Life with Asthma

Reflections of COPD/Asthma – Set 5 of Outside/Inside of Them Lungs

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I am one of those that has been given the honor of traveling life with the companionship of COPD and severe Asthma.

While the honor is many times pushed by the frustration and battle with those companions, I have over time come to grips that it is what it is and I must make the best of it.

I knew I must learn more about this companion the medical folks call COPD and severe Asthma, so I have read about, ask questions about it and spent time nearly every day scouring the internet for information, articles and more.

I also knew it is good to share, so as a writer I decided what better way to share what I am learning and finding than through informational, inspirational and personal writings about my travels with COPD and severe Asthma.

This is part of an on-going series we call ‘Reflections of COPD/Asthma’ and today we give you set five of a six-part set we refer to as ‘Outside/Inside of Them Lungs’, where we discuss the inside of lungs and what needs to happen, how it happens and why it happens.

Set 5 – – ‘Looking at Your Lungs from the Inside’:

Today we will look at ’What Went Wrong’ or why is it becoming so hard for you to breath?

If you think back to those ‘little sweepers’ in your upper lungs called ‘cilia’, they over time can become damaged from smoke of all types and other environmental irritants.  Many times, this damage will or can destroy or paralyze the cilia sweepers which will cause them to stop functioning and that is when your lungs become unable to clean themselves out.

This is what some call ‘dirty lungs’ as a person will then have difficulty getting rid of excess mucous which will usually cause frequent coughing and eventually possible develop ‘chronic bronchitis’.

Another effect from lungs becoming damaged from smoke of all types and other environmental irritants would possible be to lose their ability to act like an elastic recoil – your lungs ability to get air out efficiently or as we would call it the ‘obstructive’ part of ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease’.

A person’s lung tissue is supposed to be like elastic and stretch out like a balloon.  When lungs lose that ability to stretch and recoil they become unable to recoil back to normal and when that air that was supposed to be released or exhaled becomes stuck within your lungs, your lungs must work harder and many times will get air trapped and the lungs will become ‘hyperinflated’.

If a person develops a problem with ‘hyperinflation’ their lungs may become bigger than they should be at normal stage and this will lead to a problem with extra, stale air being compressed into good lung tissue keeping them from doing their job.  Eventually the lungs could stay ‘hyperinflated’ enough to become too big for the area in the body they are designed to be.

The lungs inability to stretch, recoil and then become ‘hyperinflated’ is what eventually becomes ‘emphysema’.

That my friends, is set five of what WheezingAway is calling ‘Outside/Inside – Your Lungs’.  Next posting of this series will be our last and will finish up the discussion dealing with what may be going wrong with the functioning of your lungs.

As always, if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

ALWAYS REMEMBER > A person without good breathing, is a person with a life of constant caution’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reprint or use by written permission only.)

To follow more postings written by Mr. William, check out either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information used is gathered from a various number of books, magazines and websites followed and read by Mr. William.)

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Words of COPD/Asthma – ‘Emotions’

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When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With that, we discuss some of what we call ‘must know words’ of life with COPD/Asthma – and today we will discuss briefly the importance of knowing the word(s) ‘Emotions’.

What is ‘Emotions’ and Why is it an important word with COPD and/or Emotions?

Emotions are something which we may be feeling nearly every moment of a lifetime.

When asked, we bet that a person can rattle off a minimum of six to ten emotions or more in a matter of half a minute or less, as emotions can detail a huge range of our reactions to life itself, such as anger, anxiousness, cheerfulness, depression, fear, enthusiasm, grief, happy, joy, sad, stress and worry to name a few.

Why would the word emotions be of much importance to those of us that battle COPD and/or Asthma daily – because our emotions can and will indirectly affect how are COPD and/or Asthma may react during each, and every day.

Studies have been done that show links between COPD and/or Asthma, noting that it is a fact that feeling strong emotions alone may not be enough to cause you to develop a situation with your COPD and/or Asthma.

But if you already have COPD and/or Asthma, experiencing a range of emotions can certainly cause a flare up or even an exacerbation.

The reason why – when a person is dealing with any type of emotion, your breathing can change and become either quicker and shallower depending on the emotion.  If your airways may be particularly sensitive, emotions may be enough to set a COPD and/or Asthma attack into partial or full gear.

When you stop and evaluate some of the reactions made to certain emotions, you will find your breathing is affected by crying, yelling or laughing.  Other emotions such as depression, anger, stress, worry, enthusiasm and fear can cause a person to let their guard down, which in turn could lead to a trigger slipping by and setting off another battle with that persons COPD and/or Asthma.

