You have so much power to reduce your risk factors and prevent the progression, if not reverse the risk factors for the number one killer in the United States — heart disease. We’ll be reviewing researched nutritional strategies to help you achieve those goals. Small choices that you can make can really change the trajectory of your risk factors, and how you live a happier, healthier life.

Statistics about Heart Disease

Let’s review some statistics — scary statistics. It’s estimated that 17,900,000 people die every year from cardiovascular disease, and that accounts for nearly a third of all deaths. Unfortunately, over 75% of these deaths from cardiovascular disease occur in low or middle income households. 1,100,000,000 people in the world have high blood pressure and hypertension, and only less than one in five have it under control. In the US alone, approximately 85,000,000 people suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease causing about 2200 deaths a day, averaging one death every 40 seconds. Almost one out of every three deaths results from cardiovascular disease.

Not to mention the economical price. Direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease and stroke are estimated to be at $320,000,000,000 a year, and this figure is only increasing. One study showed that 98% of seven to 12 year olds showed at least one major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and 54% showed three or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Another study on people enrolled or enlisted in the army showed that between the ages of 18 and 23, they were already showing signs of atherosclerosis.

So this is a disease that starts in your youth, but you have the power to really change your risk factors and prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.

Common Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Let’s look at some common risk factors and how to address them nutritionally.

1. High cholesterol

We all know high cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies show that eating breakfast can improve cholesterol, as well as eating smaller, more frequent meals. Eggs do not seem to be a problem, actually up to 28 eggs per week showed no increase in the body’s production of cholesterol. You should be eating foods that are high in omega and seven fatty acids, nuts and seeds, garlic, high-fiber foods, beans and legumes, and rice bran oil. It’s important to avoid foods that are high in sucrose and fructose, and limiting your alcohol intake.

It’s no wonder vegetarians and vegans have a lower risk factor of cardiovascular disease with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

2. Homocysteine and C-reactive protein

These are both independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease or heart disease. Homocysteine can be improved by eating fruits and vegetables, avoiding coffee, and eating foods that are high in essential fatty acids.

A Mediterranean-type diet has been shown to reduce C reactive protein. In addition, high fiber intake, limiting alcohol, limiting food allergies and barbecue or charred foods, all helps reduce C-reactive protein.

3. Platelet aggregation

Platelet aggregation is also an independent risk factor for heart disease. Avoid foods in high sucrose and eat a low fat, whole foods diet, limiting sodium or salt intake.

Once again, the Mediterranean-type of diet could help here. Tomatoes, and the allium family (garlic, onions, leeks), a glass or two of red wine, dark chocolate, grape juice, green tea, essential fatty acids, and culinary herbs like ginger, rosemary, thyme, and oregano, have been shown to help with platelet aggregation.

4. Lipoprotein A

Another risk factor for heart disease, we can improve Lipoprotein A levels by avoiding trans-fats, unfiltered coffee, incorporating red wine and grapes, eating a diet that’s rich in vitamin C foods and essential fatty acids.

5. Fibrinogen

Fibrinogen is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Eating a diet high in fiber, and reducing intake of senior saturated or trans-fatty and refined carbohydrates is important. Your diet should include more of the allium family of vegetables, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, vitamins C, E, and B, and enzymes like Nattokinase or Bromelain foods that are high in zinc.

6. High blood pressure

High blood pressure is an absolute contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. You need to avoid heavy metals like lead and cadmium, which have been shown to have a relationship with the development of hypertension. To help this, reduce sodium intake, processed foods that are typically high in salt, and avoid sucrose and fructose. Stick to a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Are you seeing a pattern here yet?

The Best Diet to Prevent Heart Disease

It is recommended to follow a vegetarian diet, and have nine servings of five colors every single day. Include water-soluble fibers such as pectin and oats and rice bran, vegetable proteins, beans and legumes. These foods happen to also be rich in sources of magnesium and potassium, which helps to prevent heart disease. The allium family, garlic, leeks, onions and culinary herbs and spices, can be used to flavor your food but also use them to live a longer life.

