I am having excessive phlegm, sometimes bloody, sharp knife-stabbing pains in my lung and shoulder blades, 24/7 headaches and hard hard time with breathing. Walking 10 feet, I have to hang on to things and catch my breath.
I have been suffering from a genetic disorder Alpha1, and have been on meds, recently 3 strong antibiotics one right after the other, but not clearing anything up – but now it seems I have gotten worse, so I am wondering if the lung is about to collapse and give up.

This isn't the time to be on Yahoo answers, you need to go to the hospital. your lungs are obviously a vital organ, so a professional is required. your symptoms could get 3x worse very quickly and by then you might not be able to reach a phone to ring an ambulance! your health is nothing to play with, take care of yourself, you are worth it, this is not something you can tolerate.

The term coronary heart disease covers a group of clinical syndromes arising particularly from

failure of the coronary arteries to supply sufficient blood to the heart. they include angina

peactoris, coronary thrombosis or heart attack and sudden death without infarction.

There has been a marked increase in the incidence of heart disease in recent years. Heart

attacks have become the number one killer in Western countries. they rank third in India, after

tuberculosis and infections. the disease affects people of all ages and both sexes, although it is

more common in men than in women, especially among those aged 40-60 years.

The heart, the most vital organ in the body, is a muscle about the size of a clenched fist. It starts

working even before birth inside the womb. Weighing less than 350 grms, it pumps about 4,300

gallons of blood per day through the body and supplies oxygen and nourishment to all the

organs. It beats 1,00,000 times a day, continuously pumping the blood through more than

60,000 miles of tiny blood vessels. the heart, in turn, needs blood for its nourishment which is

supplied by coronary arteries Coronary arteries are so called because they are arranged rather

like a crown or carona. in case of strain, etc., the heart needs more blood and the arteries, under

normal conditions, adjust themselves to the increased flow.

In the event of narrowing or hardening of the arteries on account of their getting plugged with

fatty substances, the flow of blood is restricted. the heart then does not get sufficient oxygen.

This condition is known as ischaemia of the heart or angina pectoris. in this condition , exercise

or excitement provokes severe chest pain and so it limits the patient’s physical activity. It serves

as a warning to slow down and prompt preventive measures will prevent a heart attack.

If the narrowed arteries get blocked due to a clot or thrombus inside them, causing death of that

portion of the heart which depends upon the choked arteries, it is called a heart attack or

coronary thrombosis. It may lead to death or heal, leaving a scar. Patients with healed lesions

may be severely disabled or may be able to resume normal life with restrictions in their physical

A common symptom of heart disease is shortness of breath which is caused by the blood being

deprived of the proper amount of oxygen. Another common symptom is chest pain or pain down

either arm. Other symptoms are palpitation, fainting, emotional instability, cold hands and feet,

frequent perspiration and fatigue. All these symptoms may be caused by many other disorders.

Appropriate tests and studies are, therefore, essential to establish the true nature of these

The basic causes of heart diseases are wrong dietary habits, faulty style of living and various

stresses. the famous Framingham Heart Study of the National Heart and Lung Institute

identified seven major risk factors in coronary heart disease. These are : (i) elevated blood levels

of cholesterol, triglycerides and other fatty substances ( ii) elevated blood pressure (iii) elevated

blood uric acid levels (mainly caused by high protein diet), (iv) certain metabolic disorders,

notably diabetes, (v) obesity, (vi) smoking, and (vii) lack of physical exercise. Each or a

combination of these risk factors can contribute to heart disease. most of them are of dietary

origin. These risk factors can be controlled by changing one’s life style and readjusting the diet.

Constant worry and tension stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and

cartisons. This also contributes to constricted arteries, high blood pressure and increased work

for the heart.

The fundamental conditioning factor in all heart diseases is the diet. a corrective diet designed to

alter body chemistry and improve the quality of general nutritional intake can, in many cases,

reverse the degenerative changes which have occurred in the heart and blood vessels.

