Heart and Lungs

Taking care of these vital organs

The human body operates much like a car: several different systems work together to keep the motor running. You also take care of your body like you take care of a car: you need to give it the right kind of fuel, and give it routine maintenance for it to stay healthy. One of the major bodily systems is the circulatory system, including the heart which pumps blood throughout the body. Heart disease is a major concern when it comes to keeping the circulatory system healthy. So what can you do to reduce the risk?

The heart is like any other muscle, requiring blood to supply oxygen and nutrients for it to function. The heart’s needs are provided by the coronary arteries, which begin at the base of the aorta and spread across the surface of the heart, extending out to all areas of the heart muscle. Treat the heart well with frequent exercise, a good diet and no smoking, and its potential to remain healthy improves dramatically. Treat the heart poorly with a cholesterol-laden diet and sedentary lifestyle and the chance of heart disease increases.

Some lung diseases can be prevented through good lifestyle choices, such as proper nutrition and exercise. If you’ve already been diagnosed with a lung disease, good nutrition is critical to healing and coping with treatments and therapies. Now more than ever, you must learn about nutrition and how to make good choices about your diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a slow progressing destruction of airways caused by gradual loss of lung function. It’s a combination of various lung diseases. In COPD, two lung diseases, namely chronic bronchitis and emphysema, are the main diseases. Other diseases like asthmatic bronchitis and bullous disease are also present. This disease is common among American women of retirement age and older.

Smoking is the primary cause of COPD. Other causes that lead to COPD are industrial pollution, occupational dusts, continuous contact with hazardous chemicals, outdoors air pollution, etc. In some cases, parents pass on the genes to their children.

Over 100,000 Americans die of COPD annually in the United States alone, making this the fourth largest leading cause of death and the most rapidly growing terminal problem faced by the 50-plus population. The bigger problem is that the numbers continue to increase.