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IMPORTANT COPD NEWS!

 Do you know what this image is? 
THIS is a cell nuclei that has been stained to reveal IL-33.
It is a type of signaling molecule found in very high levels of COPD patients! It signifies the presence of a viral infection, past or present.

I am really excited about this news!

Since being diagnosed with COPD I have researched everything I could, to learn as much as I can about this disease.  My first Dr. Told me that I was getting sick because I smoke.  I thought, how does a cigarette put bacteria in my lungs? It is made of tobacco, not bacteria!  New research has shown that there is the viral infection.  This viral infection causes and overproduction of mucus. Which causes inflammation of the lung tissue. That process can cause what we know as an exacerbation. This news could mean new research into therapies that will help COPD patients manage their disease much better.

Some of you may already know that I will be researching and writing a book about COPD.  With this new insight I will not only focus on boosting immunity and reducing inflammation. But, I will now include antiviral foods.  All the information I have found out about COPD specific diets are on paid sites.  Which I don't think is right.  I have studied nutrition for years and taken a few online classes from various universities and I know that this will not be easy.  It will take it least a year for me to just study and research a diet that may be beneficial. It takes another year or two to experiment with this diet and began writing the book.

The book, yeah, I'm gonna have to charge for that.  But it will be a small fee for all the hard work I put into this.  This book will include variations for each person.  Some COPD patients need to gain weight, they have trouble consuming enough calories to maintain a healthy weight.  Some people are overweight, because they can't exercise enough to burn off all the calories they consume.  And then there are those where few, who need to maintain their current weight.  I hope to make lists of foods for you to choose from depending on which category you fit in.

A truly hope that there's much more research done on this terrible disease.  Every year there are more and more people diagnosed with this disease.  As many as 24 million people have COPD, and 12 million don't even know it! When I was first diagnosed, my respiratory specialist was shocked at how bad my illness was for my age.  I have learned that many, many people with COPD were never smokers.  Nor did they come from a home where their parents or spouse smoked. So how did these people get COPD?  A virus that damaged the lung makes perfect sense.  I can't wait to learn more about this! And, I honestly hope that new antiviral therapies will be in the works and may be used routinely in our care soon.

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