Top Health Tips on Treating a Collapsed Lung

Pulmonary Fibrosis : Symptoms ad Causes

One of the essential chemical processes within the human body is that of the oxygenation of the blood. This needs to be done to carry oxygen to the various vital organs and also continue with many of the essential functions within the body.

The lungs are responsible for transferring oxygen throughout the body, and the malfunctioning of lungs may cause many issues with the normal functioning of the processes. A common ailment that affects the lungs is pulmonary fibrosis, also known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or scarring of the lungs.

What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Pulmonary fibrosis is the scarring of the tissues inside the lungs of a patient. This scarring results in the development of excess tissue, which causes the walls of the lungs to thicken, giving rise to breathing difficulties.

Some of the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are-

Shortness of breath
Pain in joint and muscles
Continuous dry coughing
Inability to exert or take even the slightest bit of physical strain
Lack of appetite which results in unintentional weight loss
The rounding of finger and toe tips, which is known as clubbing
Pulmonary fibrosis has various stages and thus, it is important to detect it early or else it can put stresses on other vital organs.

Some of the causes for it are mentioned below:

Smoking - Cigarettes, cigars, and beedi are a leading cause of pulmonary fibrosis as they directly affect the lungs by depositing harmful chemicals and thus, cause scarring.
Environmental or occupational hazards - People working in a heavy glass or dust particulate environment such as in heavy industrial factories are also susceptible as they breathe in the particles, which may cause scarring.
Medicinal triggers - Certain medications can be a trigger due to hormonal or other physical changes and as a side effect may cause scarring of the lungs.
Genetic factors - Certain people are genetically predisposed to this condition if multiple members within the family have it as well.
Acid reflux diseases - Certain acid reflux problems may also cause scarring when drops of stomach acids enter the lung through the esophageal tract.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder. In asthma, the airways of the lungs get inflamed. Due to this inflammation, there is swelling inside the airways. This also causes excess production of mucous. The combined effect of swelling and mucus production is that the passage of air gets obstructed. This makes breathing difficult. A whistling sound or wheezing is often heard in such patients. Often the patient gets cough due to this obstruction of the airways. This cough is a reflex of the body to get rid of the excess mucous in the airways. A sense of tightness or heaviness is felt in the chest. One cannot expand the chest fully while inhaling. This is a medical condition characterized by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea.

Signs And Symptoms

Recurrent episode of paroxysmal dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing).
The breathing is laboured, with a wheezing sound, mainly on expiration.
Asthma attacks often occur in the early hours of morning (when there is no immediate precipitating cause). During the attack patients often prefers to sit then lie down.
Homeopathy for Asthma-

When it comes to the treatment of Asthma, Homeopathy is much better at treating asthma. It is in stark contrast to allopathy, where inhalers and steroids are used to suppress inflammation. Homeopathic medicines do not aim at just reducing inflammation. They also intend to cure the basic cause of the recurrent inflammation. This way, not only the symptoms of asthma are treated but the incidence of asthmatic attacks is completely eliminated. With a couple of months of Homeopathic treatment, you will be able to live a disease-free and medicine-free life. It is worthwhile to mention here that all Homeopathic remedies are natural and do not contain any chemicals. That is why these purely natural homeopathic remedies do not have any side effects at all. Here is a list of the top homeopathic medicines for asthma, along with the symptoms when they are used-

Ipecac: Ipecac is used in treating asthma, where the patient experiences symptoms like heaviness and tension around the chest area. Sudden wheezing, suffocation is experienced followed by other symptoms like motions, vomiting and gagging. Cough remains constant, and the chest gets filled up with phlegm. Cold and perspiration is also likely to be experienced. A patient may feel as if a lump is present in the chest. Increased salivation is also indicated.

Arsenicum: Arsenicum is an efficient homeopathic medicine, which treats asthma attacks, which take place after midnight. The patient is anxious, restless, and cannot sleep because of the fear of being suffocated. In such cases, the patient dozes off a bit, and wakes up with great burning sensation and sore feeling in the chest. Arsenicum is prescribed during chronic stages of asthma, usually in elderly people.

Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica is used when asthma attacks occur due to gastric disorders and during simple spasmodic asthmas. People who consume an excess of caffeine or alcohol are more likely to experience such attacks. A constricting feeling in the lower chest region may be experienced. These attacks commonly occur during the morning.

