Saturday, February 6, 2010

Forced Indoor Air Ionization to Treat Cystic Fibrosis

I ran across this article the other day and I found it interesting so I thought I would share:


FORCED INDOOR AIR IONIZATION BY SALT SUBLIMATION MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS


Forced ionization of indoor air by salt sublimation may improve respiratory symptoms in cystic fibrosis (CF), said a researcher in a presentation at the 24th European Cystic Fibrosis conference in Vienna, Austria.

The use of speleotherapy in many Central and Eastern European countries is well spread and well-known and in these countries doctors recommend this therapy to their patients.

The term speleotherapy comes from the Greek ‘speleo’ that means ‘cave’ – the therapy in a salt mine. Many, many people with all kinds of respiratory diseases use this therapy as a complementary or alternative therapy to the classical drug therapy and find great relief.

Being very effective but in the same time costly by having fixed location and the treatment implying multiple sessions, this physical therapy has been practiced in Balkans for over 150 years.

In an effort to find a way to use this therapy at home, a Romanian chemist engineer have researched and developed a device that is able to simulate the salt mine micro-environment in the comfort of your home. He have analyzed the air composition in a salt mine and found the way to grow salt micro particles as those found in a salt mine, using only natural mineral halite salt crystals formed in the Middle Miocene era from the salt mine.

All the research work was followed by clinical studies at different clinics in Romania. Now, the device uses forced indoor air ionization by salt sublimation and give so much relief in many respiratory conditions.

One of the clinical studies that have been done is regarding the effect of Salin device in patients with cystic fibrosis. Doctor Ioan Popa and his colleagues from a paediatric clinic in Buzau, Romania, investigated 18 patients with their age between 3 and 17 years old, with mild to severe cystic fibrosis.

This study has been realized within a 6 months interval on the two lots that were created. Seventy percent were diagnosed as having mild cystic fibrosis and thirty percent were severe. The two lots were created based on the stage of the diseases, their FEV1, colonisation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or Staphylococcus aureus and other respiratory conditions.

The first lot used the Salin device approximately 8-10 hours/day. The control lot used the Salin for the same period of time but the device worked without the salt plates, so without forced ionization of the indoor air by salt sublimation.

In the lot I was noted a significant improvement of the clinical state and a subjective estimation “for better” have been seen by the patients, respectively by their parents especially in those that have been more seriously affected.

Objective symptoms of the disease, as sputum analysis, respiratory function, crackles at auscultation and FEV1, showed improvements from pre-treatment. In the control lot there were no changes similar to those from lot I.

On clinical examination, the patients receiving the active treatment were noted to have an increase of the sputum elimination at first stage followed by a significant reducing of its quantity, improvement of the respiratory functional syndrome, less crackles at auscultation and an improvement of FEV1. No patients receiving the active treatment have showed acute episodes of respiratory disease that should require another hospitalization for the duration of the treatment.

The authors concluded that forced ionization of the indoor air represents a natural and efficient treatment for respiratory diseases in patients with cystic fibrosis. This treatment could be used alongside with the classical therapy, doesn’t have any side effects and has a quite modest cost.

For more information, clinical studies and testimonials please click on salt therapy.

NB: The author grants reprint permission to opt-in publications and websites so long as the copyright and by-line are included intact and the article is not used in spam.

By: Livia Tiba


You can find the full original article at http://whatiscysticfibrosis.org/cystic-fibrosis/forced-indoor-air-ionization-by-salt-sublimation-may-improve-respiratory-symptoms-in-cystic-fibrosis

Friday, February 5, 2010

First Ever Blog Buttons for CysticLife!!

These buttons are a work in progress, but I wanted to get them out at the request of many of you who read this blog. You can grab one of these buttons by inserting the code below the image into the HTML/Javascript widget option on blogspot. If you have any issues or have any suggestions for buttons, please let me know. Let's continue to raise awareness together and take this thing to a whole new level! (If you add a button to your blog please let me know so I can check it out! I'm interested to see which one will be most popular :) )

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

I Can't Compete with This...

