Agent orange COPD

[phlbob7]

68 year old male Served in Viet Nam 1965 1966. have high blood pressure and copd. Post trumatic stress syndrome has also been diagnosed. They only gave me 10% for that and another 10% for hearing loss.  feel like thet are getting off easy. I'm the only one in my family that has asthma. Could it be related to agent orange.

[bsmsl]

Thank you so much for your service.  Your generation's service was not valued as it should have been.  

I don't know much about agent orange:  but from what I have heard, pretty much anything is possible.  Definitely see you doctors and ask them about this.

Take care.

[Tammy2009]

No one knows exactly what cases asthma so it cannot be determined exactly what the cause is.  Asthma is partially environmental and partially genetics.  However, the genetic part is related more to allergies and atopy.  So if there is any one in your family that has any sort of allergies (environmental, food, pollen, drug) then your risk of getting asthma is increased.  Eczema and other aoptic disorders (like atopic dermatitis or autoimmune disorders) would also increase your risk of developing asthma.  

Plus the environment where you grew up in and the food you eat is also important.  Lowered omega 3 intake (from oily fish) and increased omega 6 intake (animal products, maragarine, meat - beef, pork and chicken) may also contribute.  Having lowered exposure to parasites and infections as a young child and even possibly in the pregnant mother may also increase risk of asthma and atopy.  Certain vitamin defiecencies like vitamin D, B complex - especially B12 and vitamin A, C and E may contribute as well.

I have asthma and no one in my family (and we have the family tree back at least 4 generations and even farther on one line) and the only other person with asthma is my cousin.  So yes, it can appear out of the blue without a family history.  I do have limited people with allergies (my dad is the only one we know for sure) but still not a slam dunk.  

Irriants can increase the severity of disease, but this includes cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and industry pollution and smog.  So it may be living in the developed world that caused the problems.  I don't know anything about agent orange but I'm assuming it was a gas based welfare which probably is toxic to the body and lungs.  

High blood pressure and COPD are very common in those that live poor lifestyles - smoking, high fat foods, low fruits and vegetables and no exercise.  If you are someone that is overweight, smokes and has poor exercise and diet habits, then this is probably the cause of your problems.  This does not mean that your service didn't contribute to the problems, but probably isn't the main cause.  If this doesn't apply then it is possible there was toxic affects to your body.  Smoking would be the number one contributor to the development of COPD

I am glad that you served your country and that you made it through and home alive.  :)  You should be grateful for that.  Your problems may or may not be based on your service (except the PTSD which most defintely is related), but how you choose to live your life also plays a role.  You can improve your mental and physical well-being through CHOOSING to not allow the past to impact you and continuing on with your life.  Find a doctor who will help you through both western medications (steroids, inhalers, pills etc) but a chiropactor or other alternative medical provider may be able to help even more through looking for mild disconnects between areas of your body and using the body itself to heal instead of covering symptoms.  

Hope this helped, all the best and let us know if you have any other questions.  :D