Kali Bichromicum: This homeopathic medicine is used is asthmatic patients where the asthma attacks occur because of potashes. The attacks generally occur between three to four a.m. in the morning. The patient gets compelled to rise from sleep and sit up in order to breathe. A stringy yellow mucus may be produced, and the patient feels a lack of air in his chest.

Natrum Sulphuricum: This is another effective medicine for treating asthma. The symptoms of asthma treated with this medicine get worse in damp weather. Most asthma attacks occur with a rattling sensation being felt in the chest. Bowel movement may become loose after this type of asthma attack. Alcohol and aerated drinks make the symptoms even worse. Such attacks are common in the morning with the production of a green mucus.

Homeopathy has no side effects and treats the underlying cause of asthma. You should consult a homeopathic practitioner before starting homeopathic treatment for asthma.

It is the first vaccine that the doctor will ask your child to get if he/she gets wound. Tetanus is a rare but severe condition which occurs when bacteria enter into an open wound. It can turn fatal if left untreated, so you need to follow the vaccination schedule in order to control the infection. Indulging in substance abuse (especially the ones that require injecting with syringes) increases the risk of tetanus.

Causes
This disorder is caused by the bacteria called Clostridium tetani . The bacterium is known to survive for an extended period outside the body, and is found in places such as soil and the manure of cows and horses. The bacteria enter the body through a wound, multiply rapidly and then release a toxin. This toxin causes muscle spasms and stiffness, thus affecting your nerves. The bacteria can enter the body through cuts, burns, animal bites, body piercings and eye injuries. However, this disorder is not contagious.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this disease can take 5-20 days to develop fully in the body. Your child may experience symptoms such as a rise in the body temperature, sweating, rapid heartbeats, muscle spasms and stiffening of the jaw muscles. These symptoms will worsen if left untreated, eventually leading to cardiac arrest or suffocation in some cases.

Treatment
If your child has a wound, the first step is to administer an injection of tetanus immunoglobulin. Tetanus immunoglobulin contains antibodies that effectively kill the tetanus bacteria. In case the symptoms start, then the child might need to be admitted to a hospital. Here, antibiotics and muscle relaxants are administered and breathing support may also be provided if required.

The preventive measure of this disorder is to be vaccinated against the tetanus bacteria. The vaccine consists of five injections that are administered in a specific order. Once the entire course has been completed, it usually provides lifelong protection against the tetanus bacteria.

Pleural effusion, in medical terms, is a condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of fluids in the pleural space. The pleural space is essentially the region between the tissues that form the lining of the lungs and the chest cavity. The fluid that builds up in the pleural space may either be protein-rich (Exudative Pleural Effusions) or watery (Transudative Pleural Effusions) in nature, thus helping doctors ascertain the cause of the pleural effusion.

Exudative Pleural Effusions are often found to be triggered by medical conditions such as Cancer, Inflammatory diseases, Kidney disorder, Pneumonia, or Pulmonary embolism.
Transudative Pleural Effusions, on the other hand, may be triggered by Cirrhosis, Heart Attack and Pulmonary embolism. People undergoing an open heart surgery are also susceptible to Transudative Pleural Effusions.
Further, people with Meigs syndrome, autoimmune diseases, congestive heart problems, Chylothorax, Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or Tuberculosis also stand a higher risk of suffering from pleural effusions.

Symptoms:
In most of the affected individuals, pleural effusions trigger

Shortness of breath or difficulties in breathing, a condition called Dyspnea.
Some individuals also experience chest pain, dry cough, and Orthopnea (difficulty in breathing especially while in lying flat or in a sleeping position).
Treatment:
The first step towards effective treatment includes identifying the underlying health problem that triggered pleural effusions. Doctors work towards

Treating the pleural effusions.
Ensuring that the condition (Pleural effusions) does not recur.
Measures are also taken to treat the health problem that resulted in pleural effusions.
In case of severe breathing troubles, doctors may perform Thoracentesis, an invasive procedure whereby the doctor carefully inserts a needle through the chest wall to drain out the excess fluids that have accumulated in the pleural space. While Thoracentesis is known to produce fruitful results, people with chronic lung disorders or a lung surgery should refrain from this procedure.

