Easy Breathing: Natural Treatments for Asthma, Colds, Flu, Coughs, Allergies, and Sinusitis
231
Easy Breathing: Natural Treatments for Asthma, Colds, Flu, Coughs, Allergies, and Sinusitis
231eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612128306 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Publishing, LLC |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 231 |
| File size: | 9 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
How We Breathe
A remarkable thing happens when we breathe. Each breath that we take has been shared with all other human beings — in fact, with all other life on our planet. With respiration, we truly become one with nature. Trees and other growing things take in the carbon dioxide we exhale and replace it with life-giving oxygen. Through the circulation of gases in the atmosphere, the reality of the planetary whole reveals itself, with profound implications for all human life. This comprehensive vision underlies holistic healing as much as it does ecology. The anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system is a complex, beautiful embodiment of integration and wholeness.
Every minute, we breathe in and out 10 to 15 times. That adds up to nearly 25,000 breaths a day. Through breathing, the body extracts the oxygen it needs from the air and discharges carbon dioxide from the blood. The nearly 10,000 liters of air that we inhale daily consists mostly of oxygen and nitrogen. It also contains small amounts of other gases as well as floating bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, car exhaust, and other pollutants in the atmosphere.
Only one fifth of the air we breathe is oxygen, but this is the part that our bodies need for survival. Every cell in the body uses oxygen to extract the energy that's locked away in food. It's impossible to exaggerate the importance of oxygen. Many cells can survive briefly without it, but others need a constant supply. Brain cells die if they lack oxygen for more than a few minutes — and brain cells cannot be replaced.
The respiratory and circulatory systems supply the cells of the body with oxygen. This process is controlled by a part of the brain called the medulla oblongata, which regulates the breathing rhythm by integrating messages about blood composition with other signals.
The Workings of the Respiratory System The lungs stretch from the trachea (also called the windpipe) to below the heart. They are safely encased within the thoracic cage and resemble a fine-grained sponge in texture. About 10 percent of the lungs is sold tissue; the rest is filled with air and blood. Because of this unique structure, the lungs can facilitate gas exchange — taking oxygen from the air and removing carbon dioxide from the blood — yet are strong enough to maintain their proper shape.
When we breathe, air is taken in through the nose and mouth and passes down the throat into the trachea. The air enters the lungs, where it travels into subdivisions called bronchi. The two main bronchi extend from the trachea into each lung. There, they divide into smaller bronchi, which divide again into many smaller bronchioles. The bronchioles divide into a network of about 3 million alveolar ducts. These ducts contain alveoli, which are commonly known as air sacs.
The Breathing Process
The movement of air into the lungs is controlled by the respiratory muscles of the thorax. These muscles, collectively called the ventilator apparatus, include the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities) and the muscles that move the ribs. When the respiratory muscles contract, the chest enlarges like a bellows sucking in air. This is called inhalation. As the lungs fill with air, they expand automatically. They return to their resting size when we exhale.
The performance of the ventilator apparatus is coordinated by specific nerve sites, called respiratory centers, that are located in the brain and neck. The respiratory centers respond to changes in blood levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid. Normal concentrations of these chemicals are maintained in arterial blood by changes in the breathing rate.
The outside of the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity are lined by membranes called the pleurae. The pleura surrounding the lungs is called the visceral pleura, and the pleura lining the chest cavity is called the parietal pleura. The space between the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity is called the pleural space or the pleural cavity. The pleural space is moistened with a fluid that lubricates the pleurae as they slide back and forth during ventilation. Normally, the pleural space contains only a small amount of fluid and is free of gas, blood, and other matter.
Gas exchange between our blood and the air we inhale takes place in the alveoli. The membrane that separates blood from air in the alveoli is very thin. In fact, it's about 50 times thinner than a sheet of tissue paper and has a surface area as large as a tennis court. Oxygen and nitrogen can pass easily through this membrane into the blood.
It takes just about a minute for the total blood volume of the body to pass through the lungs and only a fraction of a second for each red blood cell to pass through the capillary network. Gas exchange occurs almost instantaneously during this short period. The blood carries fresh oxygen throughout the body. When it returns to the alveoli, it deposits carbon dioxide and other gases, which leave the body in exhaled air.
The incredibly complex system that permits this continuous ebb and flow is what gives the body its life energy. Any physical problem that inhibits gas exchange will reduce the body's overall vitality and increase the risk for a variety of metabolic disorders.
