Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Let's start with your second question: what steps can one do to lessen the chances of lung cancer? Of course, the most important is to limit inhalation of toxic substances. this means quitting smoking of any kind. For people between the ages of 55 and 75, who have a history of heavy smoking and recent smoking, many will qualify for lung cancer screening with low dose CT scans.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Generally, having had a pulmonary embolism should not make one susceptible to subsequent infections. However, there are several treatable conditions that can help to prevent episodes of bronchitis and severe bronchitis. For everyone, getting a yearly flu shot is very important. For your particular case, it might be helpful to ask your primary doctor if there are additional modifiable risk factors specific to you or if a pulmonary consultation might be helpful.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
COPD at age 39 is somewhat unusual, though not unheard of. My first line of attack would be to make a clear diagnosis: do you really have COPD or is there an alternative diagnosis that might explain your symptoms and other test results. Assuming that you actually do have COPD: 1) you should quit smoking of all kinds, if you have not already. 2) you should be immunized against strep pneumoniae and seasonal influenza. 3) Inhalers should be used for symptoms and also for prevention of exacerbations. Most commonly used inhalers include inhaled steroids, long-acting beta agonists, and long-acting muscarinic agents. these may or may not be appropriate for you. 4) For patients with severe disease, who are at high risk for frequent exacerbations, daily azithromycin has been found to be helpful. 5) Finally, most patients with COPD have coexisting conditions, especially heart disease. Treating these other problems can make a big difference in overall health.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Oxygen, used for at least 18 hours daily, has been found to increase length of life in COPD patients who have resting oxygen saturations less than 88% on room air. Many patients, with various lung diseases who have low oxygen saturations, also feel better with oxygen. Oxygen probably helps in a number of ways. Our red blood cells pick up oxygen in the lungs and deliver that oxygen to the body. When saturations are less than about 88%, oxygen delivery can be impaired. Also, the blood vessels in our lungs respond to low oxygen levels by constricting blood flow. This has benifits, but in situations of chronic low oxygen levels, the situation can cause problems for heart function.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Exercise is helpful for many body systems: muscles, cardiovascular health, glucose control, weight control... However, for people with normal lungs, breathing is a habit (which is a great thing!), not something that you should need to practice.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Depending on how severe your asthma is and how frequently you experience symptoms, there are a number of strategies. One simple strategy is to use 2 puffs of albuterol 10 minutes prior to exercise. This works for a lot of people, though might not be a great stategy for someone who exercises very frequently. Another option is to use asthma controller medications daily. If asthma is properly controlled, you should not be limited in your ability to exercise.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Most commonly, the sensation of mucous in the back of the throat is not due to a lung problem. Usually it is either from post-nasal drip or from gastroesophageal reflux (or both).

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Most people talk about smoking and lung health, though damage to the cardiovascular system (causing heart attacks and strokes is more common than lung problems. Smoke exposure is also a risk factor for many different kinds of cancer. The extent of damage done to lungs from smoking is due to a combination of genetic predisposition and quantity of smoke exposure.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Yes, there is a genetic predisposition for COPD. For most patients with COPD, this means that genes determine how likely they are to get COPD from smoking. There is also a specific genetic disease, called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which predosposes patients to a somewhat rare form of COPD.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
You might be referring to clearance of sputum, which is a problem for many patients with a range of lung diseases. I assume that by "alternative treatment methods," you mean non-medicinal treatments. The best way to clear sputum is exercise that makes a person breath heavily. For my patients with bronchiectasis, I recommend running up and down the stairs twice daily for 10 minutes. For patients unable to do this, I recommend jogging or brisk walking. For patients with bronchiectasis, there are additional mechanical ways to clear sputum. These include using an acapella device, a vibrating therapy vest, or having another person percuss the chest. I also prescribe hypertonic saline nebs (basically vaporized salty water).

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Some asthmatics have concomitant immune problems, but for most asthmatics, the problem is probably not one of getting more infections than the general public. Neither do they generally tend to get more pneumonias. Rather, when an asthmatic gets a simple cold or influenza infection, they also can develop an asthma attack. Many of my patients have described such illnesses as "going into my chest."

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
For most people in developed countries, like the United States, emphysema, or COPD, is caused by smoking. People also can get COPD from inhalation of dusts or chemicals in the workplace (usually factories). In other parts of the world, people get COPD from burning biofuels. Usually, this is in the form of cooking with a wood-burning or coal-burning stove.

Dr. Stacy Raviv (NorthShore)
Diets high in fruits and vegetables have been reported to decrease risk for lung cancer. Most lung cancers are related to tobacco smoke, though other inhalational agents, like asbestos, radon, and air pollution are also risk factors.