So yes, emotions will be a word that needs to be kept on the front burner sort to speak, as so many of them can and will affect a person’s physical body, which in turn can and will possible affect the lungs and the breathing.

There is much more that can be said here, but the point to be made is the importance to realize and understand how the word ‘emotions’ can and will affect your life and the continuing battle which you have with COPD and/or Asthma.

At this point when we are ending our discussion of the moment, we always like to ask a QUESTION OF OUR READERS, and today we ask, “Have you noticed emotions affecting your COPD and/or Asthma, and if so, which emotions seem to cause the most concern in setting off an incident with your COPD and/or Asthma?

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

Remember – ‘a person without good breathing, is a person living a life in constant caution’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)

Reflections of COPD/Asthma – Set 4 of Outside/Inside of Them Lungs

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I am one of those that has been given the honor of traveling life with the companionship of COPD and severe Asthma.

While the honor is many times pushed by the frustration and battle with those companions, I have over time come to grips that it is what it is and I must make the best of it.

I knew I must learn more about this companion the medical folks call COPD and severe Asthma, so I have read about, ask questions about it and spent time nearly every day scouring the internet for information, articles and more.

I also knew it is good to share, so as a writer I decided what better way to share what I am learning and finding than through informational, inspirational and personal writings about my travels with COPD and severe Asthma.

This is part of an on-going series we call ‘Reflections of COPD/Asthma’ and today we give you set four of a six-part set we refer to as ‘Outside/Inside of Them Lungs’.

Set 4 – – ‘Looking at Your Lungs from the Inside’:

Today we will have a brief discussion on the process of ‘Oxygen Exchange’ which is simply that process of getting the oxygen to your blood system while removing the carbon dioxide out of your blood system – or an exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide.

Every time you take a breath those millions of ‘alveoli’ takes that fresh oxygen you brought in and passes on through their thin walls to the network of microscopic blood vessels called capillaries which in turn pass the oxygen into the bloody system where it travels on to those important things like your heart, brain and other parts of your human machine.

At that same point of oxygen exchange from the ‘aveoli’ to the blood system, the ‘aveoli’ filters out the carbon dioxide from the blood system and passes it outward as you exhale.

The amazing thing about this oxygen exchange is it happens in a fraction of a second and your body will do it an average of 15-25 times every minute while you are resting.  Your brain is wired to keep this process every minute of every hour of every day – amazing it is.

That my friends is part 4 of what WheezingAway is calling ‘Outside/Inside – Your Lungs’.  Next posting in our series we will have the first of two final discussions dealing with what may be going wrong with the functioning of your lungs.

As always, if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

ALWAYS REMEMBER > A person without good breathing, is a person with a life of constant caution’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reprint or use by written permission only.)

To follow more postings written by Mr. William, check out either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information used is gathered from a various number of books, magazines and websites followed and read by Mr. William.)

Reflections of COPD/Asthma – Set 3 of Outside/Inside of Them Lungs

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I am one of those that has been given the honor of traveling life with the companionship of COPD and severe Asthma.

While the honor is many times pushed by the frustration and battle with those companions, I have over time come to grips that it is what it is and I must make the best of it.

I knew I must learn more about this companion the medical folks call COPD and severe Asthma, so I have read about, ask questions about it and spent time nearly every day scouring the internet for information, articles and more.

I also knew it is good to share, so as a writer I decided what better way to share what I am learning and finding than through informational, inspirational and personal writings about my travels with COPD and severe Asthma.

This is part of an on-going series we call ‘Reflections of COPD/Asthma’ and today we give you set three of a six-part set we refer to as ‘Outside/Inside of Them Lungs’.

Set 3 – – ‘Looking at Your Lungs from the Inside’:

Our previous posting we touched on the upper airway system and how it filtered, humidified and warmed the air as it enters your bodily system. (https://wheezingaway.com/2017/08/23/reflections-of-copdasthma-set-2-of-outsideinside-of-them-lungs/)

Today we discuss the two major pieces to the puzzle of your working lungs on the inside and that would be the bronchial tubes and the alveoli.

When following inward the breathing system of a normal adult a person would find about six inches past the larynx – the windpipe, which then divides into two air passages.  One air passage heads off to the left into the left lung while the other wanders to the right to supply the right lung – these are what we call the ‘Bronchial Tubes’.

As your inhaled air continues the travels through the ‘Bronchial Tubes’ it will continue to pass over more mucous and cilia where the mucous supplies the moisture to keep the air passages humidified while the cilia that continue sweep the mucous upward while trapping dust, bacteria and other substances out of your breathing system.

