You don’t have to give up your accustomed lifestyle. You should continue to move about, keep up your contacts and meet friends and family. You need your social interactions and your activities more than ever, but there are a few rules you should observe:

 

Smoking If you smoke, you should definitely stop, as it can cause permanent damage to your lungs. Smoking decreases lung function and increases the risk of emphysema. In addition, it cancels the effect of infusion therapy with alpha-1 antitrypsin. If you are not able to quit smoking on your own, ask your doctor about ways to kick the habit. Even if you do not smoke yourself, you should avoid places where people smoke, for example closed rooms in restaurants and smoking rooms in hotels.

Harmful substances
Avoid, for example, rooms with a fire burning in an open fireplace or rooms with a lot of candles, as the smoke can affect your lungs. When in large crowds you can protect yourself against colds and infections by wearing a mouth mask (available at pharmacies). Also try to avoid underground garages.

 

Infections
Make sure that friends or acquaintances who you plan to visit do not have a cold (check beforehand, for example, by phone). In this way you can avoid unnecessary infections. In addition, you should discuss the need for influenza and pneumococcal immunization with your doctor. Since patients with AATD have a certain risk of developing liver disease, immunization against hepatitis A and B may also be a sensible option.

 

More information on the subject of protecting the lungs for people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can be found in the booklet: How Can People with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Protect Their Lungs?