Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
What is Asthma? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND When the summer and warm weather arrives, they can bring more than just an opportunity to enjoy being outside! These warmer temperatures can also bring about triggers that in some people worsen their asthma symptoms. How can summer …
Dr. Claire’s Tips for Seasonal Allergies Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Allergy season comes every year and while we are not quite there yet, it is time to start thinking about how to avoid or reduce your signs and symptoms of seasonal allergies. It is a …
Summary on Respiratory Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I hope that this blog series on respiratory health has been both fun and informative! I have tried to review some of the most common respiratory concerns that come up here at Invite health. Additionally I have reviewed some of my personal favorite and in my opinion best products to use for both respiratory health as well as our immune system.
What are the best ways to naturally protect our respiratory system? Hands down the best way to protect ourselves from respiratory illness is by washing our hands!! And it is also vital to AVOID touching your face. If I could only mention 2 things to do to help protect ourselves from illness it would be to wash your hands and avoid touching your face. That is how important these things are to our overall health. The next tip is to clean regularly touched surfaces. Avoid sharing things that go into your mouth. Now I know you’re probably scratching your head saying wait – what does that even mean? Well by things that go into your mouth I mean eating utensils and obviously tooth brushes. If you are ill please be considerate and stay home if possible. Also always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Overall good hygiene is the key to success when it comes to keeping healthy. (1)
Next and probably just as important as hygiene is life style. Studies have found that a Mediterranean diet can benefit our respiratory health. (2) Another life style that is important for respiratory health is to stop smoking. (3)
Over this blog series I have reviewed a number of products that I feel are the best nutrients from Invite to help with both overall immunity and respiratory health. One such nutrient is Immunity Hx. This is a combination of 3 nutrients, vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. Studies have found that these are critical for “the growth and function of the immune cells”. (4) Please see my blog for more information on this fantastic formula. Another nutrient that has come up frequently during this series is Olive Leaf. Studies have found numerous benefits to using olive leaf. These include anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits. (5) NAC is another favorite nutrient of mine! Once again studies have found many benefits for NAC including helping with thinning mucus and relieving the symptoms of conditions such as COPD and even bronchitis. (6) Black Seed is another personal favorite that has also come up quite frequently. However I’ll direct you to my product highlight for more information on this.
But how can you add these products to your daily life? For powders it is simple to mix them into smoothies or even juice or water. Pills can be swallowed or even opened and mixed into those same smoothies. If you aren’t fond of smoothies you can always mix these things into yogurt, applesauce or even into cooked oatmeal. Here are some yummy ideas to help you! Remember there aren’t any misstates in the kitchen, just an opportunity to learn!
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Bronchitis
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Bronchitis is one of those things that you may have heard of but what exactly is it? You’ve probably heard some people say they have acute bronchitis while other people have chronic bronchitis. Is there a difference? What cause’s bronchitis? Is it contagious? These ae just a few of the questions that people call and ask about bronchitis.
What is bronchitis? Basically bronchitis is inflammation of the tubes or airways that go into your lungs. As a result of the inflammation in the airways these passages become irritated and swell. They also became filled with mucus which triggers us to cough. (1) Please see the attached picture to compare normal a lung health vs a lung with bronchitis. (2)
While both acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis are both inflammation in the lungs they are different. Acute bronchitis is associated with a viral infection. It normally goes away in a few weeks even without treatment. Chronic bronchitis is a cough with mucus most days of the month for 3 months of the year. This goes on for at least 2 years. (1) Chronic bronchitis is associated with irritants such as smoke, air pollution and chemical fumes. (3)
What can cause us to develop bronchitis? Well as I’ve said to develop acute bronchitis it is usually triggered by a virus. Common viral triggers include the flu, RSV, adenovirus, and Rhinovirus (common cold). In addition to viral infections certain bacteria can trigger bronchitis. These bacteria typically include Bordetella pertussis, Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumonia. As I’ve stated chronic bronchitis is associated with pollution and smoking. (1)
Let’s do a quick review of the symptoms most often seen with bronchitis. The most defining characteristic is a cough. You may have a dry cough or a productive cough where you cough up mucus. There may be sinus and/or chest congestion. You may have shortness of breath and wheezing. The cough may trigger chest discomfort. There may be body aches and even chills. Many people experience fatigue. Less commonly experienced is bad breath, coughing up blood, and trouble sleeping. You may notice that you have a lack of physical endurance. (2) Other symptoms can include fever and a runny nose. (1) Now I just wanted to point out that those with acute bronchitis vs chronic are slightly more prone to certain symptoms. I’ve included a comparison chart to help highlight the differences. (2)
| Acute Bronchitis | Chronic Bronchitis |
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What are the risk factors for bronchitis? Anyone can get bronchitis but there are some risk factors that can increase your risk of developing it. Smoking and being around air pollution is one. Having asthma, COPD or other lung disorders, and GERD all increase risk of developing bronchitis. Having an autoimmune disorder also increases your risk. (1)
What are the most common complications associated with bronchitis? You can become vulnerable to other respiratory infections including pneumonia. Chronic bronchitis can strain our heart putting us at risk for heart disease or even worsening the symptoms of the disease. You may also experience bronchorrhea (excess discharge of watery mucus from the lungs). (2)
Now to the interesting question – is bronchitis contagious? NO! However the virus or bacteria that triggered the bronchitis is contagious. So while Bob may cough on you and give you his cold you can’t get his bronchitis. (1)
What can you do to help to strengthen your lungs and help reduce the signs of bronchitis? Well there are a few things that can help!
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