COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, yet only half of the 35 million Americans affected are aware that their lingering cough or shortness of breath are signs of serious and even fatal lung disease.
To help Americans identify and treat this disorder, Dr. Neil Schachter authored the first book to alert people to their risks for COPD that explains the steps they need to take to prevent and even reverse this life-threatening illness.
In concise and accessible language, “Life and Breath” contains information the general public needs to protect their lungs and health. It’s difficult to overestimate the impact of COPD on the health of Americans, but the facts are startling:
- Health care costs for treatment of COPD exceed $30 billion annually
- Once thought of as a disease of older men, the incidence of COPD has risen 100 percent in women in the past ten years. Even more troubling, women appear to be more susceptible to the disease, suffer more severe symptoms, and die earlier.
There are 50 million smokers and 44 million former smokers in the United State. Researchers predict that up to half of all smokers will develop smoking-related health problems including COPD and that former smokers make have sustained lung damage that can lead to COPD.
“Life and Breath” also contains valuable information for the 25 million Americans with asthma. Once seen as a separate disease, “Life and Breath” is the first book to explain how asthma, even in people who have never smoked, may lead to COPD and how simple yet effective advice can prevent the development of chronic, irreversible pulmonary symptoms in asthmatics. Because asthma is a common chronic disease among children and is the leading cause of school absenteeism, Dr. Schachter also covers the similar, but slightly different, treatments recommended for children.
Within the pages of “Life and Breath,” readers will find a wealth of information, including:
- The first pulmonary protective nutritional program puts into perspective the latest information on the importance of diet in preventing and reversing chronic lung disease.
Chapter Six: “Eat Right, Breathe Easy” - A new look at an exercise that offers different types of programs for individual needs, including why it can be better to exercise indoors and how weight training can help people breathe more easily.
Chapter Seven: “The Pulmonary Protective Workout” - Smoking—the myth of the light cigarette, the psychology of smoking, and the most effective ways to quit for good.
Chapter Eight: “It’s Never Too Late to Quit” - Why indoor air pollution can be two to five times worse than outside air conditions and the three best ways to clear the air in the home and at work.
Chapter Ten: “The Healthy Home” and Chapter Eleven: “Healthy Lungs at Work and Play”
There are five key groups of people who will need the information offered in “Life and Breath”: the millions of people who are unaware of their symptoms of COPD, the millions who suffer from asthma, the 50 million current smokers in America, the 44 million former smokers in America, and the 77 aging baby boomers who need to act now to protect their lungs for the long term.
With the latest medical options and strategies, a thorough explanation of different drugs and how they work, as well as prevention strategies and alternative therapies, “Life and Breath” offers hope, help, and invaluable information for those who want to preserve their health.
