Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a group of progressive lung diseases. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common lung diseases. Emphysema gradually ruins the air sacs in your lungs, which are interfered with exhalation. The inflammation and swelling of airways in the lungs is called bronchitis, which further allows production of mucus, which leads to increased difficulty in breathing.

COPD is a case which makes it harder to breathe. The symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath are light at first. With passage of time, these symptoms worsen and make it increasingly difficult for the patient to breathe.

The patient may experience wheezing and feel heavy on the chest. Some patients suffering from COPD experience flare-ups of severe symptoms or exacerbations.
The main cause of COPD is cigarette smoking and therefore, people who are used to smoking for a longer time may suffer from this diesease. It is a disease that takes time to build up inside one s body. COPD can further cause heart problems and worsen respiratory diseases.

Severe symptoms of COPD include:

Occasional shortness of breath
Mild and reoccurring cough with mucus
Constant need to clear your throat
Noisy breathing
Frequent cold and cough
Loss of energy or feeling fatigued
Swelling of ankles, legs or feet
Sudden weight loss
Treatment of COPD
The treatment of COPD can ease its symptoms and avoid further complications. To treat COPD, one needs a skillful and experienced pulmonologist and respiratory therapist.

The medications which are preferred by the doctor are bronchodilators, which soothe the muscles of bronchial tubes, making it easier for the patient to breathe. This medicine is basically taken from inhalers. To reduce the inflammation, Glucocortico steroids are added.
Oxygen therapy is undertaken to provide oxygen to the patient through an oxygen mask or nasal prongs to ease the breathing process of the patient. A portable unit is advised, if the patient is cured at home.
Surgery is an option for severe COPD patients, which is undertaken if and only all other medications have already failed to control COPD, which can be the case in emphysema. Bullectomy is a kind of surgery in which the doctors eliminate the large bullae (air sacs) from the lungs. Volume reduction surgery is the last option for the doctor to cure a COPD patient. In this process, the damaged lung tissue is removed. The doctors go for a lung transplant in some rare cases of COPD.
The treatment for many diseases is a healthy and disciplined lifestyle. One should quit smoking and get the nutrition that their body needs. People should consult a dietician and get a healthy diet plan, and ask a doctor about the extent of exercise they should perform daily.

COPD - Can Oxygen Therapy Help Treat It?

The lungs are responsible for taking in and filtering out oxygen which is then supplied to the body via circulation. They are also responsible for removing the carbon dioxide from the body. This happens through breathing, and though no effort is required, when the function is impaired, the entire body system takes a toll.

Lung function can be impaired by a multitude of issues including infections like pneumonia, chronic diseases like COPD and pulmonary hypertension, heart conditions like a congestive failure, etc. While the acute cases would go off once the infection is treated, the long-term conditions are helped by physiotherapy in addition to medications.

The lungs are made up of elastic tubules and have the ability to hold secretions. Therefore training the lungs to improve their function via exercise can help improve overall lung function. Some of the routine exercises are simple ones as below.

Active breathing: The patient is taught to breathe in a more aware manner so that the lungs take in air to their maximum ability.
Postural drainage: The lungs are like containers for mucus, and over a period of time, they need to be drained. Depending on where the fluid accumulation is, the patient is taught to lie in various positions so that it can be drained, allowing for instant relief.
Nasal saline rinse: This helps in clearing the secretions and also the saline provides an antibacterial effect to clear off residual infection. Clearing sputum is highly critical for reducing chances of repeat infections and hospitalizations.
Peripheral and respiratory muscle training: Though it goes unnoticed, breathing also involves neck and shoulder muscles and strengthening these is also essential for effective breathing.
Multiple studies have shown that physiotherapy plays a vital role in lung rehabilitation. As noted above, while the benefit may be not very evident in short-term lung impairment, it makes a significant difference in long-term and chronic conditions like COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and even congestive heart failure. Lung rehab has shown to produce the following changes:

Reduce episodes of breathlessness and fatigue. A person can gradually resume his normal chores without too much assistance.
Help in clearing secretions, which can worsen congestion and breathlessness.
Increase overall quality of life. There could be even people who cannot do routine activities like walking to the bathroom. They could be benefitted with pulmonary rehabilitation.
Reduce the number of hospitalizations due to mucus accumulation and breathlessness.
Improve exercise tolerance. It is well known and proven that those who exercise on a regular basis can improve lung function over a period of time.

