Is David Lynch retiring? The director responds to reports about his health
The legendary director has said in an interview with ‘Sight & Sound’ that he suffers from emphysema caused by smoking, and he can no longer leave his home.
Director David Lynch has given an update on his health in an interview with Sight & Sound magazine. The director, who made such famous films as Lost Highway, The Elephant Man and Mulholland Drive, and created the Twin Peaks TV series, is suffering from a lung disease that has made it difficult for him to leave his home.
The ailment in question is emphysema caused by the effects of smoking. “I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold. Besides, I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen,” he explained.
With his condition, he said he is not likely to direct a film on set again, although he added he is open to doing it remotely.
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Is David Lynch retiring? The director responds to reports about his health
Reports on Lynch’s health and possible retirement alarmed fans, so he rushed to reassure them with a social media post.
“I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco- the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them- but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” he wrote.
“I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire,” he said, dispelling fears he will stop directing.
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What is pulmonary emphysema?
Emphysema is a condition that makes breathing particularly difficult for the patient. The lung alveoli are damaged and their walls can even break, which makes the space for oxygen to be stored increasingly larger, making it difficult for it to come into contact with the blood.
What happens during the breathing process is that the air that is exhaled does not leave the body completely and oxygen is not renewed.
In addition, emphysema often leads to chronic bronchitis that can result in pneumothorax, heart problems or even holes in the lungs.