- 10 hours ago
A cough is common with a cold. But persistent coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain could signal pneumonia, whooping cough, or even chlamydia infection.
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00:06Did you know your lungs move a tanker's worth of air that's around 20,000 litres every day?
00:15Or that your breathing is also visible in your pupils?
00:19Or that the lungs are the only human organ that can float?
00:23But we have more than nice-to-know facts coming up.
00:26Find out how to keep your hard-working lungs healthy, or what to do if you have difficulty breathing.
00:32All that and more on In Good Shape.
00:51Painful coughing fits are an unpleasant symptom of being ill.
00:54But what if the cough just won't go away?
00:58What causes a persistent cough?
01:02Doctors are familiar with this concern.
01:06Many patients fear pneumonia could be the cause of their persistent cough.
01:11And indeed, doctors do have to listen carefully so that they don't miss something serious.
01:19With an infection, a cough is part of the respiratory tract's cleaning process.
01:25It helps remove mucus containing viruses and bacteria.
01:31Pneumonia, which is inflammation of the lungs, must be detected quickly and treated with antibiotics.
01:42We are increasingly seeing cases of pneumonia without fever.
01:47In the past, it was assumed patients would have a high temperature, around 40 degrees Celsius.
01:55But that's often no longer the case.
01:59Instead, doctors may notice signs such as poorer general health, blood pressure issues, or in older people, a high heart
02:08and respiratory rate.
02:09You can often tell if someone has pneumonia as soon as they come in, because they're in such a bad
02:15state.
02:19Alongside typical pneumonia-causing pathogens, there are also other germs that can cause the chronic cough.
02:30Whooping cough is the best known, but there's also chlamydia and microplasma.
02:37They are less well-known, but they can cause similar symptoms.
02:42A swab or blood test can usually confirm a suspected infection and clarify which antibiotics to take.
02:51Amelie Dortmund has been suffering from a cough for two weeks.
03:01It started with a normal viral infection, but then quite quickly I had a high fever.
03:07That later developed into bronchitis.
03:09It's now been three weeks since I finished the antibiotic course and I still have it.
03:17Her doctor's diagnosis?
03:19A post-infectious cough.
03:22With it, the bronchial tubes are still sore and very sensitive.
03:27The slightest irritation triggers a cough reflex.
03:31The windpipe closes.
03:33The abdominal muscles, diaphragm and chest increase pressure in the lungs.
03:40Then suddenly the airway reopens, forcing the air out in a coughing fit.
03:49Experts say post-infectious dry coughs are on the rise.
03:53One possible cause is air pollution, which irritates the respiratory tract.
03:59Overall, pollution levels are increasing and we're experiencing climate change,
04:04which is bringing an increase in such infections.
04:07The good news is that post-infectious coughs usually clear up on their own.
04:15When you start coughing with this dry, irritating cough, you often cough yourself into a fit.
04:21I usually advise patients to cough more gently, without straining, instead of trying to suppress it.
04:31That's not easy.
04:32The attacks often occur at night, putting the body under extreme stress.
04:37The immense force of the coughing can even lead to vomiting.
04:42It can strain the bladder and cause urine leakage,
04:45while other problems can include headaches, exhaustion, abdominal pain, muscle stiffness and even broken ribs.
04:53In such cases, Dr. Hanfield prescribes codeine drops as a cough suppressant for the night.
04:59A corticosteroid is used to calm the bronchial tubes.
05:06You need to rest at night.
05:08If the bronchial tubes are working at an equivalent speed of 200 km per hour,
05:14dozens of times during the night, it worsens the irritation.
05:19This creates a vicious cycle.
05:21Mental and emotional rest are essential for recovery.
05:26If there's no improvement after six to eight weeks, it's time to look for other causes.
05:36Sometimes a patient might have chronic sinusitis,
05:39which causes mucus to constantly run down the back of the throat.
05:44That can trigger a cough reflex.
05:48Heartburn or other side effects from medication can also cause a chronic cough.
05:55The medication Sandra Pragman was prescribed was immediately effective.
06:01Within just a few days, she could finally sleep through the night without coughing.
06:08If coughing is accompanied by fever and feeling seriously unwell, it could be pneumonia.
06:15Seek medical help without delay.
06:17Pneumonia can be fatal, especially for older people.
06:21The biggest strain on our respiratory tract is smoking.
06:26It damages lung tissue and is often the cause of lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
06:32The so-called smoker's cough is not harmless, but often an early sign of incurable disease.
06:39Our lungs work hard throughout our lives and we shouldn't make their job harder.
06:51This rhythm shapes our lives.
06:56Sometimes we breathe quickly.
07:00Sometimes slowly.