The Holistic Perspective on Disease Prevention
Breathing problems do more than temporarily affect other organs and systems in the body. They can also cause chronic diseases. The reverse is true, too: For example, problems with the circulatory system can lead to lung problems. The condition of the digestive system is also important, since the lungs, bowels, kidneys, and skin share the task of removing wastes. If a problem develops in any of these organs, the body compensates by increasing the load on the others. The lungs can handle only a limited amount of wastes. So if, for example, the bowels aren't working properly and the lungs take on some of the burden, the lungs can also develop problems.
Many pathological changes in tissues can be prevented if the environment around the body's cells is always rich in oxygen. Two of the best measures for maintaining good health are getting regular exercise and promoting proper breathing. Balance and harmony, along with appropriate herbal treatments when necessary, are the keys to successful preventive medicine. We need a clear and free flow of energy through all aspects of our lives — physical, emotional, and spiritual. Proper breathing is just part of the equation.
A Whole-Body Approach to Breathing
It's impossible to separate the health and action of the lungs from the rest of our lives. People with healthy lifestyles are much more likely to have healthy lungs. Here are some of the most important factors in lung health:
Diet. The foods we eat must ensure health and wholeness. The approaches people take to their diets depend on their specific health needs and personal preferences, which are always very important.
Body structure. To maintain the body's integrity, we must address structural factors, such as any misalignment of the vertebrae. This may require the expertise of skilled practitioners. Exercise, of course, is critical to maintaining structural integrity.
Emotional needs. A conscious and free-flowing emotional life is fundamental to inner harmony. This doesn't mean that everyone should get seriously involved in psychological counseling or other such practices, but it does mean that people should pay attention to their emotional needs.
Personal vision. Mental factors are crucial. We are what we think! According to the bible, without vision, people will die. Without a personal vision, life becomes a slow process of degeneration and decay. The emphasis must always be on personal vision rather than on a dogmatic belief system. Vision is an expression of the meaning in an individual's life. It must come from the core of his or her being.
Spirituality. It's vital to be open to spirituality, which can take many forms: feeling uplifted by a sunset, being touched by poetry or art, believing in a religion, or simply taking joy in being alive.
Connection to nature. In these times of ecological crisis and alienation from the natural world, it is most important to experience the embrace of nature. Using herbs is one way to do this. Other ways include walking in the woods or even hugging a tree. Smile!
The Keys to Respiratory Health
As you can see, the best preventive strategy is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Diet, exercise, and quality of life all have a profound effect on the health of the lungs. Our inner environments must be in harmony, and so must our outer environments. Polluted air will disrupt the ecology of the lungs just as it disrupts the ecology of forests. Air contaminated with chemicals, gases, and smoke should be avoided.
Specific Dangers to Avoid
This brings us to tobacco, which we'll discuss in more detail shortly. For now, keep in mind that smoking puts a wall of tar and ash between the individual and the world. A free ecological flow can't take place in the lungs of a smoker. Smoking can lead to an impressive array of problems, from bronchitis to cancer. It can also affect the rest of the body by diminishing oxygen supplied by the blood. If we want to heal ourselves and our world, quitting smoking is a good place to start. Even eating a whole-food diet and living in the country won't help if you smoke 20 cigarettes a day!
Specific dangers other than smoking should also be recognized and avoided. Infections are one such danger. The easiest way to avoid infections is to avoid contact with infectious agents. However, because this is often impossible, we need to maintain our natural defenses at peak levels. The body is capable of great feats of self-defense as long as we give it a balanced, vitamin-rich diet and follow a lifestyle that is healthy in thought, feeling, and action.
In this context, it's vital to curb the misuse of antibiotics. Although these drugs can save lives when used at the right time and in the right way, they can also weaken the body's innate defense systems. In addition, because these drugs have been used for a long time, highly resistant bacteria have developed and have made infections more and more difficult to treat. Over the past 30 years, doctors have seen alarming developments in microbial resistance. That's why it's so important to make the proper changes in lifestyle and to use herbal remedies when possible. The use of antibiotics can often be avoided when our bodies are strong.
In the following chapters, you will learn about how herbs can be used to boost the immune system, help maintain healthy respiratory functions, and assist the body in combating respiratory infections at an early stage.
CHAPTER 2
The Main Threats to Respiratory Health
Many diseases commonly associated with the upper and lower respiratory systems can be prevented. Air quality is the key. If we avoid particulate air pollution and chemical irritants, like sulfur dioxide, many disabling conditions of the lungs will not develop. Smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke and urban pollution are important issues for practitioners as well as patients. Anyone concerned about the health of his or her lungs should become active in the environmental organization called
Friends of the Earth
Air pollutants such as photochemical smog, sulfur dioxide, and fine particles of coal dust affect the lungs in many ways. Some simply cause irritation and discomfort; others can cause illness or death. The lungs have a series of built-in mechanical and biological barriers that help keep harmful materials from entering the body, and specific defense mechanisms in the body can inactivate some disease-causing materials. Sometimes, though, the normal lung defenses and barriers do not work as well as they should.
