Emphysema

Background

Emphysema represents severe lung damage, most often from smoking, toxic chemical/substance exposures, or chronic bronchitis. It can cause significant shortness of breath, wheezing and limitations in activity. In the past, emphysema was believed to represent almost entirely irreversible lung damage. And chronic bronchitis was the step before emphysema. Fortunately, there does appear to be a significant reversible component to both of these conditions, and at these levels of lung damage even small increases in lung function can translate into large increases in your being able to function. This means aggressively going after:

• Airway inflammation, with its increased mucus production that can block airways.
• Infection.
• Airway spasm (bronchospasm).
• Toxic exposures (especially cigarette smoke) that can further damaged the lungs.

Treatments

The principles discussed for treating asthma should be applied for emphysema. In addition, clinical experience has shown that increasing the amount of a key antioxidant called glutathione can be very important.

Recommended Supplements for Optimal Lung Health

**Note: The boswellia and glutathione below are the 2 key supplements for this.

Multivitamin powder

The nutrients magnesium, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, selenium, molybdenum, beta carotene and bioflavonoids have been shown to decrease lung symptoms significantly, and may also help emphysema. You can find these in combination in a good multivitamin powder. You should begin with this simple but thorough way to get nutritional support.

Boswellia

Boswellia. This wonderful anti-inflammatory herbal (also called "frankincense") significantly reduces lung airway swelling after 6 weeks (and usually within days). Using the correct form is critical.

Adrenal nutrients

Adrenal support can be very helpful in emphysema if you are coughing up significant airway mucus that interferes with breathing.

Glutathione — a critical nutrient

Interestingly, optimizing the levels of a key antioxidant called glutathione has been especially helpful.

The vitamin powder can be helpful in maintaining lung health overall, including by also increasing glutathione levels.

In addition:

• Add a sublingual glutathione 1 twice a day.
• Take NAC (n-acetylcysteine.) This amino acid further boosts the level of glutathione, and also helps loosen up the mucus that can restrict easy breathing. Take 650 mg, 1-2x daily.
• Consider inhaled glutathione using a nebulizer. This needs to be prescribed by your physician, and unless you go to a holistic physician they are likely to simply give you a blank stare when you ask about it. Also consider adding colloidal silver to the nebulizer if you have yellow mucus, which suggests possible infections.

Other Therapies & Advice

Learn to relax

Are you frequently short of breath? By practicing yoga, relaxation techniques or deep-breathing exercises, your sense of breathlessness can go down dramatically. Important: for the deepest breath, breathe from your belly rather than your chest. To check to see if you are doing this, put one hand gently over your belly.  If it’s rising and falling as you breathe, you’re doing it correctly.