Avoid sucrose and fructose, refined carbohydrates, fast foods, fried foods, chard foods, highly-processed foods that are high in sodium and salt, a diet that’s rich in essential fatty acids. Cold water, fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olives and grass-fed free range meats such as beef or chicken or eggs. Obviously, avoid smoking. The intake of coffee in moderation seems to be protective as long as that coffee is filtered, so unfiltered coffee actually increases cholesterol and triglycerides which contributes to heart disease. Alcohol really needs to be taken in moderation. If you drink nothing, your risk factors go down. If you drink too much, your risk factors go way up. But if you drink in moderation, say between one and three glasses of particularly red wine rich in flavonoids, you may actually reduce your risk factors for heart disease.

We have created other videos on high blood pressure, so do go check those out. We’ve created a couple of supplements, one for blood pressure called BP Zone, and one that’s rich in omega 3-7-9 fatty acids, it’s called Omega 3-7-9 + Krill. Give them a try and supplement with these nutritional strategies so you can prevent the progression of heart disease.

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Find out which heart health mistakes you’re making, and how to spot heart attack symptoms before it’s too late.

If you liked this video/article and found it useful, do share it with your friends and loved ones. Subscribe to the Youtube channel for weekly tips on new tools and techniques to improve your health and well-being.

I believe in the original meaning of the word doctor, ‘docere’, which means teacher. I’m here to help educate you on how to take care of yourself in ways that you may not have heard of before, but that are effective. I always want to hear your ideas and feedback so be sure to leave me comments below!

There are many known benefits of drinking coffee. You get more energy, increased focus, and it may even help you to complete tasks. Some people can drink a pot or two pots a day and get away with it, but there are also those of us who do not process caffeine very well and can only have a cup a day. Now and again, we all need a detox from caffeine. But what actually happens to your body when you decide to take a break from coffee? What happens when you stop drinking coffee for 30 days?

Here’s What Happens When You Stop Drinking Coffee

One of the first thing that happens when you stop drinking coffee is getting a withdrawal headache. This is an initial headache that occurs because you’re simply withdrawing from a chemical – caffeine.

How can you counter this? Firstly, you can try taking a herb called Eleutherococcus. Eleutherococcus is a type of ginseng that has been shown in studies to help alleviate, or at least release and reduce the chances of getting that withdrawal headache from caffeine.

Secondly, you can take an all-natural amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine increases alpha brain waves, giving you energy, focus, and calm. Taking a combination of Eleutherococcus and L-theanine for 30 days will help you come off caffeine quite easily.

We’ve worked with pharmacists and researchers to develop a supplement called “Meditation in a Bottle” that contains L-theanine, Eleutherococcus, as well as other herbs.

It’s a really powerful formula that helps with stress, energy, mood, and focus.

We’re really proud of it, and patients’ feedback has been amazing so far. Please write in with your comments, suggestions about other things that you want to learn. This is a channel dedicated to your health and your wellness.

 

Make sure that you like this page, subscribe to notifications, share it with your friends and loved ones. I believe in the initial word of doctor, which is ‘docere’. It means teacher.

I’m Dr. Ryan Shelton, and I’m here to teach and educate you each and every week. Thanks so much.

 

 

 

 

According to the CDC, a heart attack occurs in the United States every 40 seconds. Also known as myocardial infarction, a heart attack occurs when part of the heart fails to receive adequate blood flow. Each year, nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack and, for more than 200,000 of them, it is a second attack.

Heart attacks can range from mild to severe, but the scary thing about them is that they can come on seemingly without warning. What’s more, about one in five heart attacks is silent – this means that it causes damage to the heart muscle but shows no sign of it. You may already know about certain risk factors for heart attack such as obesity and genetics, but there are some surprising risk factors you should learn about as well.

What Exactly Happens During a Heart Attack?

Your heart is the center of your cardiovascular system – the system that is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood throughout your body. When you breathe air into your lungs, the oxygen enters your bloodstream and is then transported throughout the body. Not only does your heart pump oxygenated blood to other vital organs, but it requires a certain amount of oxygen itself in order to function properly. When that oxygen supply is reduced or cut off, it can trigger a heart attack.