Let's take a look at some of the risk factors for lung disease and the ways in which the body responds to them. Infections and other medical problems will also have a profound effect on how prone the respiratory system is to develop other problems. However, these pathological causes are usually directly avoidable, as are many of the risk factors that derive from lifestyle choices.
Tobacco: A Leading Health Threat
Cigarette smoking, the single most preventable cause of death, is responsible for many life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. Tobacco smoke adversely affects many of the body's organs and systems. Every year, cigarette smoking directly causes an estimated 400,000 deaths. And every year, more deaths can be attributed to smoking than to fires, automobile crashes, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, murders, and suicides combined. Passive smoke, often referred to as secondhand smoke, kills some 50,000 Americans each year, making it the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. For every eight smokers who die as a result of smoking-related diseases, one nonsmoker dies of a disease related to secondhand smoke.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Smoking is responsible for 21 percent of all cases of fatal heart disease. It's a major risk factor for heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. In people who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, the risk for heart attack is twice as great as in nonsmokers. In people who smoke two or more packs a day, the risk for heath attack is three times greater than in nonsmokers. Smoking is the principal cause of coronary heart disease — the most common cause of death in the United States — and increases risk for recurrence in people who have survived a heart attack.
Smoking is also an important cause of stroke and diseases of the blood vessels. It's the most powerful risk factor for atherosclerosis of the legs (also called peripheral vascular disease), which leads to leg pain, difficulty walking, gangrene, and sometimes, loss of limbs.
Cancer
Smoking is responsible for 32 percent of cancer deaths. It causes cancer of the lungs, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and cervix. Recent evidence suggests that smoking is linked to cancer of the large intestine and to some forms of leukemia. Smoking causes nearly 90 percent of all lung and throat cancers. For many years, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer death in men, and it has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cancer killer among women. The risk for cancer increases with the amount and duration of smoking. Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for cancer, and using alcohol and tobacco together greatly increases risk.
Respiratory Diseases
Smoking is responsible for 88 percent of deaths from chronic lung disease. It outweighs all other factors, including air pollution and occupational exposure to pollutants. Smoking harms the body's immune system and other defense mechanisms. The risk for respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and the flu, is higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. A recent study concluded that smoking increases susceptibility to the common cold. Cigarette smoking is a factor in up to 90 percent of cases of chronic bronchitis (sometimes called smoker's cough) in the United States, and it increases the likelihood of getting acute bacterial bronchitis. Air pollution also contributes to chronic bronchitis, as does working around dust or chemical fumes.
Effects on Pregnancy
Smoking directly affects the growth of the fetus. The more a mother smokes during pregnancy, the lower the weight of her newborn infant. Smoking increases the risk (by more than 50 percent in light smokers and by much more than 100 percent in heavy smokers) that a baby's weight at birth will be less than 2,500 g (about 5.5 pounds). Low-birthweight babies are more prone to adverse outcomes, including stillbirth, need for special treatment in neonatal intensive care units, and death in infancy. Smoking during pregnancy may also increase risk for miscarriage. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is more common in infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Smoking also seems to decrease the quantity and quality of breast milk and may lead to early weaning.
Women who smoke during pregnancy also risk their own health. Abnormalities of the placenta and bleeding during pregnancy are more likely in women who smoke. The more a pregnant woman smokes, the greater her risks.
Special Hazards for Women
In addition to increased risk of low-birthweight babies, there are other adverse outcomes of smoking that are unique to women. It's clear, for example, that smoking contributes to cancer of the cervix. Natural menopause occurs 1 to 2 years earlier in smokers than in nonsmokers. This may have unfavorable implications for women with conditions like coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. Smoking is also associated with an increased risk for menstrual disorders. Women who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to have fertility problems. It's dangerous to smoke and use oral contraceptives — this increases the risk for heart attacks, stroke, and other vascular complications.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Easy Breathing"
by .
Copyright © 2000 David Hoffmann.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
1 How We Breathe2 The Main Threats to Respiratory Health
3 How Herbs Can Help
4 Common Respiratory Conditions and Treatments
5 A Guide to the Healing Herbs
6 Making Herbal Medicine
Resources
Index