Author: Caroline Bloss
Date: 2006-10-24 16:08
Hello,
I'm sorry I took so long to reply. I was completely taken by reading medical articles about that subject and doing research on the topic of breathing. I finally did find an article which supports my view. It's the only profound and recent study I found on this topic. Here you can see the summary:
Reduced pulmonary function in wind instrument players.Deniz O, Savci S, Tozkoparan E, Ince DI, Ucar M, Ciftci F.
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
BACKGROUND: Wind instrument playing requires a strenuous respiratory activity. Previous studies investigating effect of wind instrument playing on pulmonary function are equivocal. METHODS: In the present study, 34 male, non-smoker wind players in a military band were compared with 44 healthy non-smoker males by pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: All spirometric values including forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory flow in 25, 50, 75% of FVC, and during the middle half of the FVC were found significantly diminished in wind players. The class of wind instrument, brass or wood, showed no significant differences. FVC was significantly and negatively correlated with duration of practice. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that pulmonary function in wind players might be diminished probably due to development of asthma or constant barotrauma during their playing. This fact should be considered in clinical evaluation of wind instrument players.
I was able to read the complete article in the university library for medicine. I try to put it on internet later this week when I go back.
What you are saying makes sense to me too. And I think that we are lucky that we rest and don't play all the time. Probabley one's constitution is also a big factor that influences the damages to your alveoli.
Whether this is really emphysema or not, I don't know yet. My blood is tested now for alpha-1-anti-trypsine deficiency, which could also be a cause. Maybe, I'm a victim of both...
I'll wait for my bloodresults and the scan and I'll tell you more when I know more.
Thanks a lot for your mail! It made me calm down!
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