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TROUBLE CATCHING YOUR BREATH?

你有屏住呼吸的困難嗎?

Have you ever walked through a shopping mall or an airport and seen someone pulling a small tank on wheels behind them attached to a small tube that goes up to their nose?  The tank is probably a portable oxygen tank and the person is most likely suffering from COPD or chronic (meaning “long-lasting”) obstructive (hard to breathe) pulmonary (lung) disease.  Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two categories of COPD.

您曾經在通過購物中心或機場時看見某人拉著一輛有輪子的小車，連著一支小管通到他們的鼻子? 這小車載的是一個可攜式的氧氣筒車，這個人很可能就是有COPD慢性阻塞性肺臟的疾病，「慢性」意思是持久，「阻塞性」指的是呼吸困難的肺部疾病。肺氣腫和慢性支氣管炎是慢性阻塞性肺臟的疾病的二個類別。

Commonly associated with smokers, COPD is the result of chronic inflammation that damages the lungs’ airways or the breathing tubes that take oxygen and other gases from the air to the smallest little air sacs (alveoli) in our lungs.  (There are between 200-300 million alveoli in our lungs, providing a large surface area for the transfer of oxygen from our lungs to the red blood cells.)

慢性阻塞性肺臟的疾病一般與吸煙者有關聯，它是慢性炎症的結果以致損壞肺從空氣取得氧氣和其它氣體到肺中最小的肺泡必經的呼吸氣道。(在我們的肺裡有20-30億個肺泡，它們提供了大的表面讓氧氣從我們的肺臟傳輸到紅血球。)

If our lungs are healthy, these air sacs and the airways leading to them remain elastic and flexible.  Each time we breathe, individual alveoli fill up with air like a small balloon; when we breathe out, the balloon deflates, gently pushing air out. When these airways are partially blocked by swelling, inflammation and scarring, such as in COPD patients, the air sacs lose their elasticity (like an old, tired rubber band) and it becomes difficult for air to get in and out of the lungs.  At the same time, their lungs produce sputum or phlegm (mucus) which tends to clog the airways, making it even harder to breathe.

如果我們的肺是健康的，這些肺泡和呼吸氣道是有彈性和柔軟的。每次我們吸氣，各個肺泡填滿空氣像一個小氣球；當我們呼氣，氣球放氣，溫柔地將空氣擠出去。譬如在慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病的患者，當呼吸氣道部份被腫大、發炎、結疤等阻擋，肺泡失去它們的彈性（像一條老又彈性疲乏的橡皮筋），它變得很難讓空氣進出肺部。同時，這樣的肺會產生痰或黏液讓呼吸氣道容易被堵塞，呼吸因此更困難。

Symptoms of COPD include a “smoker’s cough”, shortness of breath, wheezing, too much sputum production, and the inability to “catch” one’s breath.

慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病的症狀包括：「吸煙者的咳嗽」，呼吸短促，哮喘聲，有許多痰，和不能「屏住呼吸」。

In addition, people with COPD are caught in a vicious circle when it comes to infections, resulting in additional damage to their lungs.⁽¹⁾ Because of the lung damage in COPD, due to inflammation, people with COPD are more susceptible to infection.  But, when they get a cold or flu, they respond with even more inflammation, which in turn causes more trouble breathing.  This is why it is important for the body to be able to defend itself properly and support immune health.

另外，有慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病的人因為他們的肺有受損，所以發炎常反覆發生。也因為經常處於發炎狀態，就更易受到感染。當他們得到感冒或流行性感冒，他們表現出更嚴重的炎症現象，反過來導致更困難呼吸。這就是為什麼要讓身體能適當地保衛自己和維護免疫系統的健康是重要的。

An understanding of the mechanism of action of COPD was recently addressed at Pennsylvania ’s University of Pittsburg School of Medicine’s International Lung Conference.  The research suggests that COPD is caused by an overactive immune system directed against oneself; meaning that COPD is an autoimmune disease.  The immune system is in an overactive state and unbalanced.

