Non-TB lung disease increasing in the U.S.

BETHESDA, Md. (UPI) — The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says incidents of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria lung disease are increasing across the nation.

Researchers said non-tuberculous mycobacteria are environmental organisms found in both water and soil that can cause severe pulmonary disease in humans — and a large study indicates the disease is increasing.

A research team led by epidemiologists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, analyzed hospital discharge records of patients in 11 states whose combined total population represents 42 percent of the country. They said they reviewed database records spanning 1998 to 2005 and identified more than 16,475 hospitalizations associated with non-tuberculosis mycobacteria in people without AIDS.

Before the widespread availability of combination antiretroviral therapy, pulmonary disease was a common opportunistic infection among people with AIDS. The study was limited to patients not suffering from AIDS.

Researchers said of the 11 states studied, Florida, New York and California had 62 percent of the pulmonary hospitalizations.

Study results show while overall prevalence of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria lung disease is higher in women, prevalence increases for both sexes in the fifth or sixth decade of life, the scientists said.

The research appears in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 7th Oct 2009

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Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 7th Sept 2009

The Cystic Fibrosis Crisis?

How can we avoid it?

Any involvement with  cystic fibrosis,? Then you understand and appreciate the difficulties that come with living with this disease.

So what exactly is it and how does it affect the body?

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic disease of the lungs and digestive system that is inherited and affects tens of thousands of people throughout the world ever year, both adults and children. This condition is caused by a defective gene which causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs, making it difficult to breathe and causing life-threatening lung infections.

Cystic fibrosis symptoms

The symptoms of cystic fibrosis may include salty-tasting skin, persistent cough with phlegm, wheezing and shortness of breath, lung infections, poor growth and weight gain, difficulty with bowell movements, etc.

Statistics show that around 1,000 plus cases in the USA alone new cases of CF are discovered each year and most people are diagnosed before the age of two.

New testing techniques allow people to get a diagnosis at an earlier age, making it easier to seek proper treatment and maintenance of the condition.

Back about 50 years ago or before, people with cystic fibrosis would be expected to not make it into their teens. In fact, most children with the disease would not make it to elementary school. But today new advancements have made it possible for people with cystic fibrosis to live much longer lives and in many cases even live fairly normal lives, even with the condition.

Over 40% of the cystic fibrosis population today is over the age of 18 with the average life span reaching 37 years old. This may seem grim to some but when compared to the statistics of a few years ago, that is a major advancement. Advancements also include better treatments to help with CF in children and adults.

Cystic fibrosis treatment

Some treatments include causing cough to help loosen the mucus in the airways to increase breathing. There are also new therapies to help increase longevity and there are many organizations to help people with cystic fibrosis and their families. If you or someone in your family has cystic fibrosis, don’t be afraid to seek all the help you can get. You don’t have to live with this disease alone.

The more you learn about lung health and how to increase your lung health, the longer and happier you will live.

Learn this lesson quickly and add quality years to your life.

Published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

SARS – THE VIRUS

You Need to Know

IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

SARS is one of the most dangerous viruses on the face of the earth. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

It infects the lungs. It is one of the most dangerous and contagious diseases on the face of the earth because it is most often fatal.

The first appearance of SARS was discovered in China recently  in November of late 2002.

Within an extremely important period of time, only six weeks, the SARS virus had spread throughout the entire world. It was mainly spread by international travelers that did not know they had contracted the disease.

During that period of time the World Health Organization or WHO, said that close to 8,000 people were infected. Along with those infections a total of eight hundred people died of the SARS syndrome. During this initial outbreak the entire world was in a complete panic. The world was concerned over the fact that the virus could have turned into a global pandemic. The good thing is that this pandemic never occurred and there has not been an outbreak of SARS since 2004.

SARS has many signs and symptoms that are associated with it.

When someone first contracts SARS they have a low fever.

This symptom usually does not start until ten days after the virus is contracted. Some of the most obvious signs of contraction of the SARS disease is a headache and muscle soreness. Another symptom that some people get is chills or discomfort.

Many people develop a small, dry cough after approximately five days. Some cases of SARS can develop into bad cases of pneumonia resulting in depleted oxygen levels in the blood. If you do have SARS you should stay home because you don’t want to start a global pandemic! After symptoms go away, you should still stay home for approximately ten days to ensure that your illness is gone.

Knowing when to see a doctor can sometimes be difficult. If you have any of the signs or symptoms of SARS you should immediately seek medical assistance. Part of saving yourself from SARS is catching it early. If you let SARS go untreated for a long period of time then you may find that it becomes fatal. There is little chance that SARS will ever turn into another global pandemic. It is still important to monitor people for symptoms of SARS because there is always a possibility that the illness will resurface once again.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Some Emphysema insights

A very commonly known lung disease is emphysema.