In the case of pleural effusions resulting from congestive heart failure, the use of diuretics come as a great relief. To prevent the recurrence of the condition or to deal with malignant pleural effusions, doctors may also opt for Pleural sclerosis or Pleurodesis, which involves the removal of excess pleural fluid from the pleural space.

The doctor slightly irritates the tissues of the pleural lining to create a scar. It is this scarring that results in the fusion of the two pleural layers thus filling the space between the layers and preventing the recurrence of pleural effusion. In malignant pleural effusions, patients may also require chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In extreme cases, doctors may perform Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS). In VATS, -inch long incisions (1-2) are made to drain out the pleural fluid. To avoid recurrence of the effusion, an antibiotic or a sterile talc is placed inside during the surgery.

In case of pleural effusion resulting in infection at the pleural space, an Open Thoracic Surgery (Thoracotomy) is carried out to treat the condition.

While there are several treatment methods for pleural effusion, proper identification of the underlying cause is imperative to recommend the line of treatment best suited for the patient.

Homeopathy is a method of treatment, which is based on the fact that symptoms of a certain disease, if induced in small quantities, may help cure the same disease in a sick person. Cardiological disorders are complications of the heart; they can range from various disorders, such as heart attack or irregular heartbeats.

Homeopathic remedies are based on naturally occurring substances and are given to the patients in a diluted form. These remedies trigger the symptoms in small quantities and heal the body.

The various homeopathic treatments for cardiological disorders are:

Latrodectus: This treatment is used to treat symptoms of precordial pain in the body.
Aurum metallicum: Aurum metallicum is used in treating symptoms of weakness in the muscles of the heart.
Aconitum:This treatment is used when a person is having a heart attack.
Spigelia: Spigelia is used in the treatment of irregular heartbeats which may cause sharp pain in the chest.
Cactus grandiflorus: This treatment is used in treating angina pectoris, which is characterized by symptoms of pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart.
Crataegus oxyacantha: This homeopathic treatment is used in treating coronary insufficiency in people. This disorder cause problems in heartbeat.
Digitalis: This homeopathic treatment is used in treating cardiac muscle failure. This disorder causes palpitation, tightness in the heart muscles and a suffocating sensation.
Kalmia latifolia: This treatment is effective in treating cardiac hypertrophy, which causes the heart muscle to thicken, resulting in size reduction of the ventricles. This treatment is very effective in treating cardiac hypertrophy that results after rheumatism.
Glonoinum: This homeopathic treatment is prescribed to treat symptoms of plaque buildup in the artery, which cause hypertension.

Interstitial lung disease includes a large group of disorders like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis and asbestosis. These cause progressive fibrosis or scarring of the tissues surrounding the air sacs in your lungs. The scarring causes your lungs to stiffen which makes it difficult for you to breath.

What are the symptoms to look out for?

Dry cough
Shortness of breath at rest or due to exertion
Loss of weight
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Chest discomfort

What are the causes?

Normally, your lungs will regenerate tissue to repair any damage. But in interstitial lung disease, the normal repair process does not occur due to injury to the lungs. The tissue around the air sacs gets scarred and thickened, causing difficulty in breathing.

Your lungs may get injured due to long-term exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants like

Asbestos
Silica dust
Coal dust
Grain dust from framing
Radiation
Indoor hot tubs
Bird and animal droppings
Bird proteins from chicken or pigeon

Sometimes, certain drugs can cause chronic damage to your lungs, like-

Chemotherapy drugs
Heart medications
Antibiotics
Anti-inflammatory drugs

Lung disease can also be caused by autoimmune disorders like-

Rheumatoid arthritis
Sjogren s syndrome
Scleroderma
Dermatomyositis
Polymyositis
Mixed connective tissue disease

Why homeopathy?

Homeopathic remedies are customized according to the effects that the disease has on your body. It will relieve symptoms like sharp pain in the lungs, hemorrhaging in the capillaries and coughing with mucus. It will also slow down the progression of the disease. Homeopathy induces your immunity system to restore the damaged tissues and heal itself. There are no associated side effects of homeopathic remedies to your body.

Homeopathic medication and therapy also help you to treat the damage from the side effects caused by conventional treatment.

If you visit a pulmonary specialist, he/she will prescribe medications like corticosteroids, medications that will slow down fibrosis and that reduce stomach acid or you might be given artificial oxygen to make breathing easier. The last option is surgery. All of these treatment options will not reverse the scarring in the lungs. In most cases, they do not stop the progression of the disease.

