Emphysema: How To Minimise Your Risk Naturally

For many people emphysema is a condition shrouded in mystery. Most people are aware that it affects the lungs in some way but that's often the extent of their knowledge. However, it's vital that you understand what emphysema is if you're currently unsure - particularly if you're a smoker, as this puts you at far greater risk of developing the disease. However, contrary to popular belief, this condition doesn't just affect smokers.

Emphysema means 'inflation' and it is an abnormal and permanent enlargement of the air spaces within the lungs, which is accompanied by the progressive destruction of the inside lining of the lungs. Together, asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema are collectively known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Symptoms include shortness of breath, particularly after physical exertion, weight loss, enlargement of the chest (commonly referred to as 'barrel chest'), wheezing and a persistent chesty cough.

It is estimated that one in ten people suffers from emphysema in Britain. It is difficult to get a precise figure, as it's thought that there are many cases which remain undiagnosed. This is because many sufferers mistakenly put their symptoms down to a 'smoker's cough' or 'old age', and do not feel that they are serious enough to warrant a trip to their doctor's surgery.

However, it's vital that you see your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms outlined above as, left untreated, the condition can progress to cause serious complications like chest infections and pneumonia, heart failure, sluggish blood circulation and even lung cancer.

Fortunately there are steps you can take to lessen your chances of developing the disease, in addition to natural remedies you can take to help improve existing symptoms if you've already been diagnosed with emphysema.

Exposure to cigarette smoke or other pollutants can damage the sensitive lining of your lungs
Emphysema occurs as a result of free radical and other toxic damage to the alveoli, which are small honeycomb-like air sacks where oxygen filters from your lungs into your blood stream.

The alveoli are extremely fragile and sensitive and can be easily damaged or destroyed by smoking, long-term allergies, breathing polluted air or working in dusty environments. All of these factors can cause an increase in harmful free radicals, which attack the alveoli and cause them to inflate, become less elastic and lose their ability to expand and contract with each breath.

Because the lining of your alveoli is destroyed during this process, oxygen is unable to pass from your lungs to your blood stream properly. This can cause problems related to chronic oxygen starvation, such as poor concentration, memory loss, fatigue, irritability, impotence and headaches.

So it's particularly important that you see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms, in addition to the symptoms mentioned above (such as a persistent cough and weight loss), as they could indicate emphysema.

How to minimise your chances of emphysema

Your doctor will probably refer you for chest X-rays and lung tests, which measure the amount of air in your lungs. However, once emphysema has been diagnosed and the damage to your lungs is done, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to reverse it and conventional treatments are mainly targeted at easing symptoms. For this reason it's extremely important that you start taking measures right now to prevent the disease from developing in the first place.

To help achieve this, you need to stop smoking (or if you're not a smoker try and avoid places like smoky bars, where you'll be subjected to passive smoking). You also need to avoid environmental pollutants, in the form of aerosol sprays, pesticides, house dust, smoke from barbecues and bonfires.

Another effective way of preventing emphysema is to exercise regularly, aerobic exercise is particularly good. In addition, consume plenty of foods that are rich in antioxidants, which help fight free radicals, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.

Conventional medicine has very little to offer sufferers

Doctors commonly prescribe inhalers in spray form for patients with emphysema, including salbutamol, beclamethasone, serevent and atrovent. These work by keeping the undamaged parts of the lung open, and trying to reduce the inflammation in the affected parts of the lungs (Thorax 1998; 53(4):269-273 and 477-482).

However, inhalers are not always effective and can cause side effects, such as a rapid heartbeat, palpitations, shaking in the hands, thrush in the mouth and throat, and light-headedness.

Antibiotics are used to treat any infections that might develop, but these can cause diarrhoea. In chronic cases, oxygen can be provided in cylinders at the patient's home.

Nutritional supplements can help to effectively alleviate symptoms

Studies have shown that smokers and patients with emphysema normally have depleted amounts of Vitamins C and A in their blood streams. Research has shown that by supplementing with 1,000mg of Vitamin C each day and 25,000units of vitamin A, this can help improve symptoms such as breathlessness (Am Rev Respir Dis 1985:132(5):1049-1054).

Scientists have found that exposure to cigarette smoke can cause a severe deficiency, not only of vitamins C and A but of other antioxidants too, such as lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin (Am J Clin Nutr 1996;63(4):559-565).

A good source of lycopene is tomatoes, so make sure you include plenty in your diet. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in berries and fruit.

Other antioxidants which have been found to be effective in improving emphysema are co-enzyme Q10 (take 30-100mg three times a day, depending on the severity of your condition), alpha lipoic acid (250mg twice a day) and acetyl-L-carnitine (1,000mg once or twice a day). These antioxidants work together to protect the alveoli against free radical damage, thereby making it easier for oxygen to filter from the alveoli to the blood stream (Clin Invest 1993;71(8):S162-166).