So I was going to write a big ol' Thankful Thursday blog until Mandi had me watch this...with tears rolling down from her eyes. Seriously? How am I supposed to compete with is?


I think that pretty much covered everything I'm thankful for as well :)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Run/Walk Challenge 2010

Hey everybody!! First, I just wanted to thank you all for the kind birthday wishes both on here and an Facebook. You guys went above and beyond and definitely made me feel special on the 30th b-day.

So, I was contemplating something yesterday and I wanted to get the RSR readers input on it before I "pull the trigger". I was thinking about bringing back the run walk challenge. Some of you from FB may remember the run/walk challenge from when I was in the hospital. It was pretty simple. Everyday that I went for a run or walk, I would document it on Facebook and "challenge" the community to match me. If I ran for 15 minutes, the challenge would be to either run for 15 as well, or walk for thirty. It seemed to catch on with many of you and I believe we had about 20 people taking part of the challenge.

Here's the questions for you all: Would you guys like me to get it started again? What shall we call it? Would you like to match time or distance? Should there be a maximum amount of days per week that the challenge can take place? What do you think the best way to track your individual performance would be?

I think that's all of the questions that I have for now! If you guys can think of anything I'm missing, please bring it to my attention. I look forward to seeing what this can possibly bring about!!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Top Ten Reasons My Run Stunk Yesterday

Yesterday I decided to go for the last run of my 29th year. I haven't been nearly as consistent with running as I would like to be (I seem to be going on more long walks) and I knew that I would need to set a tone going into my 30th year! I wanted to tell my body who was boss, so instead of my usual warm up walk, I took off running only after about 2 minutes of walking. To challenge myself even further, I decided to do the first half of the run uphill (I'm not sure I really planned on making it to the top, but I knew it would be a nice reward on the way back down).

I spent almost the entire time up the hill trying to talk myself into stopping. I'm serious. On a handful of occasions I actually picked a landmark I would run to and then start walking from there, problem is, I actually never did stop. I guess it's not a problem per say, but it sure felt like it at the time.

I've created the "top ten problems with my run from yesterday" list. I assure you, (and if you've been reading RSR for any amount of time, you know this to be true) I did not create this list to complain. I created this list so all of you would know that you're not alone. I know that you guys attempting to run or exercise are having many of these same problems. I'm hoping that this list can provide some encouragement that you can in fact push through it and accomplish your goals!

Believe me, I wanted to give into my body. But after 2.6 miles of showing it who is boss, I feel AMAZING. I coughed up so much mucus that I won't be surprised if the city fines me to clean it up :) My lungs feel SO wide open and I'm taking deeper breaths today, than I did probably all of last week...just in time for my 30th birthday!

10. My left arch started to really hurt

9. My right ball of my foot was burning

8. I had a stitch in my side that wouldn't go away

7. I kept on burping up BBQ Chicken

6. My legs felt deader than a doorknob

5. I started to get a headache half way through the run

4. It felt like I was pulling for air...

3. ...and the air I was pulling in was really cold and made my lungs tighten up

2. It was really cold outside (so I put on a long sleeve shirt) but...

1. ...when I really got into my run it was too hot (but I couldn't take off said long sleeve shirt cause then it would be too cold)

Does this list look familiar? If it does, you're not alone. Working out is hard for EVERYONE. There isn't one person that I know who doesn't try to talk themselves out of running why they're doing it. Just keep pushing forward! I KNOW you can continue to push farther and farther as long as real effort is there :)

Monday, February 1, 2010

An Oldie But a Goodie: Top 10 Traits Cystic Fibrosis has Instilled in Ronnie

**SO yesterday, two days ago, every day before two days ago, this morning, this afternoon, and right now I was thinking about how much I love Ronnie (I know I know, young couples in love are so sappy). Since I've been thinking a lot about how wonderful I think Ronnie is lately, I thought I'd re-post a blog that I posted a few months back. It's all about how wonderful Ronnie is, and in many ways, thanks to CF. It's always important to remember what positives can come from CF and I don't mind loving up on my fiance every now and then!