The life expectancy for someone with any of the types of interstitial lung diseases is 3 to 5 years. Homeopathy has proven to be a safe and effective treatment option with no side effects that can slow down the progression of your disease. It is important that you treat it early if you want to prevent severe health complications.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition, which primarily affects the lungs and persistence of this condition might lead to severe breathing problems and loss of lung function. If you have inherited two copies of the defective gene from your parents, you are likely to suffer from this disease. Cystic Fibrosis causes a buildup of thick mucus in your lungs and affects other organs such as the kidneys, pancreas and the intestines in your body.

It isn't very uncommon as one out of fifty people in Asia is a carrier of this disease. The disease gets its name from the cysts formed in the pancreas of the sufferer. However, this disease can be detected by testing the quantity of salt present in your sweat. Prenatal testing for Fibrosis is another method to test if your newborn is likely to contract a lung infection.

Complications faced due to cystic fibrosis include:
1. Serious sinus infections
2. Serious damage in lungs due to inflammation and incessant infection
3. Malnutrition
4. Complication in breaking down protein
5. Respiratory tract contamination

If you observe one or more of the following symptoms, you might be suffering from Cystic Fibrosis:
1. Salty-tasting skin
2. Bowel obstruction caused due to meconium ileus (obstruction of the bowels)
3. Mucus amiss in your alveoli
4. Persistent coughing with phlegm discharge
5. Shortness of breath while engaging in a physical task
6. Stunted or measly growth despite healthy lifestyle habits
7. Infertility in males

If you're suffering from cystic fibrosis, there isn't any particular treatment which is recommended due to the varying degrees of it found in people. However, consultation with a medical practitioner and an individualised treatment plan can help you minimise the risks and lead a better life.

Some therapies you can opt for are:
a) Airway clearance: This therapy helps sift the thick layer of mucus around your organs. Some people have also chosen to use the inflatable vest which vibrates around your chest, thereby, thinning and loosening the layer of mucus.

b) Inhaled medicines: Another breakthrough in the field of respiratory medicine, this method requires the patient to sniff a liquid consisting of mist, which is inhaled with the aid of a nebuliser. This method is known to be beneficial for opening airways.

c) Pancreatic enzyme supplements: Along with multivitamins, these specially designed supplements are known to cater to your pancreas with the much-needed nutrients and they need to be consumed with every meal.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition, which primarily affects the lungs and persistence of this condition might lead to severe breathing problems and loss of lung function. If you have inherited two copies of the defective gene from your parents, you are likely to suffer from this disease. Cystic Fibrosis causes a buildup of thick mucus in your lungs and affects other organs such as the kidneys, pancreas and the intestines in your body.

It isn't very uncommon as one out of fifty people in Asia is a carrier of this disease. The disease gets its name from the cysts formed in the pancreas of the sufferer. However, this disease can be detected by testing the quantity of salt present in your sweat. Prenatal testing for Fibrosis is another method to test if your newborn is likely to contract a lung infection.

Complications faced due to cystic fibrosis include:

Serious sinus infections
Serious damage in lungs due to inflammation and incessant infection
Malnutrition
Complication in breaking down protein
Respiratory tract contamination
If you observe one or more of the following symptoms, you might be suffering from Cystic Fibrosis:

Salty-tasting skin
Bowel obstruction caused due to meconium ileus (obstruction of the bowels)
Persistent coughing with phlegm discharge
Shortness of breath while engaging in a physical task
Stunted or measly growth despite healthy lifestyle habits
Infertility in males
If you're suffering from cystic fibrosis, there isn't any particular treatment which is recommended due to the varying degrees of it found in people. However, consultation with a medical practitioner and an individualised treatment plan can help you minimise the risks and lead a better life.

Diagnosis:

Diagnosis of Cystic fibrosis can be made by measuring the quality of salt i.e. the amount of chloride in your sweat (sweat chloride test). Genetic testing for CFTR gene mutation detection can also be done at specialized centres.
Some therapies you can opt for are:

Airway clearance: This therapy helps sift the thick layer of mucus around your organs. Some people have also chosen to use the inflatable vest which vibrates around your chest, thereby, thinning and loosening the layer of mucus.
Inhaled medicines: Another breakthrough in the field of respiratory medicine, this method requires the patient to sniff a liquid consisting of mist, which is inhaled with the aid of a nebuliser. This method is known to be beneficial for opening airways.
Pancreatic enzyme supplements: Along with multivitamins, these specially designed supplements are known to cater to your pancreas with the much-needed nutrients and they need to be consumed with every meal.

