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Breathing Problems
Problems related to respiratory systems are very common around many places. Many people suffer from breathing problems are basically genetic, yet the environment or the place work at is also equally blamed. The major cause of most of the breathing problems is in fact smoking.
What is breathlessness?
Dyspnoea is also known as breathlessness is the sensation where one feels shortness of breath or observe difficulty in breathing. It is an exceedingly common state yet can also be frightening and stress for patients and their caretakers. Shortening of breath usually occurs with other symptoms like chest pain, fever, and cough. The cause may be because of varies reasons such as any condition affecting the heart, lung or any general circulatory system. In such cases, major problems of breathing occur when the oxygen level in the blood decreases, an increase in the level of carbon dioxide or maybe just a difficulty in expanding the lungs.
Possible causes of problems in breathing are innumerable. Yet mostly seen in chronic airflow limitation, emphysema, dementia, pneumonia (lung infection), asthma, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and AIDS. Majority of the cancer patients also go through some difficulties of breathlessness even though in the initial stage of cancer usually don’t arise in the lung. If you personally experience any shortness of breath or any related indication, you should go visit your doctor. You never know what can’t of serious disease you are holding up.
Some Common Breathing Problems
- Asthma
Asthma is a common respiratory condition that builds up the difficulty in breathing because of the inflammation caused in the airways. The symptoms of Asthma are wheezing, i.e. rattling sound or whistles while breathing, dry cough, breathlessness, and tightening of the chest. Asthma has a direct connection the allergies in the environment or the surroundings. Infections, pollution causing allergic reactions are all triggers to an Asthma attack.
A persistent Asthmatic is maybe able to have a better life by the usage of anti-inflammatory medication. A person who is Asthmatic must carry an inhaler to release open the airways at the moment.
In the case of Asthma, it usually takes a start from childhood and then advances to adulthood. Nonetheless, aged people around the age of 60s or 70s may also get onset Asthma. Asthma is a kind of lung disease and that also reversible obstructive one. There are patients who recover from this condition by breathing in better flow rates than the patients suffering from the disease called COPD.
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary)
This a disease that is similar to an umbrella, it surrounds many other types of illness related to the respiration systems like breathlessness or the difficulty to exhale properly. Symptoms such as unable to breathe normally or cough up mucus from the lungs and this happens mostly in the morning. COPD is not a disease that can be caught very easily because for the most times it is considered as an effect of aging or body deterioration.
COPD can start taking place within your body in the period of several years, and you will not experience any sign of breathlessness. It also sometimes is left undetected. It is said that this kind of diseases usually begins at the age of thirties or forties and then boosts up during the age of 50s or 60s.
COPD is directly linked with people to smoke cigarettes. It is very rare to witness a person with COPD, and that person doesn’t smoke. There are levels or severity a person can experience with COPD. The most dangerous condition will be when it will create your difficulties with your everyday tasks.
People with COPD are instructed and provided treatments such as:
• Smoking cessation
• Pulmonary rehabilitation, i.e. a supervised exercising program
• Bronchodilator therapy, i.e. a kind of meditation that will help you open your airways.
- Cystic Fibrosis
It is a genetic type of disease. Cystic Fibrosis is caused when a defected gene is identified by the system, and that creates a sticky and thick mucus that blocks the passageways and the tubes. Dangerous lung infections are caused due to this genetic mucus repeatedly. It also obstructs the pancreas that creates a blockage for the important enzymes to function for the nutrients in the body. In most cases, Cystic Fibrosis is diagnosed after a year or two a child is born.
The symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis include chronic coughing, the poor growing of the child, frequent lung infections and salty-tasting skin. Most people are suffering from Cystic Fibrosis also gets infected by bronchiectasis, i.e. n illness where one abnormally develops bronchial tubes. This causes frequent respiratory infections, breathlessness, and wheezing.
- Emphysema
Another serious disease that is quite likely to COPD. The cause is common that is smoking. The people under the disease emphysema have an unease exhaling from their lungs. The smoke of the cigarette damages the airbags inside the lungs to a stage where no recovery is possible. The problems within the respiratory system most of the times lead to its failure and additional oxygen is needed for the breathing needs. Once a person is diagnosed with emphysema, there is no recovery. It generates gradually yet no cure is possible, but people who quit smoking completely might be able to see the signs of progression in the disease through medication.
- Chronic Bronchitis
CB is also a type of COPD that is highlighted by a cough. Here, people usually cough up mucus also known as sputum during the morning. It is caused because, in the airways, these mucus glands tend to increase output and forces a person to cough out that secretion. As Chronic Bronchitis nature-wise is a type of COPD, it is handled the same way.
A person can also produce acute bronchitis that is not really a long-term or a serious disease, but it is an infection. It can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, and it can be cured with the help of antibiotics.
- Lung Cancer
Cancer has this ability to grow in any area of the lung. Thus it is very difficult to be identified. Mostly, cancer evolves in the very main area of the lungs that is near the airbags. The mutations of DNA within the lungs origins the irregular cells to increase and generate an uncontrollable growth of these abnormal cells also known as a tumor.
The tumor keeps bugging the normal functions carried away by the lungs as we know. The most dangerous slow poison to the lungs in a smoking cigarette, the other causes are workplace exposure, secondhand smoke, radon exposure, asbestos and diesel smoke, radiation exposure and the riskiest one is air pollution.
The symptoms of lung cancer take many years to appear yet chronic coughing, harsh breathing sounds, changes in voice, and coughing up blood are some symptoms. Lung cancer is the far most leading disease that is the cause of death in both men and women around the US.
- Pneumonia
It is a quite common disease that is caused when an infection takes place in the airbags in the lungs. It may be a viral, fungal or bacterial infection. In many cases, recovery is observed between two-three weeks. But it can also be life-threatening and tremendously serious for some people.
Young people as well as aged, all are at risk of pneumonia and its consequences. Pneumonia can be dangerous for people depending on how their smoking history is or the overall immune system. If the person is physically unfit or weak, he/she will catch pneumonia instantly than a person who is rather healthy, young and a well-nourished being.
The symptoms of pneumonia include fever, cough, shaking chills and breathlessness that can increase to a severe condition. One can get a pneumonia vaccine, especially adults when they reach an age of 60 plus. Keep your hands always clean by washing them frequently to avoid this illness.
- Pleural Effusion
Pleural Effusion is a fluid that is collected in the middle of the chest and the lung wall. This space is also called the pleural space. This fluid is collected due to several reasons such as pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Patients usually notice pleural effusion when discomfort in the chest is felt or breathlessness. People diagnosed with this disease have to undergo a treatment to get the fluid removed that helps to lungs to expand to its original space and allows better breathing. The fluid later is tested to identify the cause and then a treatment procedure is formed for the patient.
COPD is not the kind of disease that is reversible, unlike Asthma. COPD is considered to be the third major leading reason for the decreasing population in the US. It is one of the most dangerous and serious breathing illnesses noticed.
Testing and diagnosing general breathlessness
Your doctor will ask you for some tests for a further piece of information. There are two types of initial testing, i.e. pulmonary test and the chest X-ray. These tests are mandatory for all the cases where the patient is doubtful about the difficulty in breathing. Other important tests are:
- The Blood test – any place where infection can be found or for the total calculation of the blood cells.
- Cardiac investigations – echocardiography, i.e. a complete ultrasound of the heart, ECG, and cardiac enzymes can also be requested by the doctor to identify whether the breathlessness is not caused by any heart problems.
- Pulse oximetry – it is a device that is used to measure the saturation of oxygen by placing clips on the toe and the fingers.
- Lung biopsy – lung tissues are taken for examination using a microscope.
What is the condition where you should consult a doctor?
When you experience breathlessness and are not sure about the cause and don’t expect any issues under your current fitness and health, you should see your doctor. If you are facing any difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath that happens suddenly and is continuously interfering you with your routine, then you definitely need medications. Undergoing general treatment doesn’t affect your breathless then visit a professional as soon as possible.
Basic exercises to improve your breathing
Many people avoid taking part is daily exercises or even don’t exercise at all thinking that it would make them feel breathless. Your breathing works perfectly when your lungs or internal systems are perfectly working fine. For this, you need to exercise and make sure that your defense system is ready to overcome any problem.
You need to make sure that the exercise you are going to perform, you have discussed it with your doctor or any professional before you startup. Normal stretching is also helpful, and you can also follow the following physical activities.
- Stretching
It keeps you active and your muscles strong, flexible and healthy. Muscles become tight and weak at the time you need them. Keep them in motion which will keep you fresh for the day if practiced daily
- Walking
It keeps you active and your muscles strong, flexible and healthy. Muscles become tight and weak at the time you need them. Keep them in motion which will keep you fresh for the day if practiced daily
- Weight Training
Don’t focus on building up muscles. The purpose is just general, start weightlifting small dumbbells at home with the weight you are comfortable with. Your small effort will lead you further ahead.
- Hydrotherapy
Don’t focus on building up muscles. The purpose is just general, start weightlifting small dumbbells at home with the weight you are comfortable with. Your small effort will lead you further ahead.
- Tai-Chi
Try practicing slow, soothing movements or breathing techniques that will help your body to relax and
The moment you start feeling breathlessness, just stop for a while. Don’t put extra efforts, sit down and take deep breaths.
