Friday’s COPD Newsletter from COPD Support, Inc.
Volume 10, Issue 03
December 18, 2009
Joan Costello, Editor
IMMUNE CELLS LINKED TO WORSENING COPD
By Deborah Leader, RN. What does the immune system have to do with COPD? Lots — at least that is what the latest research is telling us. Scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the immune system’s role in the progression of COPD. A new study, conducted by the University of Michigan and Veteran’s Affairs, found that dendritic cells, a type of immune cell that works to initiate the immune response, seem to get more active in the lungs as COPD progresses. Researchers believe that if they could alter, or completely stop, the action of these cells, they could possibly stop the disease from progressing.
COPD is a lung disease characterized, in part, by chronic inflammation which is extremely destructive to lung tissue and takes a heavy toll on patients. Overactive immune cells are thought to play a key role in the inflammatory process. If scientists could only make the dendritic cells less inflammatory without interfering in the body’s ability to fight infection, they may be able to prevent COPD from getting worse. Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen, but scientists are hopeful.
To learn more about this study or to participate in a COPD research study, visit The University of Michigan Health Center.
http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media/newsroom/details.cfm?ID=1409
Article:
http://copd.about.com/b/2009/12/15/immune-cells-linked-to-worsening-copd.htm
Editor’s note: The above article makes a point for those who maintain that one should not take OTC vitamins or meds to build up your immune system. If you have COPD, building up your immune response is going in the wrong direction.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
-BREATHING TIPS FOR COPD
-LUNG TRANSPLANT, H1N1 PATIENTS BYPASS VENTILATORS WITH ECMO
-HOW TO RELIEVE NASAL CONGESTION
-WALKING IN A WHEEZY WONDERLAND?
-WIDE VARIETY OF BACTERIA MAPPED ACROSS THE HUMAN BODY
-GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HEALTH CARE DOLLARS
-SNEEZING SEASON-CAUSE AND EFFECT?
-MISCELLANEOUS
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
SOURCES: News items summarized in The COPD-NEWS are taken from secondary sources believed to be reliable. However, the COPD Family of Services does not verify their accuracy.
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
BREATHING TIPS FOR COPD
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I remember reading something you wrote a long time ago about the proper way to breathe for people with COPD. I didn’t need the information then. I do now. Until recently, I smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day, for 35 years. It caught up with me all of a sudden. I have COPD. I need you to repeat those recommendations again. Will you? — T.R.
A. Sure. (For readers: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is emphysema and chronic bronchitis.) Pursed-lip breathing is one technique that helps. Draw your lips into the whistling position when you breathe out. The lips are in the right position if the outgoing air makes a hissing sound as it passes through them. Pursed-lip breathing keeps the airways opened so all stale air is emptied from the lungs. In people with COPD, on exhalation, the airways collapse. That leaves them partially filled with old air containing little oxygen. By getting all the oxygen-low air out of the lungs, fresh air fills them and a person isn’t shortchanged on oxygen.
Exhale slowly, twice the length of time it takes to inhale.You have to train yourself to use your diaphragm to its maximum capacity. The diaphragm is the horizontal muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. It’s the principal breathing muscle. When the diaphragm moves downward, air rushes into the lungs. To make sure you’re using your diaphragm, lie on your back with your hands on your abdomen. Breathe normally. When you breathe in, your hands should move out as the diaphragm descends. You have to consciously use the diaphragm with each inhalation until it becomes second nature for you.
Another trick that makes more room for air in the lungs is to bend a bit forward at the waist when you stand or walk.
http://www.thewestsidestory.net/article/Your_Health/News/TO_YOUR_GOOD_HEALTH_By_Paul_G_Donohue_MD/19137
LUNG TRANSPLANT, H1N1 PATIENTS BYPASS VENTILATORS WITH ECMO
A machine breathed new life into her by Lindsey Anderson, USA TODAY. Liesbeth Stoeffler used to run marathons. By 2007, she could barely walk a block without taking a break. She began avoiding stairs and taking taxis instead of walking the eight blocks to work. Before being diagnosed in 1995 with cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease in which the body produces unusually thick mucous that clogs the lungs and digestive tract, Stoeffler, now 50, was a vice president for, an investment management firm in Manhattan. She skied, did yoga and traveled.Stoeffler eventually received a lung transplant and is now on the mend. But she might not have survived without a device that is proving to be a bridge to lung transplants and a possible alternative to ventilators.
ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) devices have been around for about 20 years. Now simplified and portable, they are rising in popularity and even have a role in treating swine flu, or H1N1, patients. Ordinarily, air is drawn into the lungs naturally when breathing. But a ventilator pushes air into the lungs instead, often causing lung damage from the pressure differences, says Matthew Bacchetta, Stoeffler’s surgeon and director of the adult ECMO program at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia. “Patients usually have poor outcomes…or never make it to transplant because they are so deconditioned.” He and Lederer decided to replace the ventilator with an ECMO device. Instead of pushing air into the lungs, ECMO machines bypass the lungs and directly oxygenate the blood. With Stoeffler, the hospital used the device earlier than in most lung-failure cases and removed all “unnecessary” parts of the machine to make Stoeffler more comfortable and allow her to move, Lederer says. The device typically has two entrances into the body: one in the neck and one in the groin. But the team used only one entrance, the jugular vein in her neck, which allowed her to get up and walk. On ECMO, Stoeffler could have most liquids and foods, which helped her gain weight and strength. She could eventually sit up, talk and even use her laptop and iPhone to document the events. “About five days into it, she told me it was the best she’d felt in years.”
Bacchetta says ECMO can function as a bridge to transplant or a bridge to recovery; his patients have been on it for as long as three weeks. ECMO could be used for pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis and COPD. For Stoeffler, ECMO allowed her to regain enough strength to remain eligible for a transplant. She had double lung transplant surgery July 20. She returned home Sept. 4, without oxygen support. Forwarded by JohnM/IL
http://www.usatoday.com/LIFE/usaedition/2009-12-15-ECMOlung15_ST_U.htm
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
MEDICAL DECISIONS. Your physician should be consulted on all medical decisions. New procedures or drugs should not be started or stopped without such consultation. While we believe that our accumulated experience has value, and a unique perspective, you must accept it for what it is…the work of COPD patients. We vigorously encourage individuals with COPD to take an active part in the management of their disease. They do this through education and by sharing information and thoughts with their primary physician and pulmonologist. However, medical decisions are based on complex medical principles and should be left to the medical practitioner who has been trained to diagnose and advise.
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
HOW TO RELIEVE NASAL CONGESTION
James Thompson, MD
“Doc, it seems like I can’t ever breathe out my nose. The pills help my sneezing but I always feel congested”
Nasal congestion is one of the most common symptoms of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. “Rhinitis” means inflammation of the inside of the nose. Allergic rhinitis is caused by allergy triggers such as pollens from trees, grasses or weeds. Other allergy triggers include mold spores, dust mites, pets (cats and dogs head the list), feathers and, believe it or not, insects such as cockroaches. Non-allergic rhinitis may be triggered by weather changes, indoor or outdoor pollution, cigarette smoke or ash, fragrances, fumes and a host of other small particles in the air.
Why is nasal congestion so difficult to treat?
The inflammatory process that results in nasal inflammation (rhinitis) is very complex and involves several different cell types and substances released from these cells.
Therefore, different medicines use different methods to relieve congestion. For a run down on Antihistamines (such as Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra), Oral decongestants (such as Sudafed), Topical nasal spray decongestants (such as Astelin, Astepro, Patanase) and Intranasal steroid sprays (INS) (such as Flonase, Nasonex, Nasacort AQ, Veramyst) go the link below:
Proper nasal spray technique is very important. (Using INS after the shower or bath, in order to have the nasal passages cleared out). Consistent use (not missing doses) and when to back down or off the INS is also important to discuss.
http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/3989/95037/relieve-congestion?ic=6101
WALKING IN A WHEEZY WONDERLAND?
