COPD Natural Treatment
COPD can significantly impact everyday life, making even simple tasks challenging and leaving you breathless. Physical activities become difficult, and it takes a toll on your mental well-being. Salt therapy, a natural treatment, can ease COPD symptoms, giving you back control and making life more manageable.
What is COPD?
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and is a long-term lung disease. However, it has many other names: Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease (COAD), Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COLD) or Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (CORD). COPD results in poor airflow in the lungs, often caused by exposing the lungs to harmful products such as smoking. The persistent poor airflow in COPD is a result of the breakdown of lung tissue so that the narrow airways are no longer able to work properly. As a result, shortness of breath occurs as the primary symptom. Other symptoms include persistent cough, fatigue, and accumulation of mucus in the lungs. All of these can cause repetitive lung infections. These symptoms are an indication that the lungs are not functioning properly and it’s time to consult a physician.
Causes of COPD
The main cause behind COPD is smoking, including tobacco smoke and vaping, long-term smoking, and even extensive secondhand smoke. Additionally, air pollution also plays a significant role in causing persistent inflammation in the lungs and altering pulmonary functions. A pulmonary function test will indicate abnormal functioning of the lungs and low airflow. Contrary to asthma, these limitations are not reversible and get worse over time. COPD is preventable, but once you have it, you’re stuck with it. While COPD may not be talked about as much, it’s the sixth leading cause of death in the world. Furthermore, mortality rates are expected to rise due to increasing air pollution and the popularity of vaping.
Coughing is the first symptom to appear. If it lasts for more than three months per year, for more than two years consecutively, the condition is defined as chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis can appear before COPD is diagnosed. Shortness of breath is usually the primary symptom. This will worsen with time and physical exercise and can be very stressful for the individual. It’s important to consult with a medical expert so the right steps to treatment can be taken. Low blood oxygenation has a significant impact on the body and may result in further complications. COPD may bring along comorbidities with it as well. Some of these can include heart diseases, hypertension, anxiety, and sleep problems. COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and many people with COPD have both.
COPD Treatment
To effectively manage COPD, the first step is to quit smoking, vaping and do your best to improve your air quality. This is the greatest favor you can do for your lungs. However, this may not fully reverse the damage, and you may still experience difficulty breathing. In this case, medications, such as bronchodilators to reduce shortness of breath and corticosteroids to decrease inflammation, can be helpful. Exploring treatments like pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes breathing exercises, disease management, and counseling, or oxygen therapy may also provide relief. In extreme cases, a lung transplant may be considered as a last resort. It’s essential to consult with a medical expert to determine the most suitable treatment for your condition. The primary goal of COPD treatment is to reduce risk factors and prevent disease progression.
COPD and Salt Therapy
A natural treatment for COPD involves supplements, vitamins and home salt therapy. Long-term treatment with salt therapy for COPD can slow disease progression and relieve symptoms.
Ginseng is a herb with a long history in Chinese medicine and has shown promising results in COPD and improving lung function. This herb should only be taken after consulting with a doctor as it may interfere with some medication such as blood thinners, diuretics, stimulants, immunosuppressant drugs and antidepressants. It was also found that many people with COPD do not have enough vitamin D. This can be because of insufficient sun exposure. This is a common problem with the elderly. Poor blood oxygenation due to COPD also plays a role alongside poor diet and assimilation. Supplementation with vitamin D has been linked to better lung function test results and may improve symptoms.
Salt therapy or halotherapy #3 – that is exposure to aerosol salt therapy has shown significant positive results in COPD, based on the anti-inflammatory and mucolytic effects of salt.1 Long continuous exposure to salt therapy, every night for 7-8 hours, has been proven to be highly effective in improving breathing and reducing coughing.2 Salt therapy also strengthens respiratory immunity, helps fight infections and clear secretions, promoting better breathing and well-being.
1 https://salinetherapy.com/clinical-evidence/#copd
2 https://salinetherapy.com/SaltAir-salinizer-reviews/salt-therapy-asthma/