Home Remedies for Dry Cold & Emphysema

Emphysema is a serious condition that occurs when the air sacs present in your lungs get destroyed, causing you to feel short of breath. This disorder is one of many such diseases that are collectively referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As the emphysema worsens, it causes your spherical air sacs to turn into irregular pockets with large gaps in the inner walls. This in turn reduces the surface area of the lungs due to which, a lower amount of oxygen reaches your lungs. Emphysema further destroys the elastic fibers which open the small airways that lead to your air sacs.

Unfortunately, there are no cures for this condition, though you could slow down its progress by undergoing timely emphysema treatment. Depending upon the severity of the disorder, the treatment of this condition may include:

Medication such as smoking cessation drugs, bronchodilators, inhaled steroids and antibiotics
Different types of therapy like a pulmonary rehabilitation program and supplemental oxygen therapy
Surgical procedures such as lung volume reduction or a lung transplant

There are a few home remedies and lifestyle measures that can also help you slow down the progress of emphysema and control its symptoms. Given below are a few simple steps to treat this condition:

Stop smoking, as it is one of the most common causes of emphysema. If you are suffering from this condition it is also important for you to avoid secondhand smoke
Avoid respiratory irritants like paint fumes, cooking odor, perfumes, scented candles, incense and automobile exhaust. Make sure that you change your furnace as well as the air conditioner filters regularly, to limit pollutants.
Work out for at least half an hour each day, 5 times a week in order to increase your lung capacity. Exercises like walking, jogging, running, swimming and cycling are quite effective in controlling this condition.
Protect yourself from the cold air, by wearing a soft scarf or a cold air mask over your nose and mouth when you go out. Cold air causes your bronchial passages to contract, which in turn makes it more difficult for you to breathe.

It is absolutely essential that you undergo treatment for emphysema as soon as possible. Left unchecked, this condition could lead to complications such as:

Pneumothorax or a collapsed lung
Heart problems like cor pulmonale
Giant bullae or large holes in the lungs

It is also important to ensure that this condition is closely monitored by a doctor at all times.

References

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/emphysema/DS00296

answered by K C

You can try our natural home remedy using lady’s finger vegetable to relieve throat irritation and dry cough.

answered by P P

I recently had a cold and now I have dry cough and it's really bad at night. I had tried cough syrups and the drops. I also have emphysema what can I do?