Submitted by David Overton
Chronic lung disease is listed as the 4th or 5th leading cause of death but is often misdiagnosed or mistreated as bronchitis or asthma in most cases. Think about that statement. I sure did for a year or two, until it became apparent it is true. How could we misdiagnose this?
Chronic lung disease means emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). It’s diagnosed with lung imaging (X rays, scans), pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and/or improvement with treatments. Over the course of my career, clinicians have been discouraged from ordering lung images or PFTs but are encouraged to treat symptoms with inhalers, steroids and other immune suppressants.
I started reviewing past chest x rays and PFTs in patients seen by other clinicians. These tests revealed chronic lung disease findings, but patients were told the tests were normal. These patients were either not treated or treated as asthma.
Next, we focused on alternative medicine treatment because conventional treatments were not working or the patients did not want drugs. In addition, we switched drugs or got the patients using drugs for lung diseases more effectively. Sure enough, symptoms of chronic lung disease improved.
In 2008, I attended a conference that revealed truly frightening statistics. Asthma experts have now found 20-25% of patents with chronic asthma will progress to chronic lung disease but have not been informed. Unless tests are done, these patients would never know it. Here are some examples.
An elderly woman came to me with fatigue, cough and shortness of breath and taking an outdated cardiac drug for palpitations. She was told her cardiac ultrasound, chest x-ray and lung tests were normal. Review of her past tests revealed heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and emphysema. Lifestyle changes and alternative medicines brought all symptoms under control and drugs were discontinued.
A teenager came in with chronic uncontrolled asthma, unresponsive to steroids and inhalers. First, we got him using inhalers correctly and started supplements for asthma and chronic lung disease. Next, testing revealed chronic infections, which often cause asthma or damage the lungs, leading to chronic bronchitis and chronic lung disease. Treatments brought chronic bronchitis under control.
Another woman came in with vague cough and bronchial symptoms for no reason. Her chest x-ray indicated emphysema and we started supplements to control symptoms. Blood tests were abnormal for infections. We decided her emphysema is due to a combination of treatable factors: childhood second hand tobacco exposure, environmental pollution form living in Los Angeles and chronic infections. We’ve definitely relieved her symptoms and perhaps prevented premature death from chronic lung disease.
If you have or suspect asthma, bronchitis or chronic lung disease, consider these issues. and work with a clinician who can maximize drug effectiveness, use alternative treatments as needed and read your tests correctly. Chronic lung disease is quite common and, if treated improperly, a common cause of death.
David Overton, PA-C works at Natural Medicines & Family Practice providing conventional and alternative care under the supervision of Dr. Richard Faiola, MD, ABFM. Learn more by calling 360-357-8054 or visiting www.natmeds.net.