In simple terms, a heart attack happens when oxygen-giving blood flow to the heart is severely reduced or cut off completely. There are a number of different contributing factors which can cause this to happen, but atherosclerosis is the most common. If you have high cholesterol and follow an unhealthy diet, you are more likely to develop an accumulation of fat in your arteries. That fat combines with cholesterol and other substances to form plaques that thicken the artery walls, causing them to narrow which then restricts blood flow – this is called atherosclerosis.

When an artery becomes so narrowed that it restricts blood flow which triggers a heart attack. The longer the heart is deprived of oxygen, the more damage it is likely to sustain. Treatment for heart attack involves opening the blocked artery to restore blood flow. Once that goal is accomplished, additional treatments or therapies may be administered to mitigate symptoms and to repair the damage.

What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Attack?

Eating an unhealthy diet and failing to get any regular exercise are two of the biggest risk factors for heart attack along with obesity and family history. Your risk for heart attack may also be higher if you have certain cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. What you may not know, however, is that there are some other indications which may not seem related to your heart health but could very well contribute to an increased risk for a heart attack – here are the top 5:

1. Your skin is dry and scaly.
2. You’ve been exposed to environmental toxins.
3. You take OTC pain relievers for cold or flu.
4. You have chronic shoulder pain or stiffness.
5. Your ears have taken a beating.

If you have dry patches of red, scaly skin on your body – particularly on the elbows – it could be more than just dry skin, it could be psoriasis. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition triggered by autoimmune activity that speeds up the life cycle of cells, causing them to accumulate on the surface of the skin in formations known as plaques. Because the driving force behind psoriasis is inflammation, it has been linked to heart disease. In fact, studies show that having psoriasis can increase your risk for heart disease by two to three times. This could also mean an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The air you breathe, the food you eat, and the products you use could be full of toxins without you realizing it. Though hidden toxins are dangerous, it is the obvious things like smog which are the most damaging. Environmental toxins like smog can wreak havoc on your health, but you may be surprised to learn that they could also increase your risk of heart attack. Studies show that cumulative exposure to smog can worsen cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease and, in conjunction, heart attack.

When you are hit with the flu or develop a cold, you probably reach for over-the-counter medications to relieve the aches and pains. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen are generally regarded as safe, and they can help relieve mild symptoms. According to a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, however, these same drugs could increase your risk for a heart attack if you take them while suffering from a respiratory infection. Researchers have yet to explain the link, but it could be related to an increased risk of bleeding and blood clots.

Chest pain that radiates to the neck and arm can be an early indication of heart attack, but what about shoulder pain? Chronic shoulder pain may not directly cause heart problems, but recent studies have identified a correlation between an increased risk for heart disease and shoulder trouble. In a study of 36 participants, those with numerous risk factors for heart disease were found to be 5 times more likely to have shoulder joint pain than those with no cardiac risk factors.

When you think of heart disease and heart attack risk factors, your ears probably never enter your mind. According to new research, however, prolonged or frequent exposure to loud noises was correlated with higher rates of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart failure, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. So, while noise may not directly cause heart disease, it may have a negative impact on various aspects of cardiac health which could contribute to a higher risk of a heart attack.

Heart-related symptoms are never something you should ignore, even if they seem mild. You should also keep in mind that the symptoms of heart attack look different in men than in women, so take the time to educate yourself for your own protection.

 

You don’t want to die sooner than you have to. If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering how to live a longer, happier, healthier life. A life in which you’re able to see your kids, even grandkids, graduate high school, graduate college, get married and create beautiful wonderful families of their own which you can engage in and enjoy for the rest of your life. Sometimes you make small choices, and you do not understand how it can change the entire trajectory of your life moving forward. Today, let’s talk about longevity genes.

There are many theories about aging, but what research has shown is that there are three important parts of the DNA which control aging and longevity. Most of our DNA codes for proteins, but these three enzymes change how the DNA responds to our environment in terms of longevity and aging. They don’t control or create new proteins. They tell the rest of our genes and the rest of our DNA, what to do.

There are two pathways when it comes to every cell in the body: growth and reproduction, or protection and maintenance. Growth and reproduction means that cells are replicating again and again to create new cells. With protection and maintenance, the cells are not replicating, reproducing, nor growing. They’re just maintaining the status quo. The three enzymes we’re going to talk about are responsible for which pathway a cell takes, and thus whether it ages or stays young.

