What is emphysema? The symptoms and treatment of this disease are quite serious. It is accompanied by shortness of breath, severe cough, respiratory failure. The disease affects the heart and lungs, so if left untreated, the likelihood of death is high.
Description of the disease
Emphysema is a disease in which the alveoli in the lungs begin to expand. The walls of this organ are destroyed. Therefore, lung tissue completely changes in structure. This disease can be attributed to obstructive diseases, just like bronchitis with asthmatic syndrome and asthma.
From the Greek language, the word “emphysema” is translated as “bloating”. It most often affects the elderly, as well as men. The disease does not have an acute course, it is chronic. It should also be noted that she always progresses quickly and strongly.
Due to the fact that the inflammation lasts for quite a long time, and also the airways narrow, the lung tissue does not stretch, so after exhalation there is air left that should have beenexit.
Types of emphysema
Before considering methods of treating emphysema, it is necessary to pay attention to what types of it people can suffer from. The disease can be localized and diffuse. In the first case, all the lungs will be affected, in the second, only some parts. If we consider the diffuse type, then the entire tissue is affected, so a person may experience bronchitis.
Besides this, some other forms of emphysema are also known.
- Distinguish senile, which develops due to the age of the person. In this case, the tissues are not destroyed, but only slightly deformed.
- The most common form is vesicular. It should be noted that it is one of the dangerous forms, since with it all changes are irreversible. Therefore, the treatment of emphysema in this case will be quite difficult.
- The interstitial form is characterized by the fact that when it accumulates air under the pleura. This is due to the fact that the bronchi begin to rupture. It is not uncommon for lung tissue to swell after a lung is removed from a person, or after an asthma attack.
- The vicarious form differs in that one area of the lung increases, and the second remains normal, while the alveoli are also in perfect order.
- The last form is Macleod's syndrome. It differs in that a person develops inflammation, the cause of which cannot be identified. Vessels and tissues are affected only on one side.
Causes of disease
The causes of emphysema can be called asthma and any other diseases that haveobstructive type. Quite often, such diseases can be caused by smoking, while passive too. If a person is constantly under the influence of any toxins, then the likelihood of developing emphysema is also huge. If the microcirculation in the lung tissue is disturbed, then, most likely, a person develops emphysema. Under the influence of such factors, the lungs begin to be damaged, respectively, it is difficult for them to fill with air and remove it. The disease is constantly progressing, so over time, the branches of the bronchi will stick together. In this case, pulmonary emphysema is treated surgically. Cysts may form and lung tissue swells. When the first ones rupture, the person develops a pneumothorax. In patients who suffer from this disease, the lungs resemble a sponge with large pores.
Symptomatics
Symptoms of emphysema include weight loss, stoop, protrusion of the dimples that are above the collarbones, problems with listening to breathing, barrel-shaped chest, severe shortness of breath. If we are talking about the development of diffuse emphysema in adults (its treatment is quite complicated), then on the x-ray you can see that the diaphragm is too low, and the lung area is too transparent. The heart changes its position, it becomes more vertical, and severe respiratory failure occurs. The symptomatology of localized emphysema is due to the fact that the injured areas of the lungs put pressure on he althy ones, so a person can even experience asthma attacks.
Forecast
Ifrefuse to treat emphysema (in Germany - the best clinics that accept patients with this pathology), then it begins to progress greatly. A person develops heart and respiratory failure. Therefore, the patient may remain disabled. Disability develops. Unfortunately, with emphysema, death is inevitable, it can occur even earlier than three or four years. Accordingly, the forecast is unfavorable.
If therapy is carried out regularly, and inhalations are also made, then the quality of life can be improved, its duration can be increased. A favorable prognosis is already considered to be life expectancy of up to 5 years with this disease, however, with good therapy and with proper observance of all doctor's recommendations, this period increases to 10-20 years.
Is it possible to fully recover?
Emphysema can be treated with both traditional and folk medicine. However, it should be noted that the second option is not very effective and they can only eliminate the symptoms. It is imperative that you consult a doctor. This is due to the fact that it is he who will be able to prescribe an effective treatment. Depending on the condition of the patient, it will be decided where to carry out the therapy: on an outpatient basis or in a hospital. Due to the fact that the change in lung tissue cannot be reversed, it must be concluded that emphysema is not completely curable. However, if effective treatment is started in time, it is possible to prevent the development of pathology. In some cases, in the treatment of emphysema, surgical treatment is the only trueoption.
Drugs that are prescribed should improve bronchial patency. For this, inhalations are also prescribed. If there is a nebulizer at home, then this can be done directly at home, it is allowed to come to the hospital.
Be sure to take glucocorticoid hormones. Also, the doctor will prescribe drugs that allow you to thin the sputum and expectorate it. The most commonly used drugs are those prescribed for bronchitis.
If the cause is chronic bronchitis, then you have to take antibiotics. In this case, it will be necessary to identify the causative agent of the primary disease, and only in this case it is possible to choose a special drug that will completely get rid of the symptoms.
