Shiftworkers, Take a Deep Breath- Reducing the Risk of Lung Disease
On a normal day, we breathe nearly 25,000 times; the air we breathe in contains mostly oxygen and nitrogen. But air also has things in it that can hurt our lungs; bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, car exhaust, and other pollutants can be in the air. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. These breathing problems may even prevent the body from getting enough oxygen.
A low oxygen level puts excess stress on the entire body, but especially on the heart. When oxygen levels are low, pressures inside the heart increase; the heart muscle becomes enlarged and does not pump as it should, resulting in heart failure. It has been well documented that degenerative diseases, including cancer and premature aging, start with low oxygen levels in the body. Also, as we age, we lose vital capacity and the ability to effectively obtain adequate oxygen. After age 25 we lose 10% lung (respiratory) capacity every 10 years, due to shallow breathing.
Lung disease is responsible for one in seven deaths in the United States each year. More than 35 million Americans are living with chronic lung disease including asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Other diseases impacting the lung include lung cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis (inflammation producing tiny lumps of cells in various organs, including the lungs), and influenza. Lung disease and breathing problems are the number one killer of babies younger than one year old.
About 20 million Americans have asthma. Women are more likely to have asthma than men. In the United States more than 11 million women had asthma in 2003 compared to 8.2 million men. Sixty-five percent of people who die from asthma are women.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term that describes related diseases: chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. These conditions often occur together. Both diseases limit airflow out of the lungs and make breathing difficult. COPD gets worse with time. Each year, more than twice as many women are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis than men. In almost 90% of cases, smoking is the cause of COPD. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
COPD is most commonly found in white, men over 60 years of age. However, more women have died from COPD than men every year since 2000. Studies have shown that patients with periodontal disease are one and a half times the risk for developing COPD than those without periodontal disease. It is believed that bacteria causing periodontal disease can travel into the lungs and cause inflammation and infection. Resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine, has been shown to drastically reduce inflammation in the lungs of patients suffering from COPD. However, before increasing red wine intake obtain a physician’s recommendation.
The number of women diagnosed with lung disease in the United States is increasing as is the percentage of women dying from lung disease. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women in the United States killing more women than breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer combined. Deaths from lung cancer among women have risen 150 percent in the last 20 years while deaths among men are decreasing. Studies show that women are 1.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than men. However, lung cancer is also the number one cause of deaths among men in the U.S. Lung cancer is particularly deadly (85% of patients die within five years of their diagnosis) and almost entirely preventable (85% of people with lung cancer are current or former smokers).
The average age of people diagnosed with lung cancer is 70 years old; only 3% of all cases are found in people under the age of 45. A disproportionate number of younger women had lung cancer. Women made up 41% of patients younger than 50.
The single most important thing a person can do to reduce their risk of lung disease is to stop smoking. Smoking is estimated to lead to 85% of all cases of lung cancer. Smoking rates are particularly high among shift workers; 54% of all shift workers have smoked or currently smoke. For men working shift work, 55% smoke; 51% of women shift workers smoke. This compares to 25% and 21%, respectively, of non-shift workers. Poor nutrition can increase the risk of lung disease. Only 27.5% of shift workers report having good nutritional practices; 78% of shift workers ages 18-24 report not being aware of, or not having, good nutritional habits.
Early signs of lung disease are easily overlooked. People with early lung disease often say they don’t have much energy. Some common signs of lung disease include:
- trouble breathing/shortness of breath
- feeling like you’re not getting enough air
- pain or discomfort when breathing in or out
- decreased ability to exercise
- a cough that won’t go away
- coughing up blood or mucus
Some of the things you can do to reduce your chances of lung disease include:
- Stop smoking; smoke from all tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, and pipes) boosts the chances of lung disease.
- Avoid second hand smoke.
- Test the radon gas in your home or workplace.
- Workers in construction, shipbuilding, asbestos mining or manufacturing, car repair (brake repair), and insulation should always wear protective clothing including a face mask.
- Workers should also wear protective clothing including a gas mask and ventilate work areas to protect from dust and chemical fumes.
- Eat a healthy diet; people who eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of cancer.
- Ask your doctor about spirometry testing. A device called a spirometer is used to measure how much air the lungs can hold and how well the respiratory system is able to move air into and out of the lungs. If you’re a smoker over the age of 45, are exposed to lung-damaging substances at work, or have other risk factors you should consider spirometry testing.
- See your doctor right away if you have a cough that won’t go away, trouble breathing, pain or discomfort in your chest, or any of the other symptoms described above.
Tags: cancer, chronic problems, heart disease, smoking