The 3 Enzymes That Help Longevity

1. Telomerase

Every time a cell divides, the ends of the DNA (telomeres) shorten a little bit. The shorter telomeres become, the more likely that cell is to age. Telomerase is an enzyme which helps to keep those telomeres long. Studies have shown that over-expression of telomerase can increase lifespan by 30%, and under-expression can decrease lifespan by 50%.

Every cell in your body has a limit of about 50 to 60 divisions before the telomeres become too short.

If we’re able to keep the telomeres long through encouraging greater activity of telomerase, then we are able to keep our cells (and thus, ourselves) young.

2. Sirtuin

Sirtuin is the determinant gene that decides if your cells are going to go down the path of growth and reproduction or protection and maintenance. If we are able to regulate/increase sirtuin enzymes, we can push our cells towards protection and maintenance, anti-aging and longevity.

3. TOR

TOR is known to push our entire DNA into growth and reproduction. If we can decrease the activity of the TOR enzyme, we can slow the aging process.

How Can We Influence These 3 Longevity Enzymes?

Researchers have shown that a number of natural compounds, botanical agents, can increase telomerase, increase sirtuin, and decrease TOR.

Substances like resveratrol, Terminalia, Astragalus, purslane, Ashwagandha, ginseng, astatine, Cordyceps, pterostilbene etc. can all help. We’ve actually developed an important powerful supplement called Longevity Activator, where we include these agents, plus others, that can influence these three genetic genes so that we encourage protection and maintenance, and discourage growth and reproduction.

Want more secrets to living longer? Learn about 3 longevity superfoods that could actually help you add on years!

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If you liked this video/article and found it useful, do share it with your friends and loved ones. Subscribe to the Youtube channel for weekly tips on new tools and techniques to improve your health and well-being.

I believe in the original meaning of the word doctor, ‘docere‘, which means teacher. I’m here to help educate you on how to take care of yourself in ways that you may not have heard of before, but that are effective. I always want to hear your ideas and feedback so be sure to leave me comments below!

Every year, over 600,000 people die of heart disease – that makes it the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Though there is certainly a genetic component to cardiovascular disease, many risk factors are completely within your control. In fact, you are probably making some simple mistakes that, if you continue to make them, could have serious consequences down the line.

If you want to take control of your heart health now to prevent major heart problems later in life, you need to step back and take a look at your cardiovascular health and the habits you have which could be negatively impacting it. Keep reading to learn about the top 5 heart health mistakes you should stop making now to ensure a brighter and healthier future for you and your heart.

How Late is Too Late?

It is never too early to start making healthier choices in your life. Striving for a more balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise are two of the best things you can do for your health, both now and for the future. Simple things like this can add up and, over time, they will help your body run at its optimal level which will ensure that all of your organs and systems work more efficiently. So, while making a healthy choice is a good thing for sure, it is important that you continue to make those healthy choices each and every day if you want the results to last.

So, it’s a good idea to start thinking about your health sooner rather than later, but how late is too late? According to Deepak Bhatt, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the executive director of interventional cardiovascular programs at Brigham Women’s Hospital Heart & Vascular Center, several risk factors for heart disease start to go up in a person’s 40s. Though risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are always dangerous, these things become major drivers for heart problems in middle age.

What does that mean? It means that while it is best to adopt healthy habits early on to preserve your cardiovascular health for the long-term, it becomes even more important to make healthy changes once you hit 40 if you haven’t done so already. But what kind of mistakes are the most damaging to your heart and what can you do to fix them? Keep reading to find out.

Mistake #1: Carrying Around Too Much Weight

As you get older it is natural for your metabolism to slow down and that makes you prone to weight gain. If you are already overweight or obese, this could be all the more dangerous for your heart and your health. The first step in correcting this mistake is to make yourself aware of how bad the problem really is. Step on the scale and ask yourself just how much weight you’ve gained over the past few months, the past year, or even the past decade. If your weight has been steadily climbing, you could have some other health problems you need to address – talk to your doctor about doing a cardiovascular fitness test to see what kind of shape your heart is really in.

Eating a salad once in a while or going for a walk one day a week are good choices to make, but they won’t make much difference for your bodyweight or your heart health until they become frequent habits. Unfortunately, losing weight over the age of 40 can be tricky for many people but there are a few simple rules you can follow to make a change:

• Aim for slow and steady weight loss – The goal is to lose the weight and keep it off, so aim for a 1- to 2-pound loss per week at most to ensure that your body adjusts properly so you keep the weight off after you lose it.
• Make veggies the focus of your meals – Sure, you should include complex carbohydrates in your diet but try to fill up on veggies and lean proteins to limit your calorie intake and maximize your nutrient intake.
• Eat smaller portions – Not only should you make an effort to eat healthier meals in general but watch your portion sizes as well. You can gain weight just as easily from eating too much chicken as you can too much pizza.
• Don’t skip meals – Your metabolism is already struggling, so why mess with it by skipping meals? You’re better off drinking a smoothie or eating a small meal to control calorie intake than you are skipping the meal entirely.
• Be mindful of treats – There’s nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence, but it’s probably not a good idea to go eating a bowl of ice cream after dinner every day.

In addition to making these simple changes, you should make an effort to move more as well. You don’t necessarily have to train for the marathon but going for a 30-minute walk once or twice a day will make a big difference for your cardiovascular health.

Mistake #2: Failing to Nurture Relationships

When you work a long day, it’s tempting to just go home and veg out in front of the television. While this is fine once in a while, don’t let your relationships fall by the wayside. You may not realize it, but nurturing social relationships is important for your heart health. According to a study conducted in 2016, social isolation and loneliness can increase your risk for coronary heart disease just as much as smoking. In fact, a lack of social relationships was correlated with an increase in a person’s risk for heart disease by nearly 30%.

Forcing yourself to go out with friends every night of the week may not be the healthiest choice, but you should take the steps necessary to preserve and grow your friendships. Men in particular are at-risk for letting relationships slide in their 40s, so you might need to make a concerted effort to keep in touch. Try joining a recreational sport league, take up a new hobby, or just schedule a weekly dinner out with friends. You don’t have to do anything crazy, just keep in touch!

Mistake #3: Going Too Hard at the Gym (or Not at All)

The benefits of physical exercise for your heart health are undeniable, but there is such a thing as working out too hard. While it is recommended that you get 30 minutes of exercise per day, if all of that exercise is high-intensity, it could be damaging to your heart once you reach middle age and older. If you choose to do high-intensity exercise like running, make sure you warm up your body properly and try to do something low-intensity in between your more intense workouts. If you are new to exercise, it is especially important that you start slow and build your fitness over time.

While hitting the gym too hard is not good for your heart, neither is avoiding it entirely. You don’t have to spend an hour on the treadmill every day or train for a triathlon, but you should be making a daily effort to get moving. Go for a walk after work every evening or play a round of tennis with a friend on the weekend. Whatever kind of exercise you enjoy, make that your focus and the heart health benefits will be a bonus.

Mistake #4: Not Managing Your Stress

Stress seems unavoidable in this day and age. Many people who suffer from chronic stress don’t even realize it because it has become the norm for them. What you may not know, however, is that chronic stress can wreak havoc on your body, including your heart. When you are faced with some kind of threat, your body has a built-in “fight or flight” response that revs up your heartrate and breathing and focuses your mind – these metabolic changes give you the energy and focus to tackle the threat head-on or to successfully escape it. When the threat dissipates, your body goes back to normal.

Unfortunately, the body has a hard time distinguishing between physical threats and emotional or mental stress. If you’re constantly busy, over-worked, and under-rested your body is operating at a low level of panic all the time and that can be incredibly draining on your heart. Taking just 15 minutes out of your day to rest and relax can work wonders for your mental and physical health. Try starting the day with a 10-minute meditation session or set aside a half hour every evening to read a book or soak in a hot bath. Even if you aren’t able to change your stressful situation, you can change how you handle it and giving your mind and body a break once in a while will do you immeasurable good.

Mistake #5: Smoking

According to the American Heart Association, smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States, accounting for more than 440,000 deaths each year. Smoking contributes to a number of serious chronic health problems, not the least of which is heart disease. Cigarette smoking can increase blood pressure, decrease exercise tolerance, and increase the risk for blood clots. It can also contribute to atherosclerosis, or the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries which greatly increases your risk for heart attack.

When you quit smoking, the health benefits kick in almost immediately, though it may take a few years for your risk of heart attack or stroke to drop down to normal levels. Just know that these benefits may be limited if you continue to smoke other substances such as cigars or marijuana. Even secondhand smoke can increase your risk for heart problems.

Following a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise is a recipe for heart health, but you also have to take a look at some of your other habits to see if they might be harming you as well. If you want to keep your heart beating strong for another couple of decades, start taking care of it now by dropping the bad habits discussed above.

If you’ve watched any network news channel over the past few years, you know that scientists and researchers have attributed chronic disease with chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation contributes to most of the modern day maladies or ailments, including Alzheimer’s, mood disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, the list goes on and on. You need to control chronic inflammation if you want to prevent, if not reverse, some of these chronic ailments.

What Contributes to Chronic Inflammation?

Simply put, one of the most contributing factors to chronic inflammation is a simple three-letter word: fat. Controlling the amount of fat in your body is a way to reduce chronic inflammation in your body. There are a few different types of fats in your body to look out for.

Firstly, the visible fats you can see in the mirror. We used to think that fat cells were just an inner, benign reservoir to store extra calories. They looked a bit unseemly and gross in a mirror, but they were generally there to store energy. Research has actually shown that this is not true, and that these fat cells are actually active organs. Fat cells produce over 80 different types of proteins and other highly active chemicals that promote inflammation in your body. The good news is, when you lose weight and the visible fat you see in the mirror disappears, you can curb the inflammation happening in your body.

Secondly, you also need to be aware of the fats that you can’t actually see. Every cell in your body has a membrane, and within that membrane is a type of fatty acid called “arachidonic acid”. Arachidonic acid is meant to protect us, but it can go overboard and promote inflammation. Arachidonic acid produces a series of chemicals in the body called “prostaglandins” and “leukotrienes”. Some of these chemicals are anti-inflammatory, but there are pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes too.

Here’s the secret: If you are consuming adequate healthy amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, then the type of prostaglandins and leukotrienes produced in your body are anti-inflammatory rather than pro-inflammatory. As long as you eat these healthy fats, you can lower the level of pro-inflammatory chemicals in your body.

How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

One of the best ways to reduce chronic inflammation is to eat foods high in essential fatty acids. These include:

• Avocados
• Nuts like walnuts, almonds, pistachios
• Chia seeds and flax seeds
• Olives
• Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies

By including these healthy fatty foods in your daily diet, you’ll change the pathway of how arachidonic acid is broken down, and can change the parameters of inflammation in your body.

We’ve actually created a program to help with weight loss, and a supplement to help with weight loss, called Trim-14. You can check them out to use as a weight loss option. We’ve also developed an essential fatty acid, Omega-3, 7, 9 + krill oil supplement, that contains high amounts of the essential fatty acids plus krill oil which helps with more effective absorption.

As always, we would love to hear from you! Let us know what your favorite type of healthy fatty food is, and how you manage chronic inflammation. Let us know what works for you or what doesn’t in the comments below so that together, we can win the battle with chronic inflammation.

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If you liked this video/article, do share it with your friends and loved ones. Subscribe to the Youtube channel for weekly tips on new tools and techniques to improve your health and well-being.

I believe in the original meaning of the word doctor, ‘docere‘, which means teacher. I’m here to help educate you on how to take care of yourself in ways that you may not have heard of before, but that are effective. I always want to hear your ideas and feedback so be sure to leave me comments below!

It is completely normal to get a little winded while exerting yourself, but if you experience shortness of breath on a regular basis, it could very well be a problem. Difficulty breathing paired with cough, sputum, and wheezing are the hallmarks of a condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. Keep reading to learn more about COPD and its effects on your health.

