5 Steps to Better Breathing With Emphysema
Breathing with lung disease emphysema
Emphysema is one a type of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder. “Think of COPD as a spectrum of disease, with chronic bronchitis on one end and emphysema on the other. COPD-related disease is most frequently caused by smoking cigarettes and first starts to manifest symptoms usually by the mid-fifties in continuous smokers.”- Dr. Jeffrey Michaelson, MD, a pulmonologist with Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. While there is no cure for Emphysema there are many steps you can take to improve your overall health, well-being, and breathing.
- Quit Smoking
Though this is the most obvious step it can also be the hardest, but it is hands down the best thing your can do to prevent your Emphysema from becoming worse. “Stopping smoking reduces the inflammation and lung damage that leads to worsening of COPD and emphysema,” says Michael S. Nolledo, MD, an attending pulmonologist at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, N.J.
- Improve your Diet and Exercise
Your diet is particularly important. You should increase your lean protein intake and eats lots of fish and berries. The fatty omega 3 and omega 6 acids found in fish are extremely beneficial for the lungs. You should also increase your intake of leafy greens that are high in vitamin A and vitamin K. Getting more exercise can often seem daunting if you’re struggling with Emphysema as one of the side effects for many is chronic fatigue. However, if you start slow you can increase the intensity as your endurance and stamina improves. Exercise releases endorphins that can actually give you more energy and also releases serotonin that will leave you feeling great. Start with something simple like a brisk 15 minute walk. You can slowly increase the duration and intensity as you build your endurance. If walking is a breeze try a more intense cardio work out like jogging, swimming, biking, or a group exercise program. Even yoga can is a great exercise.
- Purify Your Living Space
Keep your living space clean, dust free, and smoke free to avoid additional lung irritants. Additionally, you can get an air purifier to keep allergens and dust particles out of the air your breath. Natural methods like Himalayan salt lamps, and bamboo charcoal may also be effective air to keep the air in your home pure.
- Practice Breathing Exercises
In addition to physical exercises breathing exercises specifically target your respiratory muscles and have you focus on the alignment of your posture to help you breath properly throughout the day. Many of us develop the bad habit of curving our spines which causes us to breathe from our chest which leads to shallower breathing and shortness of breath. Yogic breathing exercises tend to focus on posture and alignment training your body to breathe properly. Breathing exercises like Expand-A-Lung focus on strengthening your respiratory muscles and increasing your lung capacity. Increasing your lung capacity is particularly important for people who suffer from Emphysema as both their lung function, and lung capacity is compromised. Improving your lung capacity is key to breathing more effortlessly.
- Start Emphysema Treatment With Your Doctor
Your doctor should be your primary resource for how you should manage and treat your Emphysema. “It is important to seek treatment once diagnosed since COPD is a progressive disease. It can lead to frequent hospital admissions, poor quality of life, the need for supplemental oxygen, or a ventilatory assist device worn at night to help maintain effective breathing while asleep. Treatment — especially quitting smoking — along with using inhalers, helps lessen symptoms, delays disease progression, and enables patients to maintain an active lifestyle.”- Dr. Jeffrey Michaelson, MD