The diet should be lacto-vegetarian, low in sodium and calories. It should consist of high quality,

natural organic foods, with emphasis on whole grains, seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods

which should be eliminated are all white flour products, sweets, chocolates, canned foods in

syrup, soft drinks, squashes, all hard fats of animal origin such as butter, cream and fatty meats.

Salt and sugar should be reduced substantially. the patient should also avoid tea, coffee,

alcohol and tobacco.

The essential fatty acids which reduce serum cholesterol levels and minimise the risk of

arteriosclerosis can be obtained from sunflower seed oil, corn oil or safflower oil. several studies

have indicated that garlic can reduce the cholesterol level in persons whose body normally

cannot regulate the cholesterol fractions. Other important cholesterol lowering foods are alfalfa

and yogurt. Lecithin helps prevent fatty deposits in arteries. best food sources are unrefined,

raw, crude vegetable oils, seeds and grains.

Fruits and vegetables in general are highly beneficial in the treatment of heart disease. Seasonal

fruits are quite effective heart tonics. Apples especially contain heart stimulating properties and

the patients suffering from the weakness of heart should make liberal use of apples and apple

jams. Fresh grapes, pineapples, oranges,custard apples, pomegranaes and coconut water also

tone up the heart. Grapes are effective in heart pain and palpitation of the heart and the disease

can be rapidly controlled if the patient adopts an exclusive grapes diet for few days. Grape juice,

especially will be valuable when one is actually suffering from a heart attack.

Indian gooseberry or amla is considered an effective home remedy for heart disease. It tones up

the functions of all the organs of the body and builds up health by destroying the heterogeneous

elements and renewing lost energy.

Another excellent home remedy for heart disease is onions. they are useful in normalising the

percentage of blood cholesterol by oxidising excess cholesterol. One teaspoon of raw onion

juice first thing in the morning will be highly beneficial in such cases.

Honey has marvellous properties to prevent all sorts of heart disease. It tones up the heart and

improves the circulation. It is also effective in cardiac pain and palpitation of the heart. One

tablespoonful daily after food is sufficient to prevent all sorts of heart troubles.

Patients with heart disease should increase their intake of foods rich in vitamin E, as this vitamin

promotes the functioning of the heart by improving oxygeneration of the cells. It also improves

the circulation and muscle strength. many whole meal products and green vegetables,

particularly outer leaves of cabbage are good sources of vitamin E. the vitamin B group is

important for heart and circulatory disorders. the best sources of vitamin B are whole grains.

Vitamin C is also essential as it protects against spontaneous breaches in capillary walls which

can lead to heart attacks. It also guards against high blood cholesterol. the stress of anger, fear,

disappointment and similar emotions can raise blood fat and cholesterol levels immediately but

this reaction to stress can do little harm if the diet is adequate in vitamin C and pantothenic acid.

The richest sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits.

The following is the suggested diet for persons suffering from hypertension or some disorder of

On rising : Warm water with lemon juice and honey or fresh fruit juice of apple,grapes, orange,

Breakfast : Fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, pears, peaches, pineapple, orange, melons, one

or two slices whole meal toast, yogurt, skimmed milk or soya milk.

Mid-morning : Fresh fruitjuice or coconut water.

Lunch : Combination salad of vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, endive, carrots, cucumber,

beetroot, tomato, onion and garlic. One or two slices of whole meal bread or chappatis, curd,

fresh grapes and other fruits in season.

Mid-afternoon : One or two wholemeal biscuits and fruit juice.

Dinner : Fresh fruit or vegetable juice or soup, two lightly cooked vegetables, one or two whole

The patient should also pay attention to other laws of nature for health building such as taking

moderate exercise, getting proper rest and sleep, adopting the right mental attitude and getting

fresh air and drinking pure water.

