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Breathing
"Humidification is not necessary for all patients;
however, adding a humidifier to your system may resolve symptoms experienced
by some people: ·
Nasal congestion,
dryness, or tenderness ·
Mouth breathing (commonly referred to as 'mouth
leak') ·
Dry throat" Things
to Avoid: Mouth Breathing "If you breathe through your mouth, you may develop a dry
throat. By breathing through your mouth, you bypass your nose, which is
responsible for two-thirds of humidification. This means that you've tripled
the humidification workload of your upper airway. If you add positive airway
pressure on top of that you may start to experience stronger symptoms. Even
if you're only exhaling through your mouth, you are still losing valuable
moisture because you aren't allowing your nose to recover the moisture
your body invested in the air as you 'inhaled' it." "A 1997 study found that nasal
symptoms cause mouth breathing and that mouth breathing causes nasal
symptoms. Because one symptom causes another, a vicious cycle can
develop. For example, some congestion leads to mild mouth breathing that can
worsen the congestion that causes more severe mouth breathing." “Many growers use the word
humidistat generically to indicate an instrument that measures relative
humidity and/or an instrument designed to maintain a specific level of
humidity. Before launching ourselves into this discussion we need
to define two terms. ·
Hygrometer (humidity indicator) is a term used
for instruments that provide a direct reading measurement of current
relative humidity. ·
Humidistat refers to instruments that are
designed to maintain a set level of humidity just as a thermostat is
designed to maintain a specific temperature level. Humidistats may or may not give a
reading or the current humidity level.” Orchid Culture: Humidity Indicators and Relative Humidity “We have several inexpensive
direct-reading humidity indicators scattered around the greenhouse. We use
them to indicate the current level of moisture compared to the
moisture indicated at a prior reading. Some comparisons we might make are
·
Today's reading relative to the numbers shown at about the same
time on the preceding day or ·
After the plants have
been recently watered. ·
We also compare an afternoon
reading to the first reading in the morning.” Orchid Culture: Humidity Indicators and Relative Humidity “We use these comparisons
as follows. ·
If a humidity indicator
reads lower than it did on preceding days or ·
If it doesn't show an increase
to normal levels at night, we know that our plants
need to be watered.
By using the daily readings this way, any gradual change in the
accuracy of the readings is not significant, so it doesn't matter if
the instrument is exactly accurate or what the precise number was a few
days ago. ·
All that matters is whether the current reading dropped
below the prior daily levels at about the same time of day at about
the same temperature. ·
It is also of concern if the reading does not increase
enough when temperatures decline.” Orchid Culture: Humidity Indicators and Relative Humidity “For growers in the USA, the least expensive we've found is $4.25 from Charley's Greenhouse Supply in Mt. Vernon, WA., 800-322-4707. Usual disclaimers apply, no affiliation or benefit to us.) [Hygrometers can also be found in some hardware stores, and some garden stores, in the thermostat section. I purchased a thermometer/hygrometer at Lowe’s home improvement store for about $5.00 (USA)]” Orchid Culture: Humidity Indicators and Relative Humidity Effects "Breathing exercises ·
May help strengthen the muscles
that inflate and deflate the lungs, ·
But they
do not directly improve lung function. ·
Still,
breathing exercises decrease the likelihood of lung complications after
surgery in heavy smokers and others with lung disease. ·
Such
exercises are particularly helpful for sedentary people who have
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or those who have been put on a ventilator." The Merck Manual: Chapter 40: Section 4 Blinking and Breathing
Exercise ·
Vision: Bates Method:
Four Simple Exercises: Blinking and Breathing What is Respiratory Acidosis? "Respiratory acidosis occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of
the carbon dioxide (a normal by-product of metabolism) produced by the
body. Because of this disturbance of the acid-base balance, body
fluids become excessively acidic." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis "If you
do not breathe deeply enough or often enough, you may develop ·
A high blood bicarbonate level ·
(And low blood pH [acidic])." "The body
will correct the [acidic] pH by retaining bicarbonate (a
base)." Genetic
Information and Patient Services, Inc. (GAPS): Acidosis Bicarbonate: ·
Nutrition: Electrolytes: What are Electrolytes? Causes: Lung
Disease "Respiratory
acidosis can be a consequence of any lung disease that prevents removal of
carbon dioxide. Common lung diseases that lead to respiratory acidosis
