Klarinet Archive - Posting 000866.txt from 1999/03

From: PSHIROM@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Emphysema
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 18:32:49 -0500

TO TIA,

My father is a respiratory therapist and he says it's rare, but not impossible
to develop emphysema from playing a wind instrument. Risk is increased when
more factors are added such as working in an environment where cigarette smoke
is common or living in a big city with air pollution. Playing a wind
instrument during an episode of bronchitis, or another obstructive disease,
may increase the risk of developing it because, during bronchitis, some of the
airways may be partially obstructed with secretions. Back pressure in the
airways from playing an instrument forces air past these obstructions, but the
obstruction doesn't allow the all of the air to be exhaled. Adding more air
to alveoli that already have some air trapped inside from previous
inspirations, causes overinflation. Overinflation, in time, weakens the
alveoli and leads to emphysema.

Hope that gave you a little more background.
MB

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