The use of an ice bag on the spinal area between the second and tenth thoracic vertebrae for 30

minutes three times a week, a hot compress applied to the left side of the neck for 30 minutes

every alternate day and massage of the abdomen and upper back muscles are water treatments

which are beneficial in cases of heart disease.

Hot foot and hand baths are excellent for relieving the pain of angina pectoris. To this may be

added hot packs on the chest over the heart for one minute and a cold pack applied alternately

Asanas such as shavasana, vajrasana, and gomukhasna, yogic kriyas like jalneti and

pranayamas such as shitali, sitkari and bhramari are also helpful in providing relief to heart

Incoming search terms for the article:

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Posted: 2:50 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29, 2010

Dear Dr. Bone: when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, we went for more than one opinion. they conflicted and we ended up going with the doctor who thought we could delay treatment. Two years later when my husband went for the surgery, the cancer had spread. I am less upset about the medical opinions than the unsolicited "friendly comments" from family members, close friends and co-workers during my husband’s cancer journey:

"God only sends what people can handle."

"God knows what you need and will send it to you."

"Jim can live without his prostate so thank goodness it wasn’t cancer of a more vital organ."

"Your husband will live but your sex life is over."

"John’s sex life is over but you can go on."

"what is your problem? You were not still enjoying sex, were you?!"

"You have had a good life so get over this cancer issue."

I could go on and on with a list of stupid comments and advice. all I wanted was for everyone just to say that they were sorry for us. – Anonymous

Dear Anonymous: Your insight helps all of us. Let’s improve our cancer etiquette!

Dear Dr. Bone: I had a hysterectomy for fibroids in my late 20s and was started on Premarin pills. Over the years, I have decreased my dose, and now that I am 64, I take only 0.3 mg, which I understand is the lowest dose. my own gynecologist feels that I should continue, but I am worried about the studies linking estrogen with cancer. my mother’s sister had breast cancer and I look just like her. I would appreciate your input. ­- LCM

Dear LCM: thanks for your question. there is no one right answer. By now you have probably gotten all the benefit from the hormones that you will get. the only way to know whether you really need to be on them is to try to come off. You might try to wean off hormones slowly. If you have no menopause symptoms that might have been masked by long-term use, then you can stay off. on the other hand, if you start to have hot flashes, flushes or sweats, you can go back on knowing that you need hormone replacement to maintain your quality of life, even if there is some risk of blood clots, stroke, and/or heart attack with prolonged use. Your family history is not worrisome. Even though people think that looking like a relative who had cancer increases their own risk, it does not.

Hope that helps.

Dear Dr. Bone: my father’s twin brother was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. they were hoping the surgery would remove it all, but it’s been discovered that it has metastasized to his lymph nodes.

My uncle is very optimistic, while his wife has a hard time talking about it without getting choked up. I have twin sons myself, so it makes me worry for them as well, as it is now "in our family" so to speak when before, until now, the only person who got cancer in our family was my grandfather, and it was lung cancer and he smoked like a chimney for decades. So my questions are these: what can I do to help? are my sons at risk? what is the prognosis? – PM

Dear PM: First your uncle: according to a subsequent e-mail I received, the disease is wider spread than the doctors originally thought. it would be impossible for me to predict his absolute prognosis, but the 50-50 chances the oncologist gave him sounds right on target. my personal prognosis was the same and I just was determined to be in the "right" 50 percent!

Colon cancer can be hereditary. usually more than one relative has it and uterine cancer can also be associated with it. it sounds like your uncle is an isolated case, but your father should be watched carefully as well. due to your uncle’s age (68), it is less likely to be a hereditary cancer, but I would ask that you get your baseline colonoscopy soon. This will help to determine how to manage your own twin sons.

As for what you can do, I suggest asking him what he might need done. Errands, meals, rides to appointments, books or magazine to read during chemotherapy – all are good ideas. Don’t guess. it is fine to ask a cancer patient directly. Speak to him just the way you did before you knew he had cancer.