Influenza is more commonly known as the flu. It is an infection that affects the respiratory system and is caused by the influenza virus. This injection is recommended for kids who are under the age of 6 months. It ensures that the baby is safeguarded from the virus during an influenza outbreak. Since the nature of virus changes year on year, the immunity doesn t last for more than 1 year. This vaccination is ideally taken during the month of October and November. The effect of the vaccination typically lasts for 6-8 months.

Ideally, kids who have never had a flu vaccination should take 2 vaccinations within 4 weeks. Kids who have received a shot of flu should undertake this vaccination once in a year. This arrangement is ideal up to 9 years of age. Flu shot is extremely important for a kid due to the following reasons:

It saves a kid from chronic lung and heart disorders such as asthma and cystic fibrosis
Kids suffering from immune deficiency, cancer, and HIV should take this vaccination to avoid further complication of the existing disease
Kids suffering from diabetes, kidney diseases, and metabolic disorders should go for this vaccination without a second thought
Kids suffering from a neurological disorder, haemoglobin deficiency, and anaemia should take this vaccination to refrain from the risk of aggravation of the present disease
Pregnant women should ideally take it for the safeguarding the fetus
Flu shot should not be taken be taken if:
1. A baby is under the age of 6 months.
2. The baby has thimerosal allergy.

Is flu shot safe?
The flu shot is considered to be very safe. It does not result in flu. Few side effects include:
a. Soreness of the place where the needle is injected. This doesn t last for more than a couple of day.
b. Body ache and mild fever for the first couple of days after the vaccination is done.
c. There is little to no pain in the place where the injection is injected by the doctor.

What is nasal flu vaccine?
This is an influenza dose that is not injected into the body but given in the form of nasal spray. Healthy kids above the age of 2 years are fit to get this injection. For those kids who have a history of chronic illness should check with their doctor to go ahead with nasal spray. Each dose is given in each nostril. Like the influenza vaccine, nasal flu vaccine should be undertaken once for those who have already taken this dose once. Kids who have not undergone this vaccination are eligible for 2 dosages each 4 weeks apart from each other.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency or EPI is also known as pancreatic deficiency, a disorder where the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient amount of enzymes that are required to digest food. The pancreatic enzymes help to break down and absorb nutrients from the food in the small intestine. So, this disease causes nutritional deficiencies.

Causes of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency :

This condition is generally caused as a complication of other diseases because EPI develops only as a result of severe damage to the pancreas. The following reasons can cause EPI:

Inflammation of the pancreas: After surgery in the pancreas, stomach or the intestines, there may be inflammation in the pancreas as a post-surgical complication. A high content of triglyceride fat in the blood can also cause pancreatic inflammation and hinder the secretion of the enzymes.
Chronic Pancreatitis: In this disease, the pancreatic ducts are swollen and blocked and so the digestive enzymes cannot be passed into the small intestine. This condition is often caused by a heavy consumption of alcohol.
Cystic Fibrosis: The digestive fluids and enzymes become thick and sticky and block the passageways of the pancreas and other organs like the lungs and the kidneys. This can obstruct secretion and passage of enzymes afterwards.
Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome or SBDS: SBDS is an autosomal recessive genetic condition where enzyme producing pancreatic cells is not formed properly. This rare disorder causes a number of associated disorders like bone marrow diseases, skeletal defects and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Symptoms of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency:

Symptoms of EPI often appear in the middle stages of the disease when the process of absorption of nutrients has already been affected. The common warning signs are:

Digestive problems like gas, diarrhea and indigestion because the food remains mostly undigested.
Severe and frequent stomach pain in the lower abdominal region
Greasy stools due to the excretion of undigested fat
Rapid loss of weight and body mass due to malabsorption of nutrients
Constantly feeling bloated and full even if you have not eaten anything
A general sense of fatigue and exhaustion
Excessive bleeding from small wounds because protein deficiencies hamper blood clotting
Pain in the muscles and bones
Increased susceptibility to infections of the body system
Anemia
Joint pains
Abnormal swelling of the limbs or edema