include: ·
Chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), ·
Severe asthma, or Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis Causes: Other Causes "Other
conditions that may lead to respiratory acidosis include: ·
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome, ·
Excessive fatigue of the
diaphragm or muscles of the rib cage, or ·
Severe deformities of the
spine and rib cage (for example, severe scoliosis)." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis "This
condition is called respiratory acidosis and can be caused by ·
a reaction to a medication, ·
a head injury, ·
a chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease), or ·
fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema)." ·
"While acute respiratory acidosis results from a sudden
failure of the respiratory system, ·
Chronic respiratory acidosis usually occurs
secondary to disorders such as
Mesothelioma-Asbestosis.Info: Respiratory Acidosis "Possible
causes include ·
Obstructive or restrictive respiratory conditions, ·
an acute airway obstruction, ·
Bracing of the thoracic cage due to injury or pain, ·
Limitation of respiratory excursion due to extreme
obesity, or ·
Conditions affecting respiratory muscles or the nerves
and pathways that drive them" "Symptoms
of the diseases [lung diseases] that cause respiratory acidosis are usually
noticeable, and may include ·
Shortness of breath, ·
Easy fatigue, ·
Chronic cough, or ·
Wheezing." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis "In
severe cases, the carbon dioxide builds up very quickly, leading to severe
disturbances in the acid-base balance of the blood." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory Acidosis "When
respiratory acidosis becomes severe, ·
Confusion, ·
Irritability, or ·
Lethargy may be
apparent" Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis "In
chronic respiratory acidosis, mild impairment of the lungs' ability to remove
carbon dioxide occurs over a long period of time, leading to a stable
situation. This is because the kidneys increase their retention of
bicarbonate to maintain an acid-base balance in the blood that is
almost normal." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis ·
"A chest x-ray or CAT scan
may be done to diagnose possible lung disease ·
Pulmonary function tests may help
diagnose lung disease ·
Arterial blood gases help assess the severity of the respiratory
acidosis, and may detect abnormal oxygen levels" Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis Treament: Treating the Underlying Causes "Treatment
is aimed at the underlying lung disease. ·
Smoking cessation is extremely
important ·
Bronchodilator drugs may reverse some airway obstruction
[counteracting histamine] ·
Oxygen may be necessary if the
blood oxygen level is low" Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis ·
Other Suggestions: Breathing: Respiratory Acidosis:
Causes Treatment:
Severe Respiratory Acidosis "Non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation or mechanical
ventilation may be necessary if the respiratory acidosis is severe" Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis Note: The
following excerpt is intended for information purposes only. If you believe that
you have severe respiratory acidosis please see your doctor.
·
"While the underlying cause of acidosis should be
corrected, if plasma bicarbonate is less than 5 mmol/L, immediate
correction with bicarbonate is indicated. ·
The bicarbonate should be administered in hypotonic
solution and given as a continuous infusion [process of intravenously
giving medication that has been dissolved in fluid] over an hour. ·
In neonates, a 4.2% solution is used, while ·
In pediatric patients and adults, an 8.4%
solution is standard. ·
The amount of infuse can be calculated according
to the following formula: HCO3- mEq = kg
* (15 - observed HCO3-) * 0.5 ·
Before administration of bicarbonate, check the serum
potassium as addition of HCO3- will result in an
intracellular potassium shift, further lowering serum potassium with potential
neuromuscular and cardiac consequences. ·
Remember that administration of sodium bicarbonate
represents a significant sodium load, so account for that in terms of
other fluids which are administered. ·
Also consider that administration of bicarbonate will
potentially worsen the situation for a patient who is retaining CO2.
Since the bicarbonate will be converted to CO2, in the long run it can worsen
a respiratory acidosis [when it is being used as a blood buffer (not as a
stomach buffer)]. ·
A better agent in this case would be THAM." ·
Nutrition: Electrolytes: What to Look For: Buffers
(stomach buffers, not blood buffers) ·
"Not smoking --
or quitting if you smoke -- can prevent the development of many severe lung
diseases that can lead to respiratory acidosis. ·
Obese patients may prevent obesity
hypoventilation syndrome by losing weight." Medline Plus: Medical Encyclopedia: Respiratory
Acidosis ·
Vision: Bates Method:
Blinking and Breathing |