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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary (or Lung) Disease (COPD).

The purpose of this article is not to suggest that you incorporate natural methods of COPD treatment in replacement of your prescribed medication. Instead, we are suggesting ways to alleviate your COPD condition in conjunction with your prescribed medication. Hopefully, these ideas will help reduce suffering, and prevent the need to increase medication dosage.

To begin with, COPD is defined as a group of diseases that reduce the ability to breathe, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The most common cause of COPD is smoking, and 15% of smokers become stricken by COPD. Those who are exposed to environments containing high levels of heavy particulate for extended periods of time are also at risk.

In the early stages, COPD is characterized by a gradual loss of lung function. The condition can be reversed in the early stages, but most people do not realize they have COPD until lung tissue damage and loss occurs. By this time the condition becomes irreversible, which is why recognizing the symptoms during the early stages is critical.

The symptoms of COPD include:

* Years of smoking, or exposure to heavy pollution such as chemical fumes, grains, cotton, wood, mining dust.

* You suffer bouts of asthma or bronchitis.

* Chronic coughing / heavy phlegm.

* Morning smoker's cough.

* Colds last weeks instead of days, and you suffer at least one prolonged bout of bronchitis every winter.

* You're often breathless during ordinary activity.

* Your cough has changed, becoming more shallow, as if something is lodged inside your chest.

* You are over the age of 40.

* Additional phlegm is being produced, and your cough becomes more moist.

The most important remedy for most people who develop COPD is to quit smoking. Other than that, there are a variety of other natural methods that can help minimize the effects of COPD.

Natural COPD Remedies:

* Consume antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and E, carotene, and selenium. Deriving these nutrients through what you actually eat is most effective. Dietary supplements will not provide nearly as much benefit.

Beta carotene is found in dark green, orange, red, and deep yellow fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene offers little protection for those that are still smoking though. Foods high in selenium include seafood, organ meats, lean meats, poultry, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. Selenium offers strong protection for smokers.

* Avoid pollutants, which can cause further damage and tissue loss to your already vulnerable lungs. An air purifier will be very helpful here, since it is difficult to avoid airborne pollutants altogether, even (especially) when inside.

To view a web page that describes all the pollutants you commonly face in the typical home or other indoor environment, click on the following link:

http://www.indoorpurifiers.com/sources.htm

Click on the following link for IPS's in-depth Air Purifier Buying

Guide: http://www.indoorpurifiers.com/air-purifier-guide.htm

* Avoid infections.

* Hold your breath and breathe deeply frequently, which allows your blood to take in more oxygen. By doing this though, make sure you are in an environment with clean air. If the air has many pollutants, this will actually cause you to take in increased impurities, which can cause more harm than good.

* Concentrate on pushing out your diaphragm when you breathe. The diaphragm is the muscle between your rib cage and abdomen. Expanding it when breathing allows you to take in more air. Place your hand on your diaphragm to make sure it is expanding when you breathe.

* Use controlled coughing to remove infection-causing phlegm in your lungs. To do this, breathe deeply, hold your breath, and then cough twice. Once to loosen the phlegm, and the second to bring it to the back of your throat. Then immediately cough up this phlegm to spit it out.

* Stay active to remain in good physical shape.

* Avoid anxiety, which results in muscle tightening and shallow breathing.

* Build up energy. This is important since it requires about 10 times as much energy for an individual with COPD to breathe. One way to do this is to stay in good shape by exercising. Another is to eat properly.

* Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 larger ones. This helps prevent bloating and shortness of breath.

* Drink lots of water to keep air passages moist to allow phlegm to be easily coughed up. Soda will not help, since carbonation results in shortness of breath.

(2) Negative Ion Study Summary of the Month:

"It's all in the numbers"

In Britain, two Oxford University statisticians conducted a study among victims of asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever. The sample was randomly selected from a list of people who had purchased a negative ion air purifier. Through interviews, they found that 18 of 24 asthmatics, 13 of 17 bronchitis sufferers, 11 of 12 hay fever victims, and 6 of 10 suffering from nasal catarrh, reported that the product had noticeably improved their condition. A few even reported that it cured their condition.

Source: Soyka, F. (1991). The Ion Effect. Bantum Premium, U.S.

(3) Facts about In-Vehicle Air Pollution

(1) California's Air Resources Board studied the air on busy roadways in Los Angeles and Sacramento, and found it is even dirtier inside the car than it is right outside of it. There are heavy levels of toxic chemicals right outside the vehicle, and it is even worse on the inside.

(2) Why is the air worse inside the vehicle than right outside the vehicle? Automakers say they have been focusing on reducing what comes out the exhaust, but not reducing what gets inside the vehicle.

(3) The level of pollution inside your vehicle depends on a variety of factors, such as whether you smoke in the car, how much pollution is being emitted by the vehicle in front of you, and how close you are to the vehicle in front of you.

(4) California's Air Resource Board also found that the type of vehicle you have and your ventilation settings have little affect on in-vehicle pollution.

To combat the in-vehicle pollution problem, IPS is now offering the DH Series Vehicle Air Purifier, which electronically creates "Thunderstorm-Fresh" air for your automobile by emitting ozone and negative ions.

Click on the following link for detailed information about the DH Series Vehicle Air Purifier: