In emphysema the air sacs deep in the lungs become damaged due to smoking or air pollution. They enlarge and burst, reducing the area which absorbs oxygen. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, and consequently limited exertion and expansion of the chest, and chest infections.

Treatment

To be carried out in consultation with your doctor.

Aromatherapy

Massage the chest with 20 ml light vegetable oil mixed with 2 drops of each of the following essential oils: Atlas cedarwood, peppermint, or eucalyptus.

Homeopathy

Take twice daily for 7 days; repeat if necessary:

Great rattling and suffocative wheezing but unable to produce phlegm: Antimonium tartaricum 6c. Worse for cloudy days, warm rooms and early morning: Ammonium carbonicum 6c. Worse for colds air and draughts and in the late evening: Herpar sulphuris 6c.

Hydrotherapy/Aromatherapy

Steam inhalations help the body to expel phlegm when the chest is congested. Fill a basin with boiling water, add 3 drops of essential oil of eucalyptus. Keeping the eyes closed, put your head over the basin with a towel over you to trap the steam and inhale deeply for 2-5 minutes.

Reflexology

The lung area is on the upper surface of both feet, just below the toes, stretching from the second to fourth toes. Gently massaging this area facilitates breathing.

Exercise

Studies have shown that daily cycling (stationary or outdoors) can greatly relieve the symptoms of emphysema. Walking and swimming are also very good. Exercise should be gentle to begin with, building up exertion gradually. Try to breathe deeply while exercising. Ideally such exercise should be practiced for 5 minutes three times daily.

Yoga

Attending a class will help educate you to breathe better. The following movements aid expansion of the chest and should be done as often as is comfortable:

Arm rotation: place your fingertips on your shoulders, inhale and bring your elbows together in front of you. Lift them as high as possible, then bring them back to your sides in a circle exhaling. While sitting on a stool or standing, stretch out your arms in a breaststroke action, bringing the arms back behind you with fingers clasped behind your buttocks and shoulders pulled back. Inhale and lift your arms up as far as possible. Exhale and lower the arms.

Orthodox

Regular courses of antibiotics are recommended for repeated chest infections. Bronchodilator drugs may be given to open up the remaining healthy airways linking the windpipe to the lungs. Corticosteroid drugs are sometimes given to reduce inflammation of the lungs and dispel phlegm. Oxygen therapy is usually necessary in the later stages of the disease.