Pinks Disease

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Does anyone in this group have bronchiectasis as a result of Mercury Poisoning from Stedmans teething powder when they were a baby?I am 50 , & got this poisoning in N.Z.So my condition is called Pinks Disease .Last year I got diagnosed with CoeliacDisease...so am on a Gluten free diet, & low dairy food intake.I do the Tibetan Rites....since 1997.Has anyone heard of these?They are 5 simple exercises performed up to 21 times each day. There is a breathing technique with it too. coralSTAR34BABY@... wrote:

- I am pasting an article hereto which is from "The Lung Association" in regard to spitting up blood. I too have a problem with it from time to time and infact long before I had a known problem with the lungs I on occasion spit up the blood none of the Docs I went to could find a cause. I even had a bronchoscopy done! Anyway, hope this helps. Nona star34baby@...It’s a troublesome disease with a troublesome name, pronounced brong-kee-ECK-tah-sis. Infants and older children get it more often than adults, but adults get it too. Unless there are complications, it is not life threatening, but it can be a social embarrassment.Bronchiectasis is a relatively rare condition that affects the lungs. In this disorder the bronchial tubes become enlarged and distended forming pockets where infection may gather. The walls themselves are damaged which results in impairment to the lung’s complex cleaning system. The tiny hairs, called cilia - which line the bronchial tubes and sweep them free of dust, germs and excess mucus - are destroyed. When this cleaning system is not working effectively dust, mucus and bacteria accumulate. Infection develops and is difficult to remove.The CausesBronchiectasis is caused by various types of infections which damage and weaken the bronchial walls and interfere with the action of the cilia. Patients may be predisposed to get this condition with various congenital or inherited deficiencies such as immunological deficiency or cystic fibrosis. Rarely patients inherit a primary abnormality of the hair cells or cilia which renders them more prone to develop bronchiectasis. Certain pneumonias which may be associated with measles and whooping cough, usually occurring in childhood may predispose to this condition by weakening the walls of the bronchial tubes and causing pockets of infection to form. An obstruction of some sort - anything that presses on the bronchial tubes from the outside or blocks them from the inside - may also cause bronchiectasis. In childhood this most commonly results from choking on food such as a peanut which is small enough to go down the windpipe and large enough to block off one of the air tubes. When this happens the wall of the tube is injured and air is prevented from passing beyond the obstruction. The bronchial tube, below the obstruction, balloons out to form a perfect hiding place for infection and pus. SymptomsThe main symptom of patients with bronchiectasis is a cough. This cough occurs with great regularity every day. Generally patients with bronchiectasis cough up large quantities of phlegm which resembles green or yellow pus. It would not be uncommon for somebody to cough up more than a cup of this phlegm per day. This phlegm may have an objectionable odour and can be a source of great embarrassment to the patient suffering from bronchiectasis. This occurs because pus is produced in the enlarged bronchial tubes which are chronically infected and can only be removed by coughing. Although chronic infection exists within the tubes the patients generally feel well - without fever or pain. However, they are prone to getting worse infections which may go on to pneumonia if not promptly treated. Spitting up blood may occur from time to time in patients with bronchiectasis. Tiny blood vessels near the surface of the thinned walls of the bronchial tubes are easily ruptured. The bleeding is generally minor and self limited but occasionally can present as a major emergency. Coughing up blood usually indicates added infection. TreatmentThe treatment of bronchiectasis is designed to prevent the complications of pneumonia and blood spitting and to allow patients with this condition to live as normal a life as possible. The most important aspect of the treatment is done at home by the patient often with the help of family members. Because the usual mechanism for cleaning the lung is not effective a helping hand is necessary. As a result patients with bronchiectasis must learn to position themselves so that the damaged areas of the lungs can drain by gravity. This is usually done by hanging one’s head over the side of the bed with the affected part of the lung upper most. This is usually necessary one to three times a day and can be taught to the patient by a physician or physiotherapist. Clapping the chest to help the mucus run out is also very helpful. This can be done by a family member by hand or using a mechanical percussor. If the patient practices this "postural drain- age" on a regular basis the complications are often avoided and the patient can carry on a relatively normal life. The patient must learn to recognize an impending superimposed infection from symptoms such as fever, chest pain and a change in the quality and quantity of the phlegm. Early treatment of such infections with antibiotics can also prevent complications. If the patient has recurrent pneumonia or blood spitting and the bronchiectasis is limited to a very small isolated part of the lung, this can be removed surgically leaving the patient with no further problems. If the damage is widespread, surgery is usually not advisable. PreventionBronchiectasis is now much less common than it once was. This probably reflects modern antibiotics treatment of respiratory infections. Most cases of bronchiectasis develop in childhood. By appropriate treatment of respiratory infections and prompt removal of foreign bodies which have entered the bronchial tree, the vast majority of cases of bronchiectasis can now be prevented. For those who have the condition, daily postural drainage and chest clapping, judicious use of antibiotics, with a back-up of appropriate medical care can prevent most complications and allow these patients to live a relatively normal life.

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© 2003 Canadian Lung Association. All Rights Reserved.The Canadian Lung Association site strives to provide you with timely, accurate information, which is not intended for diagnosis or self treatment.

[Guest guest]

Hi Coral,

I am interested to know more about the Tibetan Rites and exercises you mention. The 21 repetitions a day seems a lot, I am already flat out with postural drainage and nebulisers, haven't got much time left after doing those <smile> I have had bronch since a baby too, but mine is from whooping cough. We all seem to have different reasons for our bronch, and I'm sure you will find others with similar history.

Take care, and keep well.

Love Bunny

-----Original Message-----From: coral laity Sent: Monday, 26 May 2003 2:31 PMTo: bronchiectasis Subject: Pinks Disease

Does anyone in this group have bronchiectasis as a result of Mercury Poisoning from Stedmans teething powder when they were a baby?I am 50 , & got this poisoning in N.Z.So my condition is called Pinks Disease .Last year I got diagnosed with CoeliacDisease...so am on a Gluten free diet, & low dairy food intake.I do the Tibetan Rites....since 1997.Has anyone heard of these?They are 5 simple exercises performed up to 21 times each day. There is a breathing technique with it too. coral

[Guest guest]

- I would be interested in hearing more about the Tibetian Rites.

Nona

star34baby@...

[Guest guest]

Nona - I would like to know more myself. Sorry !But I was not the one who posted that message. On another note, I too enjoyed Wally's website. I think he did an excellent job of it. However. I have never had any luck draining my lungs hanging down in a forward position. It must have something to do with which lobe or lobes are infected. I learned that for me, lying on my back, in a tilted down position from the waist works well. Then turning to the left for about fifteen minutes between sitting up straight and huffing. Then back down and onto the right side and do the same thing on that side. I have infection in the right mid-lung area and also in the scar tissue area in the left posterior lung. I had the lower lobe removed there and partial upper lobe about thirty years ago. Also had a severe pneumonia when three weeks old and almost died. That is most likely when the damage was done. .