COPD and swimming

[Swamprat01]

Thanks to everyone for their input. To answer your questions, I quit smoking cigarettes in January of 1979 and have not had one since. I retired from Firefighting in 1985 with a respiratory disability. I entered the Fire Service toward the end of the old "Leather Lung" firefighters. I was trained to eat smoke. I became interested in firefighter safety and worked to demand the use of SCBA at all incidents involving hazardous respiratory problems. Unfortunately, this was not before damaging my Lungs on the job.
Currently, I play the Bagpipe on a limited basis and I am swimming approximately one mile a day three to five days a week at my local YMCA. Unfortunately, this is basically by bull work. It has helped my Lung capacity from Moderately severe to the lower limits of Normal at my last Pulmonary Lung Function test.

[shuumai]

Originally Posted by Swamprat01

Thanks to everyone for their input. To answer your questions, I quit smoking cigarettes in January of 1979 and have not had one since. I retired from Firefighting in 1985 with a respiratory disability. I entered the Fire Service toward the end of the old "Leather Lung" firefighters. I was trained to eat smoke. I became interested in firefighter safety and worked to demand the use of SCBA at all incidents involving hazardous respiratory problems. Unfortunately, this was not before damaging my Lungs on the job.
Currently, I play the Bagpipe on a limited basis and I am swimming approximately one mile a day three to five days a week at my local YMCA. Unfortunately, this is basically by bull work. It has helped my Lung capacity from Moderately severe to the lower limits of Normal at my last Pulmonary Lung Function test.

A mile a day is great. I don't even have a known lung problem and I have a lot of trouble swimming a mile straight. In fact, I don't know if I swim a mile total in one session. And five days a week...that's very respectable.

So you stopped smoking around age 33? Hopefully you didn't start before you were an adult, but I'm betting you did.

I see that there is conflicting information about COPD. At least there is some encouraging research happening.

Oh, one thing that stood out in the last article I linked was a statement about trapped air. '...while others manifest more symptoms of chronic bronchitis or asthma, such as wheezing and air trapping (Kasper DL et al 2005).' That reminded me of the emphasis in thoroughly exhaling during swimming. As I sit and breathe normally, then push out the remaining air, I find that I was holding as much or more air than normally flows in a out. Then I get dizzy. hehe

In any case, nutritional therapy is something I'd highly recommend because, even if it fails to improve the specific problem, it will improve your general health. Just aging leads to lower levels of some nutrients and hormones.

[shuumai]

I just thought of something. You swim 1 mile a day, but how long do you warm up? Do you just jump in, do a mile, then leave?

In another thread, warming up the aerobic system was mentioned. In my case, I actually swim better after an hour. I can breathe less often and do underwater swimming much easier.

So I was thinking: Maybe by the time your system is warmed up, you're in the locker room!

[woody-som]

I did have the environmental health department visit the pool, but somehow the records were different when they visited to the ones I had seen, and showed no problem. I wasn't the only one with problems though, I heard that some of the kids in the swim club had coughs and shortness of breath when using that pool, but they never complained or made the link. The manager was a total prick when I questioned him, he blamed the aqua class before for the increased combined chlorine level, like someone from the other pool I use said, 'so he reckons the ladies pee in the pool then'. I'd love to have my own endless pool, but a thing called money prevents that at the moment.

[shuumai]

Originally Posted by woody-som

I did have the environmental health department visit the pool, but somehow the records were different when they visited to the ones I had seen, and showed no problem.

Are you suggesting that the records were "doctored" a bit? I wouldn't be surprised. Unless it was entered correctly but administered incorrectly.

At least once or twice I had a feeling of tightness in my chest while in the pool. I figured it was just me, or the dust from cat litter in my lungs. I hope I was right.

Man, I've been continuing to look into treatments for COPD because my father...well, he makes everyone look like an Olympian. He has smoked since his youth, lived in a military combat environment, and worked in a chemical plant. Recently he was burning a piece of paper in his ash tray instead of using the shredder right next to him! Whatever...

Anyway, now I've read parts of the following link that again mentions a form of vitamin A called retinoic acid. It is used in treating leukemia, but research seems to indicate that it can restore elasticity to lung tissue and it has been approved as a treatment for emphysema!

As a possible alternative, the article mentions high doses of emulsified liquid vitamin A.

http://www.seniorfitness.com/Show_Di...nary%20Disease,

[madvet]

Originally Posted by shuumai

As I sit and breathe normally, then push out the remaining air, I find that I was holding as much or more air than normally flows in a out. Then I get dizzy. hehe

That is what you should NOT do. It is a common misconception. You will not increase your air exchange by a significant amount. If you have an airway problem you will only put pressure on your airways that you shouldn't be. If you don't have an airway problem it is overexerting your breathing muscles and wasting energy.
And it is taking extra time to do so it interrupts your rhythm.

Just say NO.

[shuumai]

Originally Posted by madvet

That is what you should NOT do. It is a common misconception. You will not increase your air exchange by a significant amount. If you have an airway problem you will only put pressure on your airways that you shouldn't be. If you don't have an airway problem it is overexerting your breathing muscles and wasting energy.
And it is taking extra time to do so it interrupts your rhythm.

Just say NO.

Oh, right. No. I don't do that routinely. hehe I just thought that that's what it might be like when one has air trapped in the lungs due to a medical problem. While it might seem like not enough air is coming in, that's partly due to too much air remaining inside to begin with.

[shuumai]

I'm curious if anyone here with lung issues like COPD or asthma or even sinitus have used the NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) as a mucolytic.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by shuumai

I'm curious if anyone here with lung issues like COPD or asthma or even sinitus have used the NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) as a mucolytic.

Hi Shuumai, Someone close to me has COPD so we would be very interested in any info on this. Below is a web site that you most likely have seen but just in case, here it is.
http://www.advance-health.com/nacetylcysteine.html.
Good luck in your search.

[shuumai]

Originally Posted by Grant

Hi Shuumai, Someone close to me has COPD so we would be very interested in any info on this. Below is a web site that you most likely have seen but just in case, here it is.
http://www.advance-health.com/nacetylcysteine.html.
Good luck in your search.

That page reminded me to also take/give vitamin C at the same time.

I partly wanted to share info and get any real-life feedback that anyone might have to offer.

I actually have a bottle of NAC now. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=VS-1294 I'm interested in it's use for sinus problems mostly and it's ability to enhance detoxification.