As the ‘Bronchial Tubes’ progress further down into the lungs they branch out twenty-two more times to form more than 100,000 smaller bronchial tubes where the thinnest tubes are called ‘bronchioles’.

Amazingly at the end of each ‘bronchiole’ you will or should find a cluster of air sacs which are referred to as ‘Alveoli’ is that each ‘Alveoli’ is only about 0.3mm in diameter and just one cell thick or about the same thickness as a soap bubble (or 1/50th the thickness of a normal piece of tissue paper).

And that my friends is ‘Set 3’ of ‘Outside/Inside – Your Lungs’.  Next posting in the series will discuss oxygen exchange.

As always, if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

ALWAYS REMEMBER > A person without good breathing, is a person without a good life’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reprint or use by written permission only.)

To follow more postings written by Mr. William, check out either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information used is gathered from a various number of books, magazines and websites followed and read by Mr. William.)

Words of COPD/Asthma – ‘Diffusion Capacity’

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When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With that, we discuss some of what we call ‘must know words’ of life with COPD/Asthma – and today we will discuss briefly the importance of knowing the word(s) ‘Diffusion Capacity’.

What is ‘Diffusion Capacity’?

When you have a diagnosis of COPD and/or Asthma, your lungs are unable to transfer oxygen into your blood as easily as it should, and when that is a problem your physician and/or pulmonologist will request a test for your ‘Diffusion Capacity’ that will measure how effectively the gas exchange between your air sacs and your bloodstream is working.

Lung diffusion testing will measure how well the lungs exchange those gases and is an important part of lung testing because the major function of the lungs is to allow oxygen to ‘diffuse’ or pass into the blood from the lungs and to allow carbon dioxide to ‘diffuse’ from the blood into the lungs.

When the test that a patient will be given to check on their ‘diffusion capacity’ is requested, the patient will have clips put on their nose and then they will be given a mouthpiece which will fit tightly around your lips and mouth.  At that point, the patient will be asked to inhale a small (and safe) concentration of carbon monoxide mixed with helium, oxygen and nitrogen.

After inhaling the concentrated mixture, the patient will hold their breath for approximately 10 seconds before rapidly exhaling the concentrated mixture out.  When exhaling, the patient will be sending the concentrated mixture into a machine that will measure the flow and volume of your breath as well as how much of the carbon monoxide was absorbed into your bloodstream during your breath and how much remains in the air that you exhaled.

The results of this test will give your physician and/or pulmonologist an idea of how easy or difficult it is currently for your lungs to transfer gases from the inhaled air into the blood stream.

When low diffusion capacity is found, it can indicate the presence of severe emphysema, as well as several other possible lung diseases.  The test will also determine the level of damage the alveoli or lung structures responsible for gas exchange in the lungs have at the time of the test.

Your physician and/or pulmonologist will also get an idea of the severity of damage to the airways with this test.

One other note, the ‘diffusion capacity’ test normally does not affect those with asthma and will help in a physician and/or pulmonologist distinguish between the asthma and different types of COPD – even when symptoms are similar.

With that, we always like to ask a QUESTION OF OUR READERS, and today we ask, “When was the last time you had a diffusion capacity test done and what were the results?”.

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

Remember – ‘a person without good breathing, is a person without a good life’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)

Words of COPD/Asthma – ‘Controlled Coughing’

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When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With that, we discuss some of what we call ‘must know words’ of life with COPD/Asthma – and today we will discuss briefly the importance of knowing the word(s) ‘Controlled Coughing’.

What is ‘Controlled Coughing’?

Controlled Coughing is a technique that helps clear the airways of mucus, but saves energy and oxygen by using only the force needed to loosen and move the mucus.  COPD/Asthma patients learn the controlled coughing technique in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Many times, when you have COPD, the disease itself can cause your lungs to produce excess mucus which leads to frequent coughing.  Not all coughs will be effective in clearing excess mucus from your lungs and explosive or uncontrolled coughing causes airways to collapse and spasm, which traps mucus.

With the controlled or effective cough, it comes from deep within the lungs and will have just the right amount of force to loosen and carry mucus through the airways, and do it without causing the airways to narrow or collapse.  When controlled coughing saves energy, the person also saves oxygen.

The effective cough should have similar steps like the following:

  1. Sit on a chair or on the edge of your bed, with both feet on the floor. Lean slightly forward and relax.
  2. Fold your arms across your abdomen and breathe in slowly through your nose. (The power of the cough comes from moving air.)
  3. To exhale you should lean forward, pressing your arms against your abdomen. You should then cough 2-3 times through a slightly open mouth, while keeping the coughs short and sharp.