About.Com guide Deborah Leader, RN has a particularly appropriate newsletter this week.
Do you feel worse, as far as your COPD symptoms are concerned, during the winter months when it’s cold outside? Actually, winter can bring on a host of problems if you have COPD, including placing you at higher risk for COPD exacerbation and causing a worsening of some of your COPD symptoms. This week, we are going to meet with winter head-on, as we learn some helpful tips to get us through winter a little more safely.
Tips for Reducing Breathlessness in Cold Weather
Many COPD patients agree that cold weather can lead to an increase in dyspnea and wheezing that can be frightening and sometimes even dangerous. So what can COPD patients do to keep the cold air from taking their breath away? Take a look at these handy tips.
http://copd.about.com/od/livingwithcop1/qt/reducingbreathlessnessinwinter.htm
Preventing COPD Exacerbation During Winter
COPD exacerbation lands many a COPD patient in the hospital, particularly in winter. Learning how to prevent an exacerbation will ultimately help you avoid one.
http://copd.about.com/od/copdexacerbation/tp/preventingcopdexacerbation.htm?nl=1
How Do You Protect Yourself From Cold Weather?
Cold weather is plain yukky and can make your life miserable, especially if you can’t breathe when you’re exposed to it. If you have COPD, how do you protect yourself from cold weather? Please stop by this new User Answer for just a moment and share your story. Your experience may benefit someone else!
http://copd.about.com/u/ua/livingwithcopd/coldweatheruseranswer.htm?from=lb&nl=1
WIDE VARIETY OF BACTERIA MAPPED ACROSS THE HUMAN BODY
By analyzing bacterial communities in and on several people, scientists have begun to create an atlas of bacterial diversity that documents the different types of microbes that thrive in distinct regions of the human body. This research sets the stage for determining how changes in bacterial communities help to cause or prevent disease.
The scientists surveyed bacterial communities in up to 27 different locations on the bodies of 9 healthy adults. Sampled regions included hair on the head, ear canals, nostrils, mouth, lower gut and 18 different skin sites ranging from foreheads and armpits to navels and feet. Swabs from these regions were collected 4 times over 3 months. The researchers found wide variability in bacterial communities on each person and between people. The greatest diversity over time was seen on hair, nostril and ear canal sites, as well as some skin regions, especially the forearms, palm, index finger, back of the knee and sole of the foot. These regions were also the most divergent between people, as was the lower gut. The mouth had the least bacterial variability of any tested region.
The researchers also tested how well bacteria from one body region could survive on another. They transferred bacteria from the tongue to the disinfected forearms and foreheads of some volunteers and tracked them for up to 8 hours. Tongue bacteria persisted longer on the forearms than foreheads, suggesting that the oily forehead may be too harsh a habitat for some bacteria. Bacterial communities transplanted from forehead to forearms and vice versa could not survive well in the new habitats, coming to resemble the native mix rather than the transplants within hours. “This is the most complete view we have yet of the microbial side of ourselves, one that our group and others will be adding to over the coming able to begin searching for biomarkers for disease.”
http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/november2009/11162009bacteria.htm
OK, so when we sneeze we got to figure out how to cover it with our forehead?
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
COMMERCIAL FREE: We do not accept any paid advertising. Any corporations, products, medicines (prescription or non) mentioned in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not to be construed as an endorsement or condemnation of same.
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HEALTH CARE DOLLARS
(NAPSA) - With the right information, you may be able to save money on your medications right now. That’s because an often overlooked part of any health care plan can be the prescription drug benefit. Knowing how to make the most of prescription drug coverage can be key to keeping your medical expenses as low as possible.
“When problems with coverage arise, often patients will pay out of their own pockets or, worse, go without the medicines they need to stay healthy. Because that can take a tremendous toll physically and financially, it’s important for consumers to know whether they really should be shouldering those costs or if their plan can help them,” says Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League.
It’s one of several organizations supporting an educational effort called Your Pharmacy Benefit (YPB) that helps consumers understand the rules of their coverage, how to get the most out of their coverage and how to tackle problems that may arise.
