What You Need To Know About COPD

I recently had a friend lose a loved one to COPD and have information below about COPD from Wikipedia. If you or a loved one are experiencing the signs or symptoms of COPD please see your doctor. COPD is on the rise and it is a deadly disease. I have also included a link to The Heart Lung And Blood Institute as well as to Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia;

"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of two commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. In contrast to asthma, the limitation of airflow is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

Signs and symptoms
One of the most common symptoms of COPD is shortness of breath (dyspnea). People with COPD commonly describe this as: "My breathing requires effort," "I feel out of breath," or "I can't get enough air in". People with COPD typically first notice dyspnea during vigorous exercise when the demands on the lungs are greatest. Over the years, dyspnea tends to get gradually worse so that it can occur during milder, everyday activities such as housework. In the advanced stages of COPD, dyspnea can become so bad that it occurs during rest and is constantly present.

Other symptoms of COPD are a persistent cough, sputum or mucus production, wheezing, chest tightness, and tiredness.

People with advanced (very severe) COPD sometimes develop respiratory failure. When this happens, cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, can occur. An excess of carbon dioxide in the blood can cause headaches, drowsiness or twitching (asterixis). A complication of advanced COPD is cor pulmonale, a strain on the heart due to the extra work required by the heart to pump blood through the affected lungs. Symptoms of cor pulmonale are peripheral edema, seen as swelling of the ankles, and dyspnea.

There are a few signs of COPD that a healthcare worker may detect although they can be seen in other diseases. Some people have COPD and have none of these signs. Common signs are:
tachypnea, a rapid breathing rate wheezing sounds or crackles in the lungs heard through a stethoscope breathing out taking a longer time than breathing in
enlargement of the chest, particularly the front-to-back distance (hyperinflation)
active use of muscles in the neck to help with breathing breathing through pursed lips increased anteroposterior to lateral ratio of the chest (i.e. barrel chest)."


http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COPD

For Lisa

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar!

We all know that Valentines day is right around the corner! I don't want to be a downer, but over the last couple of weeks so much information is coming out about sugar I feel like I had to go ahead and post this now.

I don't know if all of us realize or understand the different ways that sugar damages and ravishes your body unless you are a doctor. The coalition between sugar, pancreatic cancer and diabetes is disturbing. I watch a lot of the informative shows available today like The Doctors and the Dr. Oz show and I am blown away by the amount of information we now have access to. Studies released this week show that people who drink one or two sodas a week have an 87 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer and to top it off they feel that sugar fuels tumors. I was very surprised to find how much sugar is in things like ranch dressing and ketchup. They say that we eat 40lbs more sugar per person, per year than a generation ago. That is shocking to me.

Diabetes is the fastest growing disease in history and is running rampant in the African American community. Hundreds of people are dying daily from complications from diabetes. Sugar is being terrifyingly described as glass shards ripping through your body, cutting you and leaving scars in its wake, which leads to harding of the arteries. Belly fat is a clue that you may be a prime candidate for becoming a diabetic and if it runs in your family that should be a no brainier that you should monitor your sugar carefully. Apple cider vinegar is a super hero because it lowers the glycemic index in whatever you add it to.

I myself was diagnosed as a boarded line hypoglycemic when I was in my early 20's. I should have joined Chocoholics anonymous. Because heaven to me was a box of Godiva chocolates! Thanks for the fond memories and I will always adore you, but sugar in my life is strongly monitored. I already have hereditary high blood pressure and sugar would have complicated my life even more. So read labels for sodium as well as considering the amount of sugar you have in your life and take care of you!!