SPECIAL REPORT: Respiratory recovery

Australian's airways have been sorely tested with bushfires, viruses and wet weather mould over recent years. As many suffer the aftermath of these airway assaults, it's helpful to consider natural routes to recovery.

- CAROLINE ROBERTSON

Breath is synonymous with life. You can potentially survive weeks without food, days without fluid but only a matter of minutes without air. In 2020-21 an estimated 30 per cent of Australians were suffering from chronic respiratory infections, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Lung disease is also the second leading cause of death according to the Lung Foundation Australia.

Conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), long COVID and pneumonia can create a slew of symptoms for some. Their impact expands beyond respiratory issues such as cough, chest tightness, mucus, pain, shortness of breath and wheezing.

Respiratory conditions can impact everything including your appetite, circulation, cognition, energy, immunity, sleep and organ health. Dr Arthur C Guyton connects every condition to poor respiration: "All chronic pain, suffering, and diseases are caused by a lack of oxygen at the cell level." Complementary medicine takes a holistic approach to managing and overcoming respiratory challenges. An empowering program incorporates diet, exercise, herbs, supplements, therapies and environmental adjustments. With patient perseverance, issues can ease as equilibrium is re-established.

Air supply What's invisible, omnipresent and imperative for life? The answer is air.

Oxygen-rich air flows through your nose, mouth, larynx, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles to exchange essential gases in over six million alveoli sacs. Our inbuilt ventilator is facilitated by filtering cilia, warming mucous membranes, gasexchanging lungs, expanding diaphragm and our concertina ribcage. This complex system ensures we provide plentiful oxygen to revive starving cells and exhale excess carbon dioxide waste.