If there is respiratory failure, then oxygen therapy will have to be used. Traditional medicine can be used without a pause, but drug therapy should last no more than a month. Below we describe in more detail the methods of traditional medicine, as well as folk.
Treatment methods
In the treatment of emphysema, therapy should be aimed at ensuring that a person completely eliminates respiratory failure, and the cause of the development of the disease should also be minimized. If the patient smokes, then he must first of all give up this bad habit. In this case, you can use special drugs and it is allowed to resort to the help of a psychologist.
If a patient develops emphysema due to some primary disease,then it is necessary to treat it in the first place. Often use antibiotics, mucolytics, which must be selected individually. In order to facilitate breathing, you can use special physical exercises. Massage helps to remove phlegm. Some drugs will expand the bronchi.
Also, patients are prescribed air supply to the lungs. As a rule, depending on the symptomatology, a solution with either low or normal oxygen content is used. The course of such therapy lasts no more than 3 weeks. If a person has a pronounced failure of the respiratory process, then it is necessary to inhale with pure oxygen. If the situation is completely neglected, then ventilation is used.
Treatment of bullous emphysema is carried out with the help of surgical intervention. In this case, the doctor must remove all existing cysts. The operation is performed using an endoscope or in the classical way. If done on time, the development of pneumothorax can be avoided.
Traditional medicine
Treatment of emphysema with folk remedies improves the breathing process, strengthens the body, some methods easily remove sputum and also expand the bronchi.
First of all, you need to pay attention to infusions and decoctions. With the help of them you can do inhalation, they can also be taken orally. Before you start using traditional medicine, you need to think about the fact that an unsuccessful attempt to take any medicinal herbs can cost a person either he alth or life. You can use onion, garlic, honeycomb, aloe, kalanchoe and so on. Let's look at some other options that are the most popular.
Often, in the treatment of emphysema, folk remedies use milk, to which carrot juice is added. The first should be warmed up, and also be high in fat. Add one tablespoon of carrot juice to it. It is necessary to take this drug 3 weeks before eating.
Ledum also treats symptoms well. It is necessary to pour the dried preparation into boiling water, leave for an hour. You need to drink 50 ml. Do not take more than twice a day.
Horsetail and fennel tincture is also a good option. It is necessary to fill the jar in equal proportions with these plants and pour in boiling water. Infusions must be kept for at least 60 minutes. Drink three times a day, 100 ml.
You can make tea from thyme, mint and sage. They should also be mixed in equal proportions, chopped, poured into a thermos and poured with boiling water. You need to drink 70 ml after each meal.
Black radish juice will be an effective way. This vegetable must be washed and peeled. Next, squeeze the juice out of it, mix with a spoonful of honey. It is necessary to take two tablespoons twice a day. Should be done before meals.
Breathing exercises
Treatment of emphysema according to the method of Dr. Bubnovsky involves special exercises. This doctor believes that the body itself is able to overcome all problems with the respiratory muscles. Therefore, you can use the respiratorygymnastics.
You just need to get the rib muscles to work. Stretching the chest is quite difficult, but it is possible. It is necessary to use an exercise called "Pullover". In order to perform it, you need to have dumbbells and a bench nearby. It is necessary to bend the knees of the legs, lying on the bench. You should take a dumbbell with your hands, which should weigh no more than 2 kg, lower it behind your head, while inhaling. You need to do it only through the nose. The dumbbell should be raised above your head and lowered as you exhale. It should sound like "ha". The diaphragm is stretched, and the intercostal muscles are also contracted. It is necessary every day to put your hands behind your head more and more.
When a person's range of motion begins to increase, the intercostal muscles stretch. Thus, the thoracic spine is also involved. This effect is quite noticeable. Reviews of the treatment of pulmonary emphysema according to the Bubnovsky method make it possible to understand that the exercise really helps in many cases. They need to be taken before meals. Repeat about 15 times, divided into two sets. Every month you need to increase the weight of the dumbbells.
Initially, there may be discomfort and muscle tension, but over time, these symptoms disappear. This exercise will help with other diseases, and it also affects the functioning of the intestines. If you use this exercise in complex therapy along with medications, then the effect will not be long in coming.
Possible Complications
If a person does not treat emphysema, or if the pathology progresses too quickly,various complications may arise. Among them are ventilation problems and hypertension, as well as insufficiency, due to which swelling of the legs, hepatomegaly, and so on.
The most dangerous complication is pneumothorax, which develops spontaneously. With its development, it is necessary to drain the pleural cavity and carry out aspiration of air.
Prevention
In order to never know what it is - emphysema (symptoms, treatment is quite severe), it is necessary to take preventive measures. First of all, you should always treat bronchitis and other diseases associated with the respiratory system. Also, if a person smokes, then he needs to sharply abandon this bad habit once and for all.
The best prevention of pathologies of the respiratory system is walking in the fresh air, as well as sports. You need to take care of your immune system. You can use various folk remedies that will improve the body's defenses, as well as immunostimulants. Then you won't have to think about the treatment of emphysema.
