Chronic Lung Diseases
By: Paul FryattTotal Views: 185, Word Count: 518,
As per the American Lung Association, lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the US. According to the Ohio state university medical center, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and asbestosis are some of the common types of chronic lung diseases.
Causes of Chronic Lung Diseases
Chronic lung diseases result from lung injury to newborns who need to use a mechanical ventilator and extra oxygen for breathing. The lungs of untimely babies are delicate and are easily dented. With injury, the tissues inside the lungs become inflamed and could break down causing scarring. This could then result in breathing difficulty and increased oxygen needs. Some of the causes of lung injury are as follows:
· Prematurity as the lungs, particularly the air sacs are not fully developed
· Oxygen use (high concentrations of oxygen could damage the cells of the lungs).
· Low amounts of surfactant (a substance in the lungs which helps in keeping the tiny air sacs open).
· Mechanical ventilation, the pressure of air from breathing machines, use of an endotracheal tube (ET tube, a tube that is placed in the trachea and connected to a breathing machine), suctioning of the airways.
Symptoms of Chronic Lung Diseases
There are major symptoms of chronic lung diseases and could begin as early as merely three days after birth. The common ones comprise of:
· Wheezing, panting for breath or grunting
· Flaring the nostrils, the skin could take on a blue color or might appear dusky. This might be more prominent around the nail beds or lips.
· Paleness, increased coughing
One of the vital symptoms of these diseases in infants is the sinking of stomach while breathing. You might also notice that the skin of your baby is getting pulled between the ribs with each inhalation.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
This is a severe lung disease which slowly makes it difficult for an individual to breathe. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America.
Emphysema
When air sacs at the end of the bronchioles are gradually damaged which makes it difficult to breathe out, emphysema occurs. Smoking is a major risk factor for emphysema.
Treatment
The treatment is decided by the severity of the condition. It does help the sick infant to breathe easily, though treating the disease doesn’t cure it with instant effect. The treatment aims at satisfying the breathing needs, so that the infant could grow and flourish. The baby’s lungs get more time to develop and heal on their own, while the treatment helps the infant to breathe well. Generally, at the hospital, the treatment gets started and then it might be continued at home with the help of a doctor.
As mentioned above, most of the troubles related with chronic lung diseases are outgrown by the infants. The parents have to make sure that they are getting all the necessary nutrients for healthy development and growth and in order to lessen the risk of complications, while the infants are recovering from the disease.
About the Author
Paul Fryatt, M.D. has been in this profession from last 24 years. He made great achievements in his profession. He made an initiative to open a Family Allergy Clinic in 1985 to help his patients who were not reacting to traditional allergy treatment programs. Moreover he has explored the treatment to overcome allergy symptoms to reclaim quality of life through his convenient, no-shots therapy
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