Lung Rehabilitation - How Physiotherapy Can Help?

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease in which granulomas, or clumps of inflammatory cells, form in various organs. This causes organ inflammation. Sarcoidosis may be triggered by your body s immune system responding to foreign substances, such as viruses, bacteria, or chemicals.

The areas of the body commonly affected by sarcoidosis include:

lymph nodes
lungs
eyes
skin
liver
heart
spleen
brain
Causes:

The exact cause of sarcoidosis is unknown. However, gender, race, and genetics can increase the risk of developing the condition:

Sarcoidosis is more common in women than in men.
People of African-American descent are more likely to develop the condition.
People with a family history of sarcoidosis have a significantly higher risk of getting the disease.
Sarcoidosis rarely occurs in children. Symptoms usually appear in people between the ages of 20 and 40.
Symptoms:

The people with sarcoidosis don t have any symptoms. However, general symptoms may include:

fatigue
fever
weight loss
joint pain
dry mouth
nosebleeds
abdominal swelling
Symptoms vary depending on the part of your body that s affected by the disease. Sarcoidosis can occur in any organ, but it most commonly affects the lungs. Lung symptoms can include:

a dry cough
shortness of breath
wheezing
chest pain around your breastbone
Skin symptoms can include:

skin rashes
skin sores
hair loss
raised scars
Nervous system symptoms can include:

seizures
hearing loss
headaches
Eye symptoms can include:

dry eyes
itchy eyes
eye pain
vision loss
a burning sensation in your eyes
Diagnosis:

Chest X-rays to look for cloudiness (pulmonary infiltrates) or swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).
CT scan to provide an even more detailed look at the lungs and lymph nodes than provided by a chest X-ray.
Pulmonary function (breathing) tests to measure how well the lungs are working.
Bronchoscopy to inspect the bronchial tubes and to extract a biopsy (a small tissue sample) to look for granulomas and to obtain material to rule out infection. Bronchoscopy involves passing a small tube (bronchoscope) down the trachea (windpipe) and into the bronchial tubes Airway of the lungs.
Role of Homeopathy In Sarcoidosis:

Welling Clinic offers specially formulated Homeopathy treatment of Sarcoidosis. The treatment protocol has been developed after an exhaustive in-house research. Our clinics consult for more than 200 patients of Sarcoidosis globally, every year. You too can be benefitted by our expertise in the treatment of Sarcoidosis.

Diet And Non-Diet:

Here are the top three rules:

Eat power(means contains powerful nutrients)
Stop sugar spikes
Stop skin (and health) sabotage

What Is Sarcoidosis?

When man first started using tobacco, he probably did not know that it would grow to be an epidemic that could cause multiple health issues. Be it smoking or chewing, tobacco has severe negative effects on health. Take any of the current lifestyle diseases from diabetes to obesity, the common risk factor is tobacco abuse. In addition, depending on the form of tobacco used, specific organs are affected. For instance, chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer while smoking causes lung cancer.

The statistics around tobacco abuse are extremely startling and can be read below:

A total of about 90 trillion rupees are spent on various tobacco products.
About 1.4 trillion is spent on healthcare-related to conditions caused by tobacco abuse.
India has about 120 million tobacco users.
More than 7 million people die every year due to tobacco usage.
The Government has levied a GST of 28% on cigarettes, making them unaffordable, which is one of the ways to promote quitting.
For those who want to quit but are not able to, there is a quit-line setup, which is toll-free, 1800-11-2356 and is accessible from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tobacco is a menace in all the strata of society. The lower economic classes are adversely affected both due to lack of knowledge and healthcare facilities. Therefore, the government uses the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) that is observed by all members of the World Health Organization as an opportunity to drive this awareness.

This is celebrated on May 31st every year. Some measures that are taken to promote 'say no to tobacco' campaign are listed below.

In 1975, the Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act was introduced, which made it mandatory for cigarette packs to have a warning stating  Smoking Kills  or  Smoking is injurious to health. 
Marketing campaigns are shown in the movie theatres at the beginning of movies which depict the hazards of tobacco
Smoking is banned in most public areas, and warnings are on display.
Children below 18 are not sold tobacco products. If in doubt, the seller can ask for age identification.
Schools and colleges do not have tobacco selling within 100 meters of the campus.
The price increase ensures that not everybody has easy access to cigarettes.
Celebrities promote quitting tobacco and smoking by talking about their personal stories.
How can a healthcare professional help you?

