The Best Kept Secret About the Lungs and Sinuses
Keith Giaquinto
DC
We all take breathing for granted (as well we should) until we begin to experience symptoms. After all, the respiratory system works in harmony with the heart, and the brain takes care of any speeding up or slowing down that must be done to maintain normal function. It is true we can take control of our own breathing rate during meditation, for example, but not every patient practices meditation.
The respiratory system is a marvelously complex mechanism with its upper section (sinuses) and its lower parts (lungs and bronchi). When it comes to understanding symptoms involving these tissues, remember the sinuses and lungs exchange nutrient (oxygen) and remove waste products (carbon dioxide). The respiratory system is categorized as an organ of elimination. Symptoms involving these areas are sinus congestion, runny nose, postnasal drip, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a dry/productive cough.
What would cause the respiratory system to become stressed and give your patients symptoms? The respiratory system is exposed to the external environment and can come into contact with viruses and bacteria. If the body and immune system are not strong enough to handle the exposure, then the respiratory system can become compromised and the patient will experience symptoms. This can happen when we get any acute infection, such as the flu or a common cold. In a healthy body, these acute infections with respiratory symptoms should only last seven to 10 days.
What is going on in the body when these symptoms become chronic and linger for a few weeks or even months? There are several factors that play into this, such as increased stress in your patient’s life, poor diet, or weak digestion and bowel toxicity, which all lead to a weakened immune system and lymphatic congestion. The lymphatic system is the sewer system of the body. The lymph then gets dumped back into the bloodstream for the lungs and even the kidneys to filter out. As you can see now, if the internal environment is toxic, the blood is toxic,
‘This can happen when we get any acute infection, such as the flu or acommon cold. ”
which makes more work for the respiratory system to do. This is what can prolong respiratory symptoms.
This deals with the acute and chronic respiratory symptoms, but what about subclinical respiratory complaints? How do they show up in the body? All chiropractors know that visceral organs share nerve innervation with various muscles. It is quite common for a lung/bronchi problem to be the underlying cause of a lingering shoulder problem, or for sinus congestion to be the lingering cause of muscle-tension headaches or even an injury to the neck that won’t quite heal satisfactorily.
Now here’s the secret: the lungs and sinuses serve to excrete metabolic waste and so does the kidney! They both filter blood, and what stresses one will stress the other. Think about allergies and asthma. So in addition to shoulder problems, we may be talking about lingering lower back pain. How can you support the respiratory system to function better in addition to chiropractic adjustments and correcting forward head posture? Enzyme nutrition. Adding food enzymes to strengthen your patients’ digestion, immune, and respiratory systems can help those lingering symptoms dissipate.
For more information on seminars and food enzyme nutrition, chiropractors may call the Food Enzyme Institute at 800-662-2630 to set up an account.
Dr. Keith Giaquinto has more than 12 years of clinical experience as a chiropractor and internal health specialist. He frequently lectures to companies and groups in his community on topics of health and wellness. He has created a new patient lecture system for growing your practice through lecturing. You can contact him at www. drkeithgiaquinto. com. For more information on seminars andfood enzyme nutrition, chiropractors may call the Food Enzyme Institute at 800-662-2630 to set up an account.