What is COPD, Anyway?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes airflow from the lungs to become obstructed – difficulty breathing is the primary symptom. Though COPD is a disease in and of itself, it is often linked to two other common conditions – emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes which are the structures that carry air to and from the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs. Emphysema is a condition in which the alveoli in the bronchioles, the smallest air passages in the lungs, are destroyed or damaged by cigarette smoke and other toxic or irritating gases.

What Are the Symptoms and Causes?

While difficulty breathing is the most common symptom of COPD, you may also experience cough, mucus or sputum production, and wheezing. Unfortunately, these symptoms often do not present until the disease has progressed and significant lung damage has occurred. In fact, the diagnostic criteria for chronic bronchitis include a daily cough and sputum production for at least three months out of the year for two consecutive years. Emphysema is also a disease that develops over time and can cause serious damage to the respiratory system.

The shortness of breath that commonly indicates COPD can happen anytime, but most frequently occurs during physical activity. Other symptoms of COPD may include the following:

• Wheezing
• Tightness in the chest
• Chronic cough
• Sputum-producing cough
• Cyanosis (blue lips or fingernail beds)
• Low energy level
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Swollen ankles or feet
• Unintentional weight loss

Another common symptom of COPD is having to clear your throat first thing in the morning, typically due to excess mucus in the lungs. Many people with COPD experience one or more symptoms on a daily basis, though there may also be periods during which symptoms worsen for a period of several days. Additionally, the severity of these symptoms is likely to worsen over time – especially if you keep smoking cigarettes.

Smoking cigarettes is the most common cause of COPD, particularly in the developed world. In developing countries, however, it is more commonly caused by inhalation of cooking fumes in poorly ventilated areas. While many smokers develop some degree of reduced lung function, only about 20% to 30% actually develop clinically apparent COPD. Other factors that contribute to COPD include long-term exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke, fumes, dust, and work-related chemicals. There is also a rare form of the disease caused by an alpha-1 deficiency. Alpha-1-deficiency-related emphysema is caused by a genetic condition that impairs the body’s ability to produce normal amounts of the alpha-1 protein which protects the lungs from damage.

How Does COPD Affect Your Lungs?

The lung-damaging effects of COPD are obvious in that the most common symptom is difficulty breathing, but how exactly does this disease affect your lungs and the rest of the respiratory system? In order to understand the effects of COPD, you need a basic understanding of how your respiratory system works. When you breathe air through your mouth or nose, it travels down your trachea or windpipe into the lungs through two large tubes called bronchi.

Once the tubes enter the lungs, they separate into many smaller tubes like the branches of a tree – these smaller tubes are called bronchioles, and there is a cluster of air sacs or alveoli at the end of each. Inside the alveoli are collections of tiny blood vessels called capillaries which absorb the oxygen from the air you breathe, allowing it to enter the bloodstream. From there, the oxygenated blood is pumped throughout your body, and you exhale the waste product carbon dioxide.

So, what happens when you develop COPD? Healthy lung function is dependent on the elasticity of the bronchial tubes and air sacs which enables them to physically force air out of your body. COPD causes those structures to lose their elasticity, allowing them to over-expand which prevents all of the air from leaving – it actually traps some of the air in your lungs each time you exhale. As you can imagine, it is difficult to catch your breath when trapped air prevents your lungs from filling properly.

How Else Does COPD Affect Your Health?

By the time you develop symptoms of COPD, it is likely that a significant amount of damage has already been done to your lungs, but what about the rest of the body? How else does COPD affect your health?

Long-term COPD can lead to a number of complications including frequent respiratory infections, heart problems, high blood pressure, and even depression. For people with COPD, respiratory infections are a double-edged sword. Having COPD makes it more likely that you will catch a cold, the flu, or pneumonia and any respiratory infection will make it more difficult to breathe, thus exacerbating the damage to your lungs and making your COPD worse. COPD can also cause high blood pressure in the arteries supplying blood to the lungs – this is known as pulmonary hypertension – and, for unknown reasons, COPD may increase your risk for heart disease or heart attack. Having chronic COPD may also impact your daily life to the degree that you develop depression.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is no laughing matter, and it is a very real risk if you are or have ever been a smoker. While COPD is very serious, it is also very treatable – quitting smoking and making other healthy changes to your lifestyle can help you manage the disease and improve your quality of life, but you should start sooner than later.