It is affecting millions of people each year and causes shortness of breath and reduces your ability to take part in physical activities. The most common cause of emphysema is smoking but not all people who contract it are smokers.

Emphysema causes damage to the small air sacs and the tiny airways in the lungs. This damage will obstruct the airways when you breathe, blocking breathing and making it difficult to breathe and painful to exhale.

Chronic Emphysema

Emphysema is a progressive disease which means it gets worse over time. The longer you have it, especially if untreated and if you continue to smoke, the worse it will get. When emphysema becomes advanced, the person will have to work very hard to be able to breathe out. Expelling air can become a difficult task in itself. The bad thing about emphysema is that since it develops over many years, many people don’t notice significant symptoms until the disease has already progressed beyond repairs.

How to identify emphysema symptoms

What are some signs and symptoms of emphysema?

The most obvious signs are usually shortness of breath and a reduced ability for physical activity. Other symptoms may include a chronic, mild cough, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. Symptoms will worsen over time. At the first suspicious signs of symptoms or that something is wrong, you should seek the assistance of a professional. There are certain tests that can be performed to help determine if you may be suffering from emphysema and also to see what kind of damage there is to the lungs.

The Emphysema Stages

There are four stages of emphysema:

At-risk, which would be characterized by a chronic cough and sputum production.

Mild emphysema, during which there might be a mild reduction of airflow a chronic cough and some sputum production.

Moderate emphysema features a noticeable reduction in airflow and shortness of breath when working hard, walking fast, or doing other mildly strenuous activity. At this stage of emphysema, a person usually often begins to feel the need to see a doctor.

Severe emphysema is characterized by severe airflow and breathing limitations. Complications like respiratory failure or signs of heart failure may even develop. Quality of life can be greatly greatly reduced and the condition may even be life threatening.

Care and Prevention

Prevention is an important part of lung care and avoiding emphysema. The more you learn about how to take care of your lungs, eat healthy and avoid harmful chemicals such as cigarette smoking, the better your lungs will be and the better your overall health will be. If you have questions or concerns about emphysema or your own lung health, speak with a qualified health professional right away to learn more about how you can improve your lung health and quality of life.

There are certain circumstances that can increase your risk factor of obtaining emphysema. Some of these risk factors include age (those 50-60 may first experience tobacco-related symptoms), exposure to secondhand smoke, exposure to certain indoor and outdoor pollutants, and exposure to chemical fumes from your job, hereditary exposure (if someone in your family has emphysema), HIV infection and certain connective tissue disorders.

If you are at risk and then experience shortness of breath, frequent breathing trouble and difficulty with physical activity, it is important to see your doctor for a series of tests to determine the cause and possible treatment if you do have

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Bronchitis and chronic bronchitis

Without clean air and plenty of it going into your lungs, you are running the risk of infection in the lungs and complications in all parts of your body from the lack of clean oxygen.\

Someone you love or yourself is living with bronchitis, you know how frustrating in can be to have this lung/breathing condition. So what exactly is it and what can you do if you have to live with it? Bronchitis is basically an acute inflammation of the airways in your lungs. When these airways (the trachea and the large and small bronchi) become inflamed, it is difficult or impossible to breathe.

Chronic bronchitis is a form of bronchitis that continues for a long period of time or keeps coming back.

See below for more information on chronic bronchitis and ways to identify a bronchitis symptom.

Bronchitis causes

Infection is a common cause of bronchitis or a trigger for it. Both children and adults can get bronchitis and it affects them the same. When you have bronchitis, the mucous lining of your airways will become irritated and swollen, making it hard for sufficient air to pass through. In addition, the cells that make up this lining might leak fluids into your lungs and in severe cases, when left untreated it can develop into other conditions such as pneumonia.

The main cause of chronic bronchitis is smoking. The more a person smokes, the more likely they’ll eventually get bronchitis and it will become chronic bronchitis.

Some people have a more severe risk of getting bronchitis such as people who smoke, people who have had it or pneumonia before, people with a weakened immune system and anyone with exposure to lung irritants. Secondhand smoke may also cause chronic bronchitis. Air pollution, infection, and allergies make chronic bronchitis worse.

Chronic bronchitis is one of several forms of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma are among the leading lung diseases in the United States.

Identifying a bronchitis symptom

One of the most common symptoms associated with bronchitis is a severe cough. Often this is what leads people to seek medical treatment in the first place. Because bronchitis usually comes along with the common cold or an upper respiratory infection, you may have symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, sore throat, nasal congestion and more.