最近在賓夕凡尼亞大學匹茲堡醫學院的國際肺臟會議中，有慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病的作用機制的演講。研究認為：慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病是由一個過度活躍的免疫系統造成自己攻擊自己的情形；意味著慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病是一種自體免疫反應的疾病。該免疫系統是在一個過度活躍的狀態和失衡的情形。

If you are having difficulties breathing it is highly recommended that you see a physician.  In addition, there are other steps you might want to take.  These are:

如果您有呼吸困難的情形，強烈建議您要去看醫師。另外，您也應該要遵守下列原則。這些是：

• Quit smoking!  It is critically important that the lungs not continue to be exposed to pollutants.  Give your body a chance to heal itself.
  
• 放棄抽煙！讓肺臟不要繼續被暴露在汙染源中是非常重要的。請提供您的身體一次自癒的機會。

• Request a referral to a supervised pulmonary rehabilitation program to improve your fitness and learn how to breathe with the limited capacity you have.
  
• 請求提供一個能被督導的肺部復健計劃，以改進您的體適能，及學會怎麼用您有限的肺活量強化呼吸。

• Build muscle strength and endurance under the appropriate supervision.
  
• 在適當的監督下鍛鍊肌肉力量和耐力。

• Consume a diet rich in omega-3 healthy fats to help the body balance its inflammatory immune responses⁽²⁾ and support good cardiovascular health; cardiovascular disease plays a major role in COPD.  Use omega-3 fatty acids from fish, or consume dietary supplements containing omega-3.  (Legacy’s EICO-BALANCE™ is a good choice since it contains 2000mg of omega-3 from marine sources.)
  
• 選擇富含Ω3的食物：用健康的脂肪幫助身體平衡它發炎的免疫反應及維護好的心血管健康；心血管疾病常伴隨著慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病。取得Ω3 脂肪酸，不論從魚類中或攝食含Ω3的營養補充品。(如萊科思公司的平衡軟錠EICO-BALANCE產品是一個好選擇，因為它包含從海洋來的Ω3 2000m g。)

• Eat dark colored fruit, especially berries.  Extracts such as those from pomegranates and other darkly pigmented berries, like blueberries, appear to make a difference in the growth of blood vessels in the lungs⁽³⁾ and heart⁽⁴⁾.  (Legacy’s TrimBerry Extreme™ is a good source of fruit extracts, including pomegranate, blueberries, açai, goji, etc.) 
  
• 多吃暗色的果子，特別是莓果。譬如：食用從石榴和其它像藍莓的暗色莓果的萃取物，對肺和心臟的血管成長有助益。(萊科思公司的百奇果汁TrimBerry是果子萃取物的一個好來源，包括：石榴、藍莓、巴西莓果、枸杞等。)

• Most importantly, two or more daily servings of i^26® will help the body defend itself and maintain optimum immune responses.  Additionally, since people with COPD often experience fatigue, i^26® will help support their energy levels and improve their quality of life.
  
• 最重要地，每天至少食用兩匙的i26蛋粉：可以幫助身體自我防衛和維護優化的免疫反應。另外，慢性阻塞性肺臟疾病的患者經常覺得疲勞， i26蛋粉將幫助支持他們的體能和改善他們的生活品質。

From my heart to you, 

Hellen Greenblatt, Ph.D.
Legacy for Life Chief Science Officer

Dual doctorate in Immunology and Microbiology from Downstate Medical Center, SUNY
International speaker: hyperimmune egg technology
American Society for Nutrition
Member of New York Academy of Sciences
Member American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine
Listed in the 60th Diamond Edition of Who’s Who in America
The Amanda L. Cox, Spirit of Life Award

(1)   Sanjay Sethi, MD Chest. 2000 117:286S
(2)   Matsuyama W  Chest. 2005 128:3817
(3)   Khan N Cancer Res. 2007 67:3475.
(4)   Kalea AZ J Nutr Biochem. 2006 17:109

With thanks to G. Obst and H. Tritscher.

Do you have a health question? Please email your question to: “Ask the Doctor” c/o info@LegacyforLife.net