One thing to note is that the first cough loosens the mucus and moves it through your airways, while the second and third cough should enable you to cough the mucus up and out.

  1. At this point you should breathe in again by ‘sniffing’ slowly and gently through your nose. Doing this gentle breath should help prevent mucus from moving back down your airways.
  2. REST!!
  3. Perform again as needed.

Some tips to follow along with the controlled breathing process would be:

Be sure to avoid breathing in quickly and deeply through your mouth after coughing, as quick breaths will interfere with the movement process of mucus coming up and out of the lungs.  Plus, the quick breathing can cause a problem with uncontrolled coughing.

Unless your physician has advised you to watch your fluid intake, it is advisable to drink at least six to eight glasses of fluid per day, as this will help keep your mucus thinned out which in turn will make coughing much easier.

You should consider using the controlled coughing technique after you use your bronchodilator medications or most likely any time you feel as if you’re are having a problem with mucus or congestion.

With that, we always like to ask a QUESTION OF OUR READERS, and today we ask, “Have you heard of and used the controlled cough techniques and if you have, did you find the process helpful?

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

Remember – ‘a person without good breathing, is a person without a good life’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)

‘Lenny’ and Me 4 Today – Unsettled Times

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I will be honest with you all, even I am trying to figure out how time keeps flying by and life seems to get so busy or disrupted that my writing seems to get put on the back burner when I have no intention of allowing it to happen.

‘Lenny’ has been a very unsettled companion for a while now and I am searching for the reasons why.  Is it a weather or nature thing, a stress thing, a traveling thing or just life itself and my COPD/Asthma is telling me that maybe it is getting worse?

For several weeks, ‘Lenny’ has not so much putting out a big problem, but instead just consistently it’s been the little spurts of SOB (Short of Breath), enough that I would cut short on my walks around Wal-Mart and the only couple of times I walked the block to get the mail, my oxygen level dropped to 87-88 so I stopped doing it.

Of course, there are issues going on that may be helping in churning up the problem, such as the weather which the last month or so has either been hot, humid and windy, or dry, but full of pollen type particles and yes even down here in the center point of the United States we are getting a wisp of the smoke from all those forest fires in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Then we have the traveling thing and lately I have had several spots where I end up being in the car, on the road for a significant amount of time over a two to four-day period.

Last weekend was a good example, on Friday I took a couple of young men to meet my daughter and grandkids so these young fellows could spend the Labor Day weekend with good friends.  After dropping the young men off to my daughter, I headed south to spend Friday evening, Saturday and early Sunday with my brother and sister-in-law.  Total amount of being on the road was maybe 5 hours.

Sunday, I drove home and spent the entire rest of the day catching up on writes for the weekly paper and Facebook page I do part-time work for.

On Labor Day itself, I drove two hours with my wife and two oldest granddaughters, picked up my oldest grandson and drove another hour and a half to meet that daughter again, drop off the granddaughters and pick up the young fellows (had to bring them back to our town for school), then turned around and drove the three and a half hours home.

Unfortunately for me, traveling anymore seems to take a lot out of me and for two days my back, my knees and my good companion ‘Lenny’ were all moaning and groaning, it is what life is anymore.

Another item that can get ‘Lenny’ to cause some irritation would be stress and these days I do not have to look very far to find some.

Between one adult child still fighting an addiction problem, spending all our weekends and holidays helping take care of that adult child’s eleven-year old son (who has Asperger’s) and now giving up our guest room so our oldest son can have a place to live as he continues to sort out the marriage or divorce thing.

‘Lenny’ has had a lot of things to get agitated about and several times each day will be happy to remind me of that fact.

So, I continue to plug ahead by making sure I get my nebulizer time in every morning, take a deep inhalation of the med they call ‘Breo’, keep my oximeter close by, my rescue inhaler in the pocket and my head on a swivel watching for any and all possible triggers over and beyond the ones that life alone is throwing at me already.

And that my friends, is where ‘Lenny’ (my COPD/Asthma) and me are at 4 today.

Want to know who ‘Lenny’ is?  ‘Lenny’ is the name I gave my constant companion called COPD/Asthma.  I have found that referring and dealing with my chronic illness as a companion I am less apt to get angry with it, but instead more likely to work with it like you would in a strong relationship.  Besides treating anything with TLC is much better than hammering away at it as if it was an enemy.

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

Remember – ‘a person without good breathing, is a person without a good life’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer through wheezingaway.com – no part of this write may be used or copied without written permission.)

NOTES: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or Asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer medical founded information.