As some of you have read in past posts, I often say that I'd rather have Ronnie with CF, than date the man Ronnie would be without it. I truly mean that. I believe Ronnie has been shaped by his CF and many of the character traits that I have fallen in love with have been instilled in him because of his CF. Here's the top 10:


10. Reliance - When Ronnie is sick, he is forced to rely on others. When Ronnie's well, he insists other's rely on him. He understands the beauty of symbiotic relationships. He understands the give and take in a healthy relationship. I love that he isn't too proud to allow me to take care of him when he's feeling off and his insistence that others rely on him.


9. Acceptance - Ronnie's accepts the fact that his has CF; he embraces it. He has realized that not everything is in our control, and when you can't control a reality what can you do? Accept it. Since he was young, Ronnie has owned his CF, been proud of it...even flaunted it. There is much to be said about someone who can take a challenge, accept it, and embrace it.


8. Discipline - It is not easy to get up an extra 30 min to an hour and a half early every day before school. It is not easy to remember to take meds every morning. It is not easy to exercise 6 out of the 7 days in the weeks, especially when it hurts. To manage his CF, Ronnie has been required to do all of these things. The result? Discipline.


7. Optimism - Ronnie understands there are 2 ways to view life: the glass half empty and the glass half full. Many people who have hard times or struggle at times find it all too easy to view the glass half empty. Ronnie, on the other hand, has realized that CF can present daily struggles, and makes it very easy to ALWAYS see the glass half empty, so he has made the choice to always be optimistic.


6. Perseverance - CF has a way of knocking you on your butt when you least expect it, and often times knocking you back down right when you get back up. In order to continually get back up, you have to persevere. A good example of his perseverance is when he was in for 50 days last winter. Each week he would work out, rest, eat well, each week he thought it would be the week he could get out, and each week his lung function didn't budge. So what did he do the next week? He worked harder!! And eventually, after much hard work and perseverance, he got out.


5. Patience - Ronnie is the most patient person I have ever met. He understands that not everything will be done in his own timing. Not better after 30 days in the hospital? Wait until you are better to get out. Want to go on vacation, but it's time for a hospital stay? Wait to go on vacation. Want a cure for CF? Wait for a cure.


4. Appreciation - Ronnie appreciates every day. Being told from a young age that your life may be shorter than most, you begin to cherish every day, every memory, every breath. When it comes to life, Ronnie takes it all in. He notices beautiful sunsets, a good cup of coffee, a good joke. He never rushes. Why rush life, he asks? He enjoys every day and doesn't let those around him busy themselves too much so that they don't stop and smell the roses.


3. Perspective - Ronnie is really good as putting things in perspective. I often fret about the little things. The things that a year from now won't matter. He has a great perspective on life. He enjoys the good, brushes off the bad and realizes that most things here on earth won't matter in the end.


2. Faithfulness (and Trust) - Ronnie has eternal faith. He truly believes that God will work everything out in His way and in His timing. He continues on, praying, trusting and believing that everything with work itself out. When things don't work out the way he envisioned or hoped they would, he embraces the reality with a smile on his face, trusting it is the way it should be.


1. Humor - Sometimes when times are hard, all you can do is laugh. Ronnie can make just about anything funny. There aren't many occasions when Ronnie isn't cracking a joke or any topic that is off limits to be the butt of one or two jokes. With only one of two words, Ronnie can have me laughing with tears running down my face. He is the funniest person I have ever met!


**PS - These are in no particular order. I "hmm'ed and haw'ed" and couldn't decide on a good order!!!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

One of My Favorite Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Videos

This video really pulls at my heart strings and is very well done. Enjoy and pass it on!