Living With Alpha-1
Here's what you'll learn on this page:
There are ways to help protect your lungs and support your long-term health
Current treatment options are just one part of managing Alpha-1—lifestyle modifications also play an important role
Smoking, lifestyle, and environmental exposures can add to your risk, even with treatment
Staying informed and working closely with your care team can help you navigate life with Alpha-1
Moving forward with Alpha-1
Alpha-1 is a lifelong condition that may require ongoing care. Besides medical treatments, there are ways to help protect your lungs and manage your health.
Your Alpha-1 can progress and cause problems even if you don't see or feel them right away.
Forms of Alpha-1 care
Aside from current treatment options, other forms of Alpha-1 care include:
Lifestyle modifications
Quitting smoking, including cigarettes, vapes, and marijuana, as well as limiting exposure to smoke, dust, and pollutants
Staying on top of vaccines
Especially influenza (the flu) and pneumococcal pneumonia (a bacterial lung infection)
COPD treatment
Inhalers and oxygen therapy
Procedures
Lung transplantation, endobronchial valve therapy
What do below-normal alpha-1 protein levels mean for you?
When your lungs don't have enough alpha-1 protein, lung tissue may be repeatedly exposed to damage. Over time, this may lead to:
Permanent lung damage that can lead to chronic lung diseases like COPD, emphysema, or bronchiectasis
Breathing problems that may get worse over time, including shortness of breath, wheezing, and chronic cough
More frequent exacerbations (flare-ups) that often require extra treatment or hospital stays
Difficulty with daily activities such as walking, exercising, or doing household chores
Reduced quality of life and, in cases of clinically severe disease, shorter life expectancy
Can lifestyle factors add to your risk?
Your personal protection shapes your Alpha-1 risk.
The more risk factors you are exposed to, the higher your Alpha-1 risk. Your Alpha-1 risk may decrease if you:
Quit smoking
Avoid air pollution in cities