For example, the organization advises, if you’ve been told there’s a problem filling your prescription, don’t walk away from the pharmacy counter until you know what the problem is. It may be easy to fix. If the information in the pharmacy computer doesn’t match what is on your current pharmacy ID card, you may just need to show your card to update your record.
Sometimes the problem is something your doctor should know about. For example, if the medicine could react badly with another medication you take, your plan may need your doctor to confirm that you should take it before the plan will pay.
Even if you’re told a medicine you need is not covered, if your doctor thinks it’s important for you to have it, you can appeal the plan’s decision. Write a letter to the plan and ask for the medicine to be covered or to be paid back for the cost of the medicine if you have already paid for it yourself. Your doctor may have to explain why you need this specific medicine.
For Medicare beneficiaries, there is special information on how to navigate the “coverage gap” and how to navigate appeals and exceptions within the Medicare Part D program. Reprinted from Dollar Stretcher
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/subscrib.cfm
For more information about getting the most out of your prescription drug
coverage, visit www.yourpharmacybenefit.org or call (703) 620-6390
SNEEZING SEASON-CAUSE AND EFFECT
Allergic reactions to live evergreen trees aren’t uncommon. A breakdown of some triggers and symptoms:
• Tree trunks and needles carry microscopic mold spores that reproduce when brought indoors. People with mold allergies might experience sneezing, coughing or wheezing and itchy or watery eyes.
• Sap can cause a red, itchy rash on skin.
• Pine fragrance wafting from live trees, candles or air fresheners can irritate allergy sufferers, causing a runny or congested nose and watery eyes.
• If you buy a live tree, allergists recommend shaking it and letting it dry for a few days before bringing it indoors. Many cut-your-own-tree farms use mechanical shakers before bundling trees.
• With an artificial tree, dust or vacuum it outdoors before putting it up in the house. To store it, seal the tree in a plastic bag and put it in a clean, dry place.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/12/xmasallergy.ART_ART_12-12-09_A1_D7FVKES.html?sid=101
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
JOIN US? Subscription to this Newsletter is free and we hope that it serves your needs. For more Newsletter information, go to:
The Newsletter, like all other endeavors of the Family of COPD Support Programs, is provided to you by COPD-Support, Inc. a non-profit member organization with IRS designation 501(c)(3). If you would like to be involved and help us provide these programs to the individuals who benefit from them, please consider joining us as a member. Further information is available at:
http://copd-support.com/membership.html
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<
MISCELLANEOUS
Advance for Respiratory Care’s COPD Crossword
http://respiratory-care-sleep-medicine.advanceweb.com/Article/COPD-Crossword.aspx
Amazing Grace Christmas Lights Display. Forwarded by John/MN
http://www.flixxy.com/best-christmas-lights-display.htm
A Codebreaker is a crossword puzzle with no clues! Instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number! To start you off, they reveal the codes for two or three letters. When these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.
http://thinks.com/daily_codebreaker.htm
Create a Winter Wonderland
http://www.oldjoeblack.0nyx.com/winter.htm
Until next Friday,
Joan Costello, Editor
Web version of the News: http://copd-support.com/news.html
Archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/copd-news.html
Related posts:
- Friday’s COPD Newsletter from COPD Support, Inc. Volume 10, Issue 17 March 26, 2010 Joan Costello,...
- Friday’s COPD Newsletter from COPD Support, Inc. Volume 10, Issue 25 May 21, 2010 Joan Costello,...
- Friday’s COPD Newsletter from COPD Support, Inc. Volume 9, Issue 52 November 27, 2009 Joan Costello,...
- Friday’s COPD Newsletter from COPD Support, Inc. Volume 9, Issue 42 September 18, 2009 Joan Costello,...
- Friday’s Newsletter from COPD Support Volume 9, Issue 21 April 24, 2009 Joan Costello,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
December 19, 2009
Tags: COPD Support Inc. Newsletter, Friday COPD Support newsletter Posted in: Friday's COPD Newsletter
Leave a Reply