Remember your 10th birthday? You were expected to blowout all 10 candles on your cake in one single breath; and you did it in half a .breath Do you know that it is one of the simplest ways of testing your lung capacity.
In today's industrialised civilization we are faced with more and more environmental pollution. Lets see how it affects our lungs and how we can stand off these hazards.
We all know that breathing forms the essence of life. Through the air we breathe in, our bodies obtain the essential oxygen required to burn food to give us energy. The carbon dioxide is thrown out of the body through the lungs. Connected to the nasopharynx{cavity forming the upper part of the pharynx}by a tube called the trachea, we all have a pair of lungs situated on either side of the heart in the chest cavity. The trachea divides into two bronchi and these
bronchi further divide into bronchioles and finally into millions of alveoli.Alveoli are tiny sacs resembling a bunch of grapes. It is here that the gas exchange takes place. The lungs are like rubber balloons which expand when the air is pushed in' and contract when the air goes out. The passage of air in and out of the lungs in brought about by pressure changes in the chest cavity 'When it expands with the help of muscles. .
Inspiration (taking air in), is an active process. It results from the descent of the diaphragm (which is a sheet of muscle separating the chest and abdominal 'Dr. Aarti Jain cavities and movement of the ribs upwards and outwards by the intercostal muscles. Expiration or throwing out of air follows passively as a result of gradual lessening of contraction of the intercostal muscles allowing the lungs to collapse.
Lying quietly, we take in half a litre of air about 15 - 16 times in a minute. The actual lung capacity is 8 - 10 times and it increases with the rate of exertion. About 10,000 litres of particle laden air are inhaled daily. Unlike other organs which are sheltered{ Something that provides cover or protection}, for all practical purposes, the lungs are exposed to the environment. Our body does have its own air cleaning process and. defense mechanism, which begins with the hair in the nose. These hair trap the large dust particles. A number of irritants are simply sneezed out. The mucus secretion{ The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland}traps the free floating particulate matter and flush it down in the acid well; i.e., the stomach. The nose is equipped with an abundant circulation which removes any particle deposited in as less than 15 minutes as compared to 60 - 120 days from the alveoli. The nasal secretiqp contains many protective proteins which destroy bacteria ¬but not the viruses of common cold.
The real cleaning job is done by the cilia which ,are microscopic hair which line the air passages. They wave back and forth, like wheat in the wind, about 12 times a second. Their upward thrust sweeps mucus from lower passages to the throat where it can be swallowed. If cigarette smoke or badly contaminated air is blown on them, the wind in-the field action stops. A temporary paralysis sets in. If we allow this irritation to continue long enough the cilia wither and die, never to be replaced, as a result pollutant particles in the air clog the smaller passages and destroy lung tissue.
There is an almost endless list of agents that can cause harm to our lungs. Bacteria, viruses, cause a host of problems ranging from influenza to tuberculosis. The inflammation resulting from these irritants destroys the elastic lung tissue and is replaced by inelastic
fibrous tissue leading to fibrosis of the lung.
Lung Fibrosis is the end result of a number of diseases of the respiratory tract; e.g.,
Pneumonia, TuberculosisIn iustriallung disease Drug induced - cytotoxic drugs in cancer Raidiation. damage
The lungs have an inherent elastic property that causes them to tend to collapse away from the thoracic wall. The strength of this restrictive force is related to the amount of stretch. Thus, the greater the lung is stretched the greater pressure is generated and leads to larger inhalation of air and increased oxygen uptake. Occupational Lung Disease, Exposure to dtist~ gases, vapours and fumes can lead to:
Due to irritation caused by cigarette smoke or air pollution the respiratory passages tend to narrow thus affecting the flow of air in and out of the lungs. .
The amount of air exhaled through a forceful expiration is a good measure of lung function and is of value in evaluating a group of lung disorders known as obstructive lung disease which includes chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema.
The common symptoms of lung diseases are breathlessness, cough - dry with sputum and chest tightness or pain.
Your doctor's told you that your lung is destroyed. There's no way to reverse the damage that's been done to your airways. In short, you're stuck with these lungs that have aged beyond your chronological years. That was the worst of it. But you're smarter than this disease and here's how you are going to stay healthy.
1 Stop Smoking Now! : Yes! Your doctor already told you. But the point can't be stressed enough. Its never too late to stop. Even if you stop in your fifties or sixties you'll help slow down the deterioration in your lungs. Another plus: You may immediately increase your capacity to exercise.
2Stay Away From Passive Smoke: If the smo'ke from your cigarettes can harm you, so can the smoke from other's cigarettes or air in a smoky conference hall.
3Avoid Pollutants And Allergens: This is easier said but if you have the means you could install an air purifier in your work environment and bedroom so that you cou~d have pure air to breathe.
4Exercise: All experts agree that regular exercise is vitally important to the lungs. Walking is probably the best overall exercise. You should also exercise to tone the muscles in your upper extremities. Try using 1 to 2 pound hand weights and work' the muscles in the neck, upper shoulders and chest. This is important because people with chronic lung diseases use their neck and upper respiratory chest muscles more than other people.
5Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight: It takes more energy to carry extra body weight. The closer you are to your ideal weight, the better for your lungs.
6Yoga
a) Pranayama techniques should be religiously followed to make your breathing effective and uniform. Breathe from your diaphragm. This is the most efficient way to breathe as it sucks air right down to the deepest alveoli. Keep those airways open. You can strengthen your breathing muscles ~f you blowout slowly through pursed lips for 30 minutes a day. Try to exhale twice as long as it took you to breathe in. This will help you rid the lungs of stale air, so fresh air can get in.
b) Use Relaxation techniques: If you consciously view the disease as a threat, you'll arouse some physiological mechanisms that can make your lung condition worse. When you are in a constant state of alarm, you are demanding a lot of oxygen in the process. Alarm is created by the thought process, which you can control. That means you can also control the physiological
mechanisms.
c) Shift your focus to the present: When you fihd yourself feeling guilty that you brought on your disease, shift your orientation to the present and concentrate on what's happening now. You can't deal with events that happened in the past, You can only learn from them. Anger and self blame are normal. Your best bet is to talk about it and then let it go.
at a well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to supply you with adequate vitamins and antioxidants.
|
