General Chat

Well done Alfred!

LIzx

i found the best way to give up smoking was every time i felt like a fag i would eat a mouthfull of mint imperials i lived on them and cups of tea for about a month now i cant stand the smell of cigaret smoke it mite rot my teeth but aleast i have a few more years left and i started smocking in 1961 if i had nown what it did to you i would never have started i have not smoked for about five years

Trying to give up smoking at a stressful time in life is obviously the hardest thing, he needs a cigarette to calm him but he shouldn't be doing it, so yes I can understand the difficulty. Maybe he can cut back slowly and go from there.

Good luck, men make life so difficult for themselves and others, by being stubborn

Lizx

Thank you for those who answered after my last thank you, and yes Liz my OH is very obstinant when it comes to his health, in fact I think it's more fear than anything.

Lots of information here, I hope your o.h. will stop smoking, he is silly not to when he has the chance to help himself so much.

My Dad didn't get diagnosed in time, doc kept saying he had a chest infection, when he was finally xrayed two years later, it was lung cancer and nothing could be done,, except for some radiotherapy to ease his throat a bit, he was diagnosed in the August and died the following January, aged 79. He had smoked most of his adult life, but didn't smoke after the diagnosis. it wouldn't have made any difference by then anyway but your o.h. has the chance to make his life easier, silly man! Why are men so stubborn?

Lizx

high i have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) i have had this for about five years in nearly all cases smoking is the sole cause somtimes alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency an inherited condition contributes.its when the liver does not produce alpha-1antitrypsin protein to protect the lungs what you can do STOP SMOKING AVOID POLLUTED AIR THERE IS NO CURE I FIND THAT TAKING STEADY WALKS HELP COLD AND DAMP AND FOG CAN MAKE YOU FEAL TERRIBLE make sure you do not go enywhere near people with colds or flu make sure you get your jabs remember this is a very serious disease i have to inhale 24 times aday atrovent ventolin symbicort somtimes when i get really ill i have to take steroids till i was diagnosed i thought i had lung cancer so pleas when you feel ill with this dont mess about get to see your doctor

hi there, i too have two inhalers.one is a preventer two puffs evry am and pm and areliever if i get short of breath any other time. the heat affects me terribly, so avoid warm places whenever poss. i was diagnosed with astma in oct2007 and still smoking.i suddenly took very ill with pneumonia and could hardly breathe. when i went to hospital, the fags went in the bin, no cutting down just stopped,i got such a fright. i have never had one or wanted one since and i smoked for 33 years!! if you want to stop you can, its just about prioritising whats important in your life.
good luck to those trying to stop.

Hi again

yes my mum has an inhaler too, she has been in hospital with pnemonia and that has finally frightened her into giving up smoking.

I know its hard but the symptoms will just get worse if he doesnt give up.

In this case I think lungs clear means that there is no sign of infection, fluid etc on the lungs. with restricted airways there is an increased chance of infection on the lungs and this would be a problem.

If they were looking for signs of cancer then "Lungs clear" would mean that they couldnt see any signs of cancer.
I'm not sure that cancer and COPD necessarily go together. Most of the people I have looked after with COPD didnt have cancer.

Jane

I think "lungs clear" means that they have not found any indication of cancer

COPD is an obstructive disease, which implies obstruction of the airways rather than malfunction of the lungs themselves.

from wikipedia (my emphasis with capitals):-

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of two commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the AIRWAYS BECOME NARROWED. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. In contrast to asthma, the limitation of airflow is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

COPD is a classification of numerous bronchial conditions




so the lungs could be clear but the airways constricted or blocked.




Be thankful then that the lungs are clear ................. no cancer! As yet!!




sylvia

Thank you ladies for your input all good ammunition to use to try and get him to think it was his idea to stop smoking.

Yes. I was diagnosed with COPD ,when admitted to hospital with breathing prolems, several years ago. 4 chest xrays were clear. then diagnosed as boarderline, then diagnosed as asthmatic. Who knows, now have 2 inhalers to use whenever I get short of breath.

Then they say'cant understand why the medicine isnt working!'

Hi Lorraine

Thanks for your reply, yes he had the tests done by the nurse at doctors and then sent for x-ray. He's been given a spiriva respimat spray but isn't/wont stop smoking, men ....

My mother has emphysema and her lungs are clear, ie no shadows or plaques , i think it is more a restricition of the airways and damage to the valves in the lung , but can develop into lung problems, have just read up on COPD and it says there should be several test including lung function test and blood gases has he had those done as well.

Can somebody be diagnosed with COPD and yet be told that chest x-rays are clear with no problems.

This is to do with my OH who after having x-ray done and going to see nurse at docs was told above.