Coughing is a typical bronchitis symptom. Your cough from bronchitis may be dry or it may have phlegm if fluids are already developing there. Your cough may last two weeks or more. Severe coughing for long periods of time will make your chest sore and abdominal muscles sore and can lead to bruising. In some cases, bronchial cough has been severe enough to injure the chest wall or even cause a person to pass out.

Wheezing or shortness of breath is another common bronchitis symptom. So how does someone get bronchitis? Usually it is caused by a virus or infection such as influenza (A and B), common colds, or a lung infection. Certain bacteria can cause bronchitis as well as irritations from certain fumes or dust. Tobacco or cigarette smoke is a common cause for many people, especially children.

Bronchitis treatment

What kind of treatment is there for bronchitis? Most types of bronchitis are caused by viral infections which can not be treated with antibiotics. Usually doctors will help you treat the symptoms until it heals and goes away on its own. If it is determined that your bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection, then antibiotics may be given.

One way to treat and prevent bronchitis is to avoid the causes and triggers of it in the first place. You can also self-treat discomfort at home with Tylenol (acetaminophen), drinking fluids, using a vaporizer, etc.

Never allow your bronchitis to go untreated, especially if you see the symptoms are getting worse since it may develop into a more serious condition such as pneumonia.

Death is a serious and real option if this condition is neglected.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

The  Legionnaire’s Disease syndrum

Can be fatal if not treated

It  is an extremely severe form of pneumonia. The cause of Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterium, specifically the bacterium called legionella. This is a disease that is difficult for people to transmit between each other.

Most people come down with this disease by inhaling bacteria out of the air. There are specific groups of people that are more at risk for coming down with this disease. The specific groups of people that are at a high risk for this disease are people that smoke, adults that are older, and people with weakened or damaged immune systems.

Legionella bacterium is also a type of bacterium that can result in a specific type of fever called Pontiac Fever. The Pontiac fever is a milder type of fever that resembles the common flu.

Has been found in commercial air conditioner units and potting mixes with a high level of stagnant moisture.

The good news is that this fever is usually an illness that clears up on its own without serious medical treatment. Most people do not realize that Legionnaires ’ disease can be fatal if it is not treated. The good news is that antibiotics can easily cure the disease, but catching the disease early on is the key to successful treatment.

There are several common symptoms that are related to this unusual disease. In most cases the first symptoms develop anywhere from a couple to fourteen days after taking in legionella bacterium.

Some of the symptoms that you can come down with include headaches, muscle pains, chills, and a fever of over 104 F. By the time you actually have the disease in your system you can also have symptoms of chest pain, fatigue, and loss of appetite. In very severe cases you can even come down with a symptom of mental confusion.

Knowing when to see a doctor can be difficult if you think you have this disease. If you have any of the symptoms you should monitor them extremely closely. If you think you have the disease because of symptoms that you have you should immediately seek medical attention at the doctor’s office.

The key to stopping this disease in its tracks is catching it early in the piece. If you fail to catch this disease early on it will be more difficult to treat. By diagnosing it early you can stop it from spreading to other parts of your body.

If you do come down with the disease you should not panic.

Be aware that it is a disease that is completely treatable so just stay calm and take care of your body!

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Tuberculosis or “TB?”

IS IT STILL WITH US?

Tuberculosis was a common and very deadly infectious disease that luckily is affecting fewer people since the world has available to it now a vaccine for it. Unfortunately, there are still a high number of people dying from this infection yearly. This disease, often abbreviated TB, is caused by mycobacteria such as Mycobacterrium tuberculosis. It most commonly attacks the lungs which is why it is associated and classified with other lung diseases and conditions. However, TB can also attack other parts of the body such as the central nervous system, circulatory system, bones, joints, skin and even the lymphatic system.

It may be shocking to know that over 1/3 of the world’s population has been exposed to the bacteria that cause TB at some time. However, not everyone who is exposed will contract TB. Some also have asymptomatic or latent tuberculosis infections. One in ten of these latent infections will develop into active TB. Untreated tuberculosis will kill more than half of people infected with it so if you know or suspect you have it, prompt treatment is crucial.

You should get to a doctor right away to be tested and treated for your TB infection before it worsens and causes death or severe, irreversible lung damage. TB also commonly affects people with AIDS, HIV and other immune-declining conditions. When the immune system is weakened, such as with these conditions, it makes it easier for the person to contract TB and harder for the body to fight it.

Symptoms of TB

Some symptoms of TB are chest pain, prolonged cough for more than three weeks, coughing up blood, fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, pallor and fatigue. These symptoms are also common in other conditions and diseases and other lung conditions so if you think you may have been exposed to TB and are now showing these symptoms, you will need to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis.

How do you get tuberculosis?