A healthcare professional plays a vital role in a smokers life, as it the healthcare professional that can increase the odds of quitting with guidance, medication, and support. 

What should a healthcare professional do?

Identify people who smoke 
Motivate them to quit or think about quitting
Refer a person who smokes for treatment and support
Support ongoing abstinence
What is the right smoking cessation strategy?

Ask: Every smoker to visit a healthcare professional
Advice: Urge the smoker to leave smoking
Assess: Assess whether the person is willing to quit in 30 days
Assist: Plan and help Rx Quit
Arrange: Arrange a follow-up through phone or SMS or in-person
What is that people who smoke need help with?

First and  the foremost challenge are the withdrawal symptoms 
Urge to smoke and borderline depression with a possibility of relapse
People who have high pre-abstinence nicotine intake
How to get over the initial withdrawal discomfort?

Behavioural support is of proven efficacy
Can be delivered in different formats
Face-to-face
Telephone
Internet
Nicotine replacement therapy and nortriptyline are of proven efficacy
Facts On Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

There are no real contradictions related to NRT
No drug interactions 
Side effects, if there are any are localized e.g.
Taste of oral products
Hiccups with the mouth spray 
Skin irritation with patch 
Treatment for quitting Nicotine  - Medications: Medicines which are useful adjuncts in the determined but unsuccessful quitters are Varenicline and Bupropion. 

Though smoking out in the open has reduced, there are miles to cover when it comes to eradication of tobacco. 

World No Tobacco Day - Making An Effort To Control Tobacco Usage!

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.

Interstitial Lung Disease - Why Should You Choose Homeopathy For Treating It?

The lungs are highly prone to chronic problems. Be it asthma, bronchitis or COPD, these problems require chronic treatment and the patient is always on alert. Homeopathy believes that these are just symptoms of an underlying, deep-rooted cause and addressing the root cause can help in complete cure of symptoms. By working on the underlying problem, homeopathy attempts to:

Prevent further damage to the organs; so disease progression is arrested
Reduce dependency on steroids and bronchodilators, which is very common among most people with chronic respiratory disorders
Natural and holistic treatment with minimal side effects
It is to be noted that different clinical presentations are treated with different compounds, and there are more than 25 compounds that can be used in people with chronic respiratory disorders. The doctor would choose the right compound depending on the presenting symptoms. Some of the commonly used compounds are listed below:

Bryonia: In people with dry hacking cough and rusty sputum, this is useful. The symptoms are aggravated by any sort of motion and warm temperatures.
Rumex: In people with dry/stringy cough, which is increased in cold temperatures and by talking, this medicine proves useful.
Kali Bichromicum: Where the patient has yellow, sticky mucous which is worse in the morning, this compound is effective.
Aconite: It is very useful in treating bronchitis, where there is frequent sneezing, restlessness, coryza-like symptoms or excessive perspiration. Its uniqueness is that it prevents development of a full-fledged bronchitis.
Belladonna: This is useful in patients with bronchitis who have violent fever and distressing cough that is worse with lying down and at night. The coughing spells are dry and short with irregular breathing. There is also fullness in the chest with no pain, though children might cry with this fullness. There is increased drowsiness where patients sometimes doze off into a semiconscious state.
Sulphur: It is very useful in people with chronic bronchitis, where the patient has significant rales (sounds due to air movement within the bronchi). This is accompanied by mucous that is thick and can contain pus. The patient could also suffer from bouts of suffocation.
Bacillinum: It is widely used in people who tend to catch cold easily. The mucous membranes are highly irritated and the patient feels very congested.
Other useful compounds include Phosphorus, Mercurius, Antimonium tartaricum, Rumex, Puslatilla, Ipea, Chelidonium and Sulphur. As noted, with homeopathic compounds, the right compound is determined by multiple factors including the stage at which the infection is at the time of presentation, nature of the cough, type of mucus, aggravating or relieving factors, presence of a cold, overall health status, habits, etc. The doctor will identify the right compound for you after checking these, so you are advised not to self medicate.

How To Treat Chronic Respiratory Problems With Homeopathy?

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