size

[les4560]

so I was talking to some one that has emphysema like my husband does and we were wandering if anyone thought size played a part in this? thoughts anyone?

[Hidden]

Size? How so?

[les4560 in reply to Hidden]

height weight-you know small or big

[Hidden in reply to les4560]

I would say people with little lungs would more easily get lung damage from exposure to smoke and other lung damaging irritants, but not everyone diagnosed with emphysema / damaged lungs are a small build and overweight for instance.

I am a small built person and at diagnosis not overweight. I suspect there will be all shapes and sizes and also many diagnosed because of different causes, a combination of causes and some hereditary.

I think because lung damage can be very debilitating and people are not able to be as active as they once were tend to gain some weight due to fatigue and not being able to maintain activity levels.

On the other hand people with very severe COPD / emphysema may lose weight because of the effort it takes to breathe and the inability to eat full meals due to extreme shortness of breath.

[les4560 in reply to Hidden]

well that all sounds about right!-thank you so much

[vittorio in reply to Hidden]

YES - I YOU ANSWERED WELL THERE BKIN , ! ...WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT , SO I SUPPOSE THE DEGREE OF THIS WRETCHED DISEASE IS BOUND TO VARY ....

[Hidden]

No

[B0xermad]

A lot of it depends on the environment you grew up in,for instance I was a 60s baby and lived in London very bad air and premature birth.so lots of factors ,short and slight also(maybe not so slight these days)

[garshe]

I have been told I have very small lungs. Also my Dad and quite a few members of my family . I do believe this is a factor

With me having COPD. I know I smoked

And this is what caused it but I was never a heavy smoker . MY grandfather and my Dad both had breathing problems but neither smoked. I was never able to blow up a balloon etc. My Consultant has told me I have small lungs. Thank goodness I am small built as would be worse to have small lungs on a heavier person.

[Bingo88]

Hello. Sorry to hear about your Husband. The only person i know who had that disease was 6ft tall. Slim and worked as a butcher all his life. But he did smoke. Hope this helps in your thinking. Good luck

[Tosh1960]

Hi there,I’m a small male of about 5”4 and have ocpd-emphysema smoked most my life,40 odd years and am 59 and was diagnosed a year and a half ago! I hate it. Cannot do what I use to pains in my lungs, somebody on here told me to have a brisk 10 minute walk? I wish!I can’t do what I want anymore and gave up smoking which seems to have made me worse is myself! I’ve seen 3 doctors and they all gave me different drugs to take,and on a test said I had the lungs of an 84 yr old! So to answer your question,I don’t really know!

[Comino2]

I had major lung surgeries and long stays in a london hospital in the early 80s [before the days of keyhole surgery.pulse oximetres,ct scans,adjustable beds and effective pain relief I digress...to the point...the thoracic ward was very long 'nightingale' ward with heart patients on one side and lung patients on the other and the matron [remember them ?] said when a patient was wheeled in they could look at their build and they would know which side to put them before they looked at their notes [remember them ?] she said taller slimmer people were more prone to lung troubles.A broad generalisation or some truth in it ? xx

[Skatergirl1]

Hi Les, sorry..I havnt got a clue, however I am 5'0" and 7 stone, always been small In stature . however now got emphysema and large lungs!! Xx

[skischool in reply to Skatergirl1]

At 5' 5" and 8 stone you make me feel like a big bloke lol,and i always need 2 chest x-rays to photograph the longest lungs in recorded history.having emphysema sure does raise our stature somewhat. xx

[Skatergirl1 in reply to skischool]

Hi ski's yes I would have to say I look up to you In more ways than one!! Xx

[les4560]

so sorry to hear that I just never new if size had any thing to do with the severity of asthma or any lung condition so I thought I would just ask! how did your Apt. go?

[Skatergirl1 in reply to les4560]

Hi Les, I posted my woes under a different heading...but am feeling more positive today xx. Thank you for your concern x

[vittorio]

I RECON A PERSON WHO IS CLEARLY OVER WEIGHT IS GOING TO NEED MORE " FUEL " ( OXYGEN " ) WHICH IN TURN WILL MAKE THE LUNGS WORK HARDER MOVING THEMSELVES , WHICH NATURALLY MAKES THEM SHORT OF BREATH .! EVER SEEN AN OVERWEIGHT ATHLETE ? ! = CAUSE AND EFFECT ! .- A CAR WITH LITTLE FUEL AINT GOING TO MOVE VERY FAR ! .., SO IT WOULD FOLLOW IF WE ALL KEEP OUR WEIGHT DOWN TO WHATEVER OUR DOCTOR WOULD RECOMMEND , THEN MOBILITY WILL BECOME EASIER ! ..AS REGARDS BEING TALL - ALL THINGS ARE RELATIVE ! ..I'ME NO EXPERT , BUT I THINK A BIT OF LOGIC MIGHT COME IN HANDY ON THIS ONE ! - ITS ALL DOWN TO PHYSICS AT THE END OF THE DAY ! ..= LOAD VERSUS ENERGY = OVER DISTANCE TRAVELLED ! ...

[les4560]

yes that makes a lot of sense!