| Protect Your Lung Health
Lung Health Day Is a Good Time to
Learn Tips for Breathing Easier
Tri-City Voice, October 28, 2009
Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhaling and
exhaling are perhaps the most basic -
and seemingly natural - actions we take
almost every moment of every day.
Each year, to help members of the
public focus on good lung health, the
American Association for Respiratory
Care (AARC) observes Lung Health Day as
part of its Respiratory Care Week
celebration.
Safeguarding lung health has many
facets, from protecting against
bacterial and viral respiratory
illnesses to making sure to minimize
exposure to environmental and workplace
pollutants that can damage lungs.
Protect your lungs, guard against
flu
A major - and sometimes unexpected -
impact on lung health comes from the
seasonal influenza virus, and more
recently, the appearance of the
H1N1strain of the virus.
"It's H1N1 season, so it's a good
idea for people to be aware of that
since the most fatal complication is
pneumonia and ARDS (acute respiratory
distress syndrome) which requires
intubation and intensive care," says Dr.
Carmencita Agcaoili, pulmonologist and
ICU Director for Washington Hospital.
According to Dr. Agcaoili, some of
the steps for flu prevention are simple
ones, but they represent highly
effective means of minimizing the spread
of respiratory disease.
"Simple solutions like hand washing
and covering your mouth when your have
cough are important for the public to
exercise more so now with the possible
pandemic," she notes.
Because the flu virus is spread
largely through person-to-person contact
- coughing or sneezing of people with
the virus - the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
taking the following actions:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a
tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after
each use.
- Wash your hands often with soap
and water, especially after you
cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand
cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose
or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Stay home if you get sick. CDC
recommends that you stay home from
work or school and limit contact
with others to keep from infecting
them.
- Follow public health advice
regarding school closures, avoiding
crowds and other social distancing
measures.
- Find healthy ways to deal with
stress and anxiety.
For more information about flu
season, as well as updated
recommendations from the CDC, visit
www.cdc.gov
or visit
www.whhs.com.
Managing chronic lung disease
For those with chronic lung disease,
such as asthma or chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorder (COPD), maintaining
lung health may be a daily battle. And
in this fight a patient's best advocate
can be a respiratory therapist, who is
on the frontlines of the quest for
better breathing.
Margaret Chaika, RCP, coordinator of
Washington Hospital's Pulmonary
Rehabilitation Program, helps people
with chronic respiratory disease breathe
better every day.
Chaika says the first step to
managing chronic respiratory disease is
acknowledging it.
"If you are short of breath, don't
sit at home and do nothing about it,"
she says. Talk to your physician and
come to our community support group
Better Breathing for Life Club. It is
free and it's important to know that you
are not alone."
Chaika points out that chronic
respiratory diseases are not something
to be taken lightly, as they represent
the fourth leading cause of death in the
United States. If you have been
experiencing shortness of breath,
difficulty breathing or have a tough
time completing tasks of daily living,
these are indicators that you should
talk to your doctor.
To determine your lung function, your
physician might order a pulmonary
function test called spirometry, which
is noninvasive testing that measures
airflow and volume. Testing can be done
in your physician's office and will help
determine a baseline for lung function.
If it is determined that your lung
function has reached a certain level of
impairment, oftentimes pulmonary
rehabilitation will be prescribed. At
Washington Hospital, Chaika works
closely with patients to improve their
quality of life through a variety of
breathing exercises.
"I help people breathe better through
breathing retraining," she says. "I
teach my patients pursed lip breathing,
diaphragmatic breathing and show them
how to coordinate these techniques with
exercise and activities of daily
living."
Guard against lung damage
To prevent lung disease, Chaika says
people need to be aware of potential
sources of lung damage and take care to
guard against them.
"We hear it all the time, but the
most important thing you can do to
protect lung health is: do not smoke,"
she emphasizes. "But overall, you need
to protect your lungs from fumes,
chemicals, asbestos, mold and
re-infections like pneumonia to try to
prevent scarring. Also, prevent
infections by washing your hands! And
get your vaccines."
Dr. Agcaoili agrees that quitting
smoking - or not starting in the first
place - is the single most effective way
of preventing lung disease, especially
the most difficult to diagnose and treat
form of cancer.
"In the United States, the combined
annual deaths from breast and colon
would not equal the toll of lung
cancer," she says. "This disease
represents the most preventable cause of
death in our country, and it's becoming
a worldwide problem."
For those who want to quit smoking -
even those who have tried several times
- Dr. Agcaoili recommends taking a
multifaceted approach, including social
support, medication and behavior
modification.
"There's a behavioral aspect to
smoking in addition to the chemical
addiction to nicotine," she says.
"Nicotine dependence is like heroin
addiction, and it's even worse."
There is hope. Dr. Agcaoili says
there are many new medications on the
market to help combat smoking addiction,
and it's important to make an
appointment with your physician to find
out which one is right for you.
In addition to medication, seeking
out social support and tools for
quitting can help you quit.
Taking control of your lung health
Next Monday, Nov. 2, Washington
Hospital will hold a free Stop Smoking
Workshop from 12 to 3 p.m. in the Conrad
E. Anderson, M.D. Auditorium, Rooms A
and B, located at 2500 Mowry Avenue,
across the street from the main
hospital.
Register online at
www.whhs.com or call (800) 963-7070.
For more information about the Better
Breathing for Life Club, call (510)
494-7025. To find out more about the
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at
Washington Hospital, visit
www.whhs.com, click the
"Services" tab, scroll to "Clinical
Services," and select "Pulmonary
Medicine." |
