Like beta-agonists, muscarinic antagonists are bronchodilators. These are also known as anticholinergics. They open your airways as well as or better than beta-agonists. Firstly, they block nerve impulses that constrict the muscles in your airways. Secondly, they reduce the amount of mucus in your airways. Download Muscarinic Antagonists as a PDF. There are two types…
Beta-agonists are a type of bronchodilator. They open your airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles. They’re like epinephrine, a hormone that gives you a surge of energy when you’re scared or excited. Download Beta-Agonists (SABAs and LABAs) as a PDF. Beta-agonists come in many forms. However, you usually take them with an inhaler or nebulizer.
Combination inhalers have made up the majority of COPD medicines for the last 25 years. You can find many brands, but they all contain 2-3 medicines. Download Combination Inhalers as a PDF. Doctors prescribe one brand over another based on their cost to a particular hospital or health system. Those costs change often. And, your…
Are you considering augmentation therapy? Experts agree that Alphas with emphysema should get it. However, they disagree about whether it’s the right approach for people with very mild or very severe lung disease. Download Considering Augmentation Therapy – Is It Right for You as a PDF. Some research studies have shown that people who fall…
The signs and symptoms of port or central catheter infections often look like a reaction to augmentation therapy. It’s important to learn how to tell the difference between the two. Download Catheter Infections – Prevention & Treatment as a PDF. Port and central catheter infections External infections are located at the spot where the catheter…
Augmentation therapy is an FDA-approved therapy used to treat Alpha-1-related lung disease, specifically emphysema in patients with severe Alpha-1. Alphas on this life-saving therapy get weekly infusions of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). These infusions boost AAT levels in the lungs and bloodstream. Download What Is Augmentation Therapy as a PDF. Augmentation therapy is the only specific…
While there are many tests and tools for looking at lung health, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) deserve special attention. That’s because many Alphas report that PFTs are hard to understand. Download Pulmonary Function Tests as a PDF. What are pulmonary function tests? PFTs are breathing tests that involve blowing into a tube. You do them…
Spirometry is the simplest and most common pulmonary function test. Here’s how you do the test: Put on a nose clip, so air can’t escape through your nose. Wrap your mouth around the mouthpiece of the spirometer. Breathe in as deeply as you can. Blast your breath out as long and as hard as you…
To find out more about your lung health, your doctor may order lung volumes as part of your pulmonary function testing. Lung volumes testing measures eight separate volumes of air: Total Lung Capacity (TLC) is the maximum amount of air that your lungs can hold. This is measured at the very top of an inhalation. Vital…
Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) may include a diffusing capacity (DLCO) test. This test measures how well gases like oxygen move from your lungs into your blood. Download Diffusing Capacity (DLCO) as a PDF. How do we measure diffusing capacity? There are several ways to measure diffusing capacity. The “ten-second single breath-hold technique” is the most…
Testing levels of arterial blood gases (ABGs) gives your doctor important information about your lung health. ABG tests show how well your lungs take in oxygen from your blood and get carbon dioxide out. Download Arterial Blood Gases and Pulse Oximetry as a PDF. How do we measure arterial blood gases? Your doctor will take…
If you’re talking to your doctor about pulmonary function testing, it helps to know key terms. This glossary contains some common words your doctor may use when talking about lung disease and tests for lung function. Download Glossary of Pulmonary Function Terms as a PDF. Glossary Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency – A genetic condition that can…
