What is Emphysema?
Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. As a result, your body does not get the oxygen it needs. Emphysema makes it hard to catch your breath. You may also have a chronic cough and have trouble breathing during exercise.
The most common cause is cigarette smoking. If you smoke, quitