How To Get Rid Of Emphysema 
The lungs are a very important part of all air-breathing animals. Most primitive animals only have one, while higher and more complex life-forms have two, usually located on either side of the heart. The primary function of a lung is to carry oxygen from the air to the bloodstream, all the while releasing the carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere. The lung accomplishes this through a network of specialized cells that make up millions of tiny, thin-walled sacs called the alveoli. When these sensitive networks of cells and sacs get stricken by a respiratory disease, your breathing starts to suffer, potentially leading to death. One of the most common and serious respiratory diseases today is emphysema.Every Breath You TakeEmphysema is a long-term, progressive disease—that is, it usually takes a long time before you realize that you have it, and usually, by then, much damage has already been done. Emphysema damages the structures that keep the lung functioning, namely the alveoli and the bronchioles (the small tubes that connect the bronchi and the alveoli). Due to this, it is called an obstructive lung disease because its destruction of these tissues causes the airways unable to hold their shape when you exhale. The result is a shortness of breath, a reduction of the lung tissues' capacity to support the lungs, and a reduction of your capacity to perform physical activities.The process of exhaling goes two ways: active and passive. When you're sitting quietly and not exerting, your diaphragm contracts and your chest muscles expand, allowing you to take air in. However, these muscles don't actively contract to let the air out. Instead, what happens is that the elastic tissue around your air sacs contracts. Your lungs also passively shrink. When you're active—that is, you're exerting yourself more and take in more oxygen—you consciously contract your chest muscles to force the air out rapidly. The air sacs' elasticity, then, is important in keeping the lungs functioning properly. Without it, your bronchioles collapse and the air that you breathe becomes trapped in the sacs. The trapped air overstretches the sacs and this interferes with your ability to exhale passively. As time goes on, the overstretching causes several of the air sacs to rupture, forming one larger air sac instead of smaller, more functional ones. Since a larger air sac cannot expand enough by itself to force the air completely out of your lungs (it is not elastic enough), you have to put in more conscious effort to take in enough oxygen and expel the carbon dioxide out of your system.Causes of EmphysemaThe most common and dangerous cause of emphysema is cigarette smoking. Ironically, it is also the easiest to prevent. Smoking destroys the lung tissue and causes inflammation. It also irritates the airways, which will just make the condition worse.In smoking, the destruction of the lung happens in two ways. First, the cigarette smoke directly affects the cells in your lung airways that are responsible for clearing mucus and other organic secretions. Smoking also disrupts the numerous tiny hairs called the cilia that line the airways, and continued use will eventually cause them to disappear. The cilia are responsible for clearing away the mucus. The mucus buildup can become havens for bacteria that may eventually lead to infection. The second effect of smoking is that the immune cells in the lung that fight off the infection are also affected. They will not be able to fight off bacteria as effectively or as efficiently, leading to a bigger risk of more lung infections. All the infections will result to an inflammation in the lung.Over time, the enzymes that are released during this inflammation stage will lead to the loss of proteins that are responsible to keeping the air sacs' elasticity. The tissue that separates the alveoli from one another are also destroyed, leading to emphysema.Aside from smoking, other causes of emphysema include a deficiency of a protein called alpha-1-antitrypsin that serves to protect the elastic features of your lungs. Air pollution also acts in the same way as cigarette smoking, although at a lesser scale. Lastly, old age can also be a factor as lung function normally declines with age.Getting Rid of EmphysemaIf you have emphysema, you can take some steps to halt its progress.
How To Get Rid Of Emphysema
The lungs are a very important part of all air-breathing animals. Most primitive animals only have one, while higher and more complex life-forms have two, usually located on either side of the heart. The primary function of a lung is to carry oxygen from the air to the bloodstream, all the while releasing the carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere. The lung accomplishes this through a network of specialized cells that make up millions of tiny, thin-walled sacs called the alveoli. When these sensitive networks of cells and sacs get stricken by a respiratory disease, your breathing starts to suffer, potentially leading to death. One of the most common and serious respiratory diseases today is emphysema.Every Breath You TakeEmphysema is a long-term, progressive disease—that is, it usually takes a long time before you realize that you have it, and usually, by then, much damage has already been done. Emphysema damages the structures that keep the lung functioning, namely the alveoli and the bronchioles (the small tubes that connect the bronchi and the alveoli). Due to this, it is called an obstructive lung disease because its destruction of these tissues causes the airways unable to hold their shape when you exhale. The result is a shortness of breath, a reduction of the lung tissues' capacity to support the lungs, and a reduction of your capacity to perform physical activities.The process of exhaling goes two ways: active and passive. When you're sitting quietly and not exerting, your diaphragm contracts and your chest muscles expand, allowing you to take air in. However, these muscles don't actively contract to let the air out. Instead, what happens is that the elastic tissue around your air sacs contracts. Your lungs also passively shrink. When you're active—that is, you're exerting yourself more and take in more oxygen—you consciously contract your chest muscles to force the air out rapidly. The air sacs' elasticity, then, is important in keeping the lungs functioning properly. Without it, your bronchioles collapse and the air that you breathe becomes trapped in the sacs. The trapped air overstretches the sacs and this interferes with your ability to exhale passively. As time goes on, the overstretching causes several of the air sacs to rupture, forming one larger air sac instead of smaller, more functional ones. Since a larger air sac cannot expand enough by itself to force the air completely out of your lungs (it is not elastic enough), you have to put in more conscious effort to take in enough oxygen and expel the carbon dioxide out of your system.Causes of EmphysemaThe most common and dangerous cause of emphysema is cigarette smoking. Ironically, it is also the easiest to prevent. Smoking destroys the lung tissue and causes inflammation. It also irritates the airways, which will just make the condition worse.In smoking, the destruction of the lung happens in two ways. First, the cigarette smoke directly affects the cells in your lung airways that are responsible for clearing mucus and other organic secretions. Smoking also disrupts the numerous tiny hairs called the cilia that line the airways, and continued use will eventually cause them to disappear. The cilia are responsible for clearing away the mucus. The mucus buildup can become havens for bacteria that may eventually lead to infection. The second effect of smoking is that the immune cells in the lung that fight off the infection are also affected. They will not be able to fight off bacteria as effectively or as efficiently, leading to a bigger risk of more lung infections. All the infections will result to an inflammation in the lung.Over time, the enzymes that are released during this inflammation stage will lead to the loss of proteins that are responsible to keeping the air sacs' elasticity. The tissue that separates the alveoli from one another are also destroyed, leading to emphysema.Aside from smoking, other causes of emphysema include a deficiency of a protein called alpha-1-antitrypsin that serves to protect the elastic features of your lungs. Air pollution also acts in the same way as cigarette smoking, although at a lesser scale. Lastly, old age can also be a factor as lung function normally declines with age.Getting Rid of EmphysemaIf you have emphysema, you can take some steps to halt its progress.
- Stop smoking. The most important measure you can take to halt emphysema is to stop smoking. As mentioned, it is the number one cause of the disease and one that you can do something about. If you need help with stopping smoking, then join a smoking cessation group. Second-hand smoke is also a contributor, although not as much as first-hand smoking. Stay away from people who are smoking and don't linger in smoking areas. If you do not smoke, then keep it that way.
- Exercise regularly. Exercising can do wonders to your cardio-vascular system. It makes your lung muscles that much stronger as well as increase your capacity to perform physical activities. If you're suffering from emphysema (or some other respiratory condition), take it slow. Start with some light cardio workout like brisk walking or jogging. Crank up the level gradually as you go along.
- Drink lots of fluids. You might wonder how drinking fluids can affect the workings of your lungs. Actually, it has a significant effect. Fluids allow you to more easily clear the mucus that accumulate in your air passages, making them easier to expel. Fluids are especially useful when you have other respiratory diseases such as colds or flu.
- Avoid other respiratory conditions. Have yourself vaccinated against other respiratory conditions such as pneumonia and influenza. Avoid making contact with people who have colds and other contagious respiratory diseases. If you can't avoid mingling with people during the cold or flu season, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and running water. Carry a hand sanitizer with you wherever you go. Avoid viral infections by not touching the inside of your nose and your eyes. During flu or cold season, wear a face mask.
- Protect yourself from cold air. Cold air can cause spasms on your bronchial tubes. Protect yourself from it by wearing scarfs or cold-air masks before going out on cold seasons.
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