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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term health problem that develops as a result of damage to the lungs. This term is used to identify three illnesses classified as COPD. These are emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis.

Asthma starts when the body views something in the environment, such as pet dander, tobacco smoke, or foods, as dangerous. The immune system begins to release biochemicals called histamines. These proteins produce inflammation in lung tissues so the body can ward off intruders. This stiffens lung tissues and impairs breathing.

People can be diagnosed with asthma in childhood or even later in life. One of the best ways family members or friends can help a person with asthma is to quit smoking cigarettes, because secondhand smoke is deadly. If a person newly diagnosed with asthma does smoke, he or she ought to quit smoking as soon as possible.

Physicians also classify chronic bronchitis as a form of COPD. This condition begins in people who have smoked for many years. Cigarette smoke causes tar and bacteria to become trapped in the airways. This bacteria result in repeated inflammation of the bronchi, or airway tubes, of the lungs.

Chronic bronchitis irritates and damages these passages. People with this disease have difficulty exercising or taking deep breaths. Because their airways are stiff and scarred, they become short of breath with only a small amount of exertion. Often, if these people stop smoking, many of their symptoms will diminish.

The third lung condition classified as COPD is emphysema. The lungs have air sacs at the very ends of the bronchial tubes. These sacs, called alveoli, inflate and deflate when a person breathes in and out. Persons with emphysema become short of breath and are unable to breathe deeply or exhale completely because air remains trapped in the sacs. If these people are able to learn ways to stop smoking, these symptoms sometimes get better.

Medicines and breathing exercises may help people who have COPD. Despite these treatments, however, such persons still demonstrate high levels of anxiety. Having COPD is akin to being underwater and holding your breath. Even though you try to stay under longer, you need to breathe - now! So you rise to the surface and take a deep breath. Unfortunately, people with COPD are not able to just surface and take a deep breath.

Some stop smoking programs assist people with COPD. The majority of COPD patients understand that smoking worsens their breathing difficulties. Most have smoked for many years, however, which often makes trying to quit extremely hard.

Numerous stop smoking programs have been developed. The majority help clients to utilize conscious effort to stop smoking. Because the habit of smoking is etched strongly in an individual's unconscious, few people who quit smoking with the help of approaches stay quit without making changes at the unconscious level. Furthermore, the majority of these programs center on a smoker's physical addiction to smoking, which comprises only about 10 percent of the addictive behavior.

Numerous stop smoking programs claim to help individuals to relax better. The most effective ones use Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Polarity responses often happen with traditional hypnosis and straightforward post-hypnotic suggestions.

Ericksonian hypnosis employs metaphors, which communicate suggestions for tranquility to the unconscious to help clients to conquer the tendency to do the opposite of what is suggested. Many individuals who learn to relax through the use of the NLP Flash tool are able to decrease anxiety and panic attacks more effectively. Therefore, they breathe more easily.

Ericksonian Hypnosis provides an exciting alternative strategy to help people learn how to stop smoking. Trained individuals who teach Ericksonian Hypnosis understand that the problem is rooted in the unconscious. Therefore, they aid clients in the subconscious, through stop smoking hypnosis. Contrary to the techniques used by traditional approaches, hypnosis to quit smoking centers on decreasing stress, mental addiction, and the habit, which together total nine-tenths of a person's smoking habit.

Because of Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP, COPD patients can live a better life. These therapies teach individuals with breathing difficulties to decrease anxiety. They also help eliminate unconscious connections between nicotine and the environment. This stops nicotine cravings. These methods offer hope for individuals with COPD.

Summary: Three chronic lung problems are classified as COPD. These are asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Controlling anxiety that occurs because of breathing problems and helping people find ways to stop smoking are probably the most effective methods of helping people with COPD experience a higher quality of life. Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP strategies aid clients to reduce their anxiety and quit smoking.

Alan B. Densky, CH is the developer of the easiest way to stop cigarettes with NLP. He offers a potent Stop Dipping Tobacco program based on the same methods. See about his hypnosis stop smoking MP3's at his website.