There are different ways of contracting TB. It is contagious if you are around someone else who has it. The person with TB may expel the bacteria when they breathe, cough, sneeze, talk, kiss or spit. It can also be contracted from sharing needles with a person who is infected. People in high risk conditions such as health-care workers or those people on immune-suppressant drugs will need to be extra careful of contracting tuberculosis.

Treatment for tuberculosis involves an antibiotic to kill the bacteria that are causing the disease. You may also be given medications to ease your symptoms until the bacteria is gone. You many be quarantined until the active stage is passed and you are no longer contagious. Treatment is very important to ensure you can live a long and healthy life, even after you’ve had tuberculosis.

There have been numerous peoples who have fully recovered from this disease called TB.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

What is sleep apnea?

Do you snore?

Lung and throat problems?

Has there been times when you have been told that you snore and keep others awake? Have you ever awakened yourself from loud and excessive snoring? Do you feel like you are not getting enough sleep at night or wake up still tired? If so, then it is possible you are suffering from sleep apnea.

Apnea is Greek work that means “without breath”

and that is essentially what is happening when you sleep.

Anyone of any age can get sleep apnea, even children. However, there are certain conditions that make you more likely to suffer from it. Some risk factors that increase your chances of getting sleep apnea are excess weight, a thick neck circumference, high blood pressure or hypertension, being male, being a person over age 65, having a narrowed throat or enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a family history of sleep apnea, being a smoker, or using alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers before bed.

There are also certain conditions that can increase your risk of having central sleep apnea. For example, if you are male, if you live in high altitudes, if you have a heart disorder such as atrial fibrillation or if you have had a stroke or brain tumor, it will increase your risk. If you feel you may have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away to find out what kind of treatment works for you.

Remember your sleep is very important and if you can’t breathe, it will affect your sleep.

Types of sleep apnea

There are two main types of sleep apnea–obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Both will have the same symptoms but they are caused by different things. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type and occurs when throat muscle relax and obstruct breathing. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn’t send the right breathing signals out during sleeping. Sleep apnea is more common in older adults than young people and more common in men than in women.

Sleep apnea symptoms

What are some signs and symptoms that you may have sleep apnea? Difficulty staying asleep or marked daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, cessation of breathing during sleep, shortness of breath, awakening due to cessation of breathing, morning headaches, waking with dry mouth and sore throat are all some common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.

There are different types of sleep apnea treatment ensure you get the proper sleep at night and that you continue breathing properly. Some people undergo treatment to remove tissue from certain areas like the nose, mouth or throat to prevent obstruction and other people may need to use a breathing device at night to keep breathing.

Some people with sleep apnea are not aware that their sleep has been interrupted. They may wonder why they have fatigue and feel sleepy throughout the day. Often the awakening during the night is so brief, you may not remember it by the next morning.

Who gets sleep apnea? Do you?

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

What You Should be aware of about Asthma

From early onset to full diagnosis & possible cure

You have heard of asthma, even if we do not know exactly what it is. How much do you know about asthma, its causes, its symptoms and its treatment? You’re not alone if you discover that you don’t know as much as you thought you did. Here are some revelations about asthma.

First, know that asthma can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex, race or other factors. It is most common in children or people with a family history of asthma although it can occur in families with no history and early-onset asthma is also possible.

We know that asthma is caused my inflammation in the airways of the lungs which leads to the common symptoms of asthma but we do not know exactly what causes this inflammation. We do, however, know what types of conditions and circumstances can attribute to or cause a flare-up of asthma. We call these asthma triggers.

Exercise is one of the most common triggers of asthma and even people with mild asthma can experience symptoms triggered by exercise. However, getting exercise is actually good for your body and your asthma; you just need proper treatment while doing so.

Pollen and certain types of molds are another trigger for people with asthma. During the season of hay fever, many people with asthma need additional treatment and may have trouble going outdoors. Indoor molds can also contribute to asthma flare-ups.

Upper respiratory infections are another common trigger for asthma. If you have a cold, flu or other type respiratory infection, you will likely have an occurrence of asthma symptoms.

Certain foods and certain medicines can also trigger asthma symptoms. These can vary from person to person and can be allergy-related so your doctor can help you determine your triggers and avoid them as much as possible.

Emotions can also affect your asthma. While asthma is not directly related to your nerves or your emotional state, there are certain emotions such as stress or even laughter than can cause or aggravate the symptoms of asthma.

Please note that these things do not cause asthma, nor do allergies cause asthma, they just contribute to the condition and often lead to flare-ups or “attacks” as they are often called. If you have asthma, your children could be at a greater risk for getting it too so it’s important to learn the early warning signs and keep an eye on it.

There is no cure for asthma but there are many treatments available. Advancements in technology and medicine every day are leading us to new treatments and possibly a cure in the future but for now, we have to settle for the treatment plans our doctors deem best for us.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009