07:02The lungs set the pace for many other organs.
07:06They even affect our mood.
07:09Pretty much all cells need oxygen to power their furnaces, the mitochondria.
07:15These produce energy 24-7 using a process of bit-like combustion.
07:20It creates a waste product, carbon dioxide or CO2.
07:25The lungs' job is to get oxygen into the bloodstream and expel carbon dioxide, a super important task.
07:33In fact, it's so crucial that other parts of the body have to pitch in.
07:39The diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs expand the lungs, drawing air into the mouth and down the bronchial
07:49tubes.
07:50The lungs' tissue is made up of millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli.
07:55This is where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
08:01The lower part of the brainstem keeps a close eye on how much oxygen and carbon dioxide are in the
08:08blood
08:08and adjusts our breathing accordingly.
08:12And that's not all.
08:14Our body's built-in alarm center, the sympathetic nervous system, reacts to our emotions.
08:21When we're afraid, it cranks up our breathing.
08:25That makes sure the brain and the muscles get the extra oxygen they need.
08:35Once we feel safe, the parasympathetic nervous system slows our breathing again and everything calms down.
08:42The process can be reversed because we can consciously control our breathing,
08:48making it quicker or slower or even holding our breath.
08:54And that affects the entire body.
08:59Calm, deep breathing lowers the pulse and blood pressure,
09:04reduces stress and anxiety,
09:08calms us down and improves focus,
09:12even boosts our motor skills
09:16and helps us fall asleep.
09:22Have you ever paid attention to your breathing before?
09:26Or do you only notice your lungs when you're putting them to the test?
09:30It's time to tune in to these vital organs,
09:33like through conscious breathing.
09:35That can make a big difference when it comes to coping with everyday challenges.
09:47Claudia Scheer helps people keep fit.
09:53Here, though, the emphasis is not on building muscles,
09:56but on breathing technique.
09:59The challenge?
10:01To only breathe through your nose.
10:05No matter how difficult that is.
10:08That's the rule here.
10:12A friend encouraged me to do it.
10:15I sing on stage and it's really important for me to maintain controlled breathing.
10:21Especially in today's world,
10:23where everything is really fast and everything around you screams stress,
10:27you can create a moment of calm for yourself by breathing well.
10:31It's a way to reduce stress in everyday life.
10:38Claudia Scheer teaches the Botteiko method,
10:41which was developed in the 1950s by a Ukrainian doctor.
10:46Here she instructs her pupils to feel their breath on their index fingers
10:51as they breathe in and out.
10:54The Botteiko method is based on a theory
10:57that many health problems are caused by excessive breathing
11:01and that you can retrain yourself.
11:06Now she explains that in certain positions,
11:09the depth of inhalation is reduced.
11:13In each class, they measure the control pause,
11:16how long each person can comfortably hold their breath.
11:22Here she's explaining the effect of holding the nose closed
11:25with the thumb and index finger.
11:30Then they hold their breath,
11:33but not for as long as possible,
11:35only until they feel the urge to inhale again
11:38and then they can continue breathing normally.
11:41The goal is 45 seconds.
11:45The teacher usually has no problem with meeting that.
11:50Today, though, she's a bit nervous because we're filming.
11:54But what are the benefits of this kind of breathing?
12:00I feel it all the time when singing.
12:03More control, more aware.
12:05You pay more attention to the breath.
12:08When I try to breathe less through my mouth, I feel better.
12:12I ran a marathon last year and achieved a much better time
12:15when I only breathe through my nose.
12:20The teacher claims that this special training
12:24helped her asthma immensely.
12:27She noticed relief in her symptoms
12:29after practicing for two hours every day for six months.
12:35My asthma symptoms have completely disappeared.
12:38I no longer need medication.
12:40I no longer suffer from shortness of breath.
12:43My health has improved enormously.
12:46I have so much more energy.
12:48My athletic performance has improved.
12:51My quality of life has improved.
12:53I feel like a new person.
12:56I feel like a new person.
13:04Studies suggest that the Buteyko method
13:06may indeed make breathing easier for people with asthma,
13:10reducing their need for medication.
13:12Around 300 million people worldwide suffer from the condition.
13:16In Vietnam, it's just 2% of the population,
13:19but in Australia, 33%.
13:21Experts think that's down to genetics.
13:24In asthma, the lining of the airways, the mucosa,
13:27is chronically inflamed.
13:29This leads to coughing and weakness
13:31and sometimes to severe attacks with shortness of breath.
13:35There is no cure.
13:37Medications containing cortisone provide symptom relief,
13:41but they carry risks.
13:43Osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney damage.
13:46So it's no surprise that people look for alternatives.
13:51This is her 10-minute high-intensity exercise routine.
13:56Dorata Markovska pushes herself,
13:59and that despite having severe asthma.
14:05It's probably thanks to the medication I take.
14:09It's certainly a big help.
14:11I'd say even a 100% turnaround.
14:14I used to take cortisone,
14:16which made me put on quite a bit of weight.
14:19Now that's no problem.
14:23She takes the still relatively unknown,
14:26so-called biologic medicine.
14:29Unlike conventional drugs,
14:31it isn't chemically produced,
14:33but from biotechnology, from living cells.
14:37Her asthma was so severe
14:39that for years she had to take cortisone,
14:42which can have significant side effects
14:44like weight gain, high blood pressure,
14:46even bone fractures.
14:51That therapy involved starting on a very high dose
14:54and then reducing it.
14:56That would help for a week or two,
14:58but then things would get really bad again
15:00and I'd end up in hospital.
15:02Then I'd need the high doses of cortisone again,
15:05then start reducing again.
15:07I went round in circles like this for years.
15:11She's now on a new biologic medicine.
15:14Today it's time for a check-up.
15:16Since the asthma patients
15:17started taking the new medication,
15:19she hasn't had to go to the emergency room
15:22and no longer needs cortisone tablets.
15:25Biologics intervene in the development of the disease.
15:28They target the inflammatory process,
15:31while other medications just fight the symptoms.
15:36This is actually a life-changing development
15:39for severe asthmatics.
15:41These are medications that have a dramatic effect.
15:44You could even call them game-changers, revolutionary.
15:57It actually improved overnight.
16:00It was hard to believe at first,
16:02but now I'm sure it really works.
16:08Until now, the best severe asthmatics could hope for
16:11was that the disease didn't worsen.
16:14With biologics, the goal is to bring patients into remission.
16:20We weren't able to cure asthma patients
16:23or even give them a good year of health.
16:25It just wasn't possible.
16:27Now we can happily say
16:29that this is basically the closest thing to a cure.
16:32The disease is still present,
16:34but it doesn't cause any symptoms.
16:36And we can talk about remission,
16:38which was out of the question until now.
16:43Markovska isn't an isolated case.
16:46In one study, patients with severe asthma
16:48were treated with biologics.
16:50Afterwards, 92% of them needed less cortisone
16:53or were able to do without it.
16:56But the drugs are very expensive.
16:58That's why they're only prescribed for patients with severe symptoms.
17:04This will be a lifesaver,
17:07because patients will no longer have to be admitted
17:10to hospitals or clinics with acute problems.
17:14Markovska receives a biologic medication every two months,
17:17which she injects herself.
17:20The drugs can cause increased susceptibility to infection,
17:23but compared to cortisone,
17:25the new treatments are considered to have few side effects.
17:29But supervision is important
17:30because there's still a lack of long-term studies.
17:35It's a huge shift in quality of life.
17:37You can live a normal life and do whatever you want.
17:43Dorota Markovska is now virtually symptom-free.
17:48And she hopes that it will stay that way.
17:55A persistent cough is always grounds to see a doctor.
17:59It could be whooping cough,
18:01a serious bacterial infection that mainly affects infants,
18:05children and adolescents.
18:07Or tuberculosis, also caused by bacteria.
18:11But a cough can also be a sign of heart failure.
18:14Or reflux, when stomach acid rises and enters the airways.
18:20And especially in older people,
18:23shortness of breath can warn of something serious,
18:26even life-threatening.
18:29Today, Uta Schaffer has a check-up with her doctor.
18:33A few weeks ago, the 66-year-old
18:35had a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
18:38It started with a cough,
18:40but after a few days,
18:41she suddenly developed severe shortness of breath
18:44and felt dizzy.
18:48I got up early,
18:50was on my feet for a few seconds
18:52and had to lie down again immediately
18:54because I thought I was going to faint.
18:57When my lips turned blue,
18:58I realised it was more than just a cough
19:01or a flu-like infection.
19:04And because I couldn't get up
19:05or stay on my feet for long,
19:07I called the emergency number.
19:09It was a really close call.
19:13A pulmonary embolism is caused by a blood clot or thrombosis,
19:17usually in the deep veins of the legs or pelvis.
19:21Symptoms include swelling and leg pain,
19:23but the thrombosis can often go unnoticed.
19:27If the clot breaks loose,
19:29it can travel with the blood through the heart
19:32and into the lungs.
19:33There, it can block a pulmonary vessel,
19:36cutting off the blood flow to that part of the lung.
19:41Less oxygen enters the blood,
19:43reducing oxygen in the body overall.
19:47Meanwhile, pressure rises in the pulmonary circulation,
19:51placing strain on the right side of the heart.
19:54Doctors determined that Uta Schafer's blood clot
19:57started in the vein in her lower leg.
19:59She hadn't even noticed.
20:01She was in hospital for 10 days.
20:03The first few days were in intensive care.
20:06Dr. Philip Schadl treated her.
20:09And he's keen to find out how she's getting on.
20:14When I climb up the stairs,
20:16I immediately get out of breath.
20:18And when I walk, it varies.
20:20Sometimes I start walking full of energy,
20:22but then I'm exhausted after just 500 metres.
20:26If left untreated,
20:28a pulmonary embolism can have dramatic consequences.
20:32The danger is that even more material will break off,
20:37especially from the thrombosis that is usually present,
20:40and that the pulmonary vessels may eventually become completely blocked,
20:44leading to a circulatory collapse and cardiac arrest.
20:48A pulmonary embolism can be fatal.
20:51Uta Schafer initially received anticoagulant medication.
20:56Heparin therapy is used to prevent further clotting
20:59and stop the clot from growing.
21:03Because she also had signs of cardiac strain and her heart was affected,
21:07we performed a thrombectomy.
21:09We inserted a catheter into the pulmonary arteries via interventional radiology
21:14to remove thrombotic material and reduce the strain on the heart.
21:21Typical risk factors for thrombosis include lack of movement,
21:26prolonged bed rest, major surgery and cancer.
21:30Age, obesity and congenital clotting disorders also increase the risk.
21:36Hormones, certain medications, pregnancy, varicose veins and smoking
21:42can increase the risk, as can acute infections or chronic diseases.
21:47Often, several of these factors come together.
21:51Patients who already have had thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism
21:55can take precautions, especially when the risk is higher,
21:59such as during long trips or medical procedures.
22:02They should follow thrombosis prevention measures,
22:05such as giving themselves a preventative injection before a flight,
22:09wearing compression stockings and staying active wherever possible.
22:15Ute Schafe now has to take anticoagulant medication
22:19and wear compression stockings.
22:21She hopes that she will soon regain her former strength.
22:27Just like the rest of your body, your lungs really benefit from exercise.
22:32Endurance training, in particular, strengthens the respiratory muscles.
22:35This allows us to breathe more deeply.
22:39Exercise also improves oxygen uptake and the removal of mucus.
22:47And another way to keep the lungs happy, sing.
23:02Singing to express feelings and experience oneself.
23:07Marie Kamula has singing therapy once a week.
23:10For years, she was ignoring her own needs and trying to please others.
23:15It made her ill.
23:19Two years ago, I had a burnout.
23:21I stayed at home for a long time.
23:23And then my doctor prescribed this therapy for me.
23:29With Christine Markvard's help, she has learned to express her emotions through her voice.
23:36I can feel myself again.
23:39I hadn't done that for a long time.
23:41Maybe I'd forgotten how to.
23:43Everyone has feelings.
23:45It's about accepting and acknowledging them.
23:48If I'm angry, I can let the anger in.
23:50Or now, if I'm happy, I can shine.
23:55I witness people learning to listen to their bodies again.
23:59And to get in touch with their inner life.
24:07The voice therapist treats around 20 patients a month.
24:11Some come with voice disorders or after a stroke.
24:14Others use their voice professionally.
24:16Teachers, actors, singers.
24:18Singing engages 100 muscles in the body, including the vocal cords, lungs and the diaphragm.
24:25Instead of breathing into the chest, professional singers breathe more deeply into the abdomen.
24:32The body receives more oxygen.
24:34The pulse and blood pressure drop and the muscles relax.
24:40Singing requires the use of many of the networks in the brain, while also engaging a lot of muscle intensively.
24:46Typically, you're standing as well.
24:49That promotes blood circulation and benefits the cardiovascular system, which is always healthy.
24:58Singing mantras is believed to have a particularly positive effect on the body, reducing stress and calming the breath.
25:07That's because singing extends our breathing rhythm, so you breathe less frequently and more deeply.
25:16Mantras involve a lot of repetition.
25:19That, too, can be relaxing.
25:25Because they keep repeating, it's always the same thing.
25:28The brain doesn't receive any new information.
25:31At some point, it calms down.
25:33It's always the same.
25:36Singing can help us become more in tune with the body and breath.
25:40And that's a great way to improve your health.
25:44Just the two of us.
25:47Building castles in the sky.
25:50Just the two of us.
25:53Want to find fun ways to improve your health?
25:56How about watching In Good Shape regularly?
25:59Stay well and see you soon.
26:01Bye-bye.
26:05Bye-bye.
26:07Bye-bye.
26:07Bye-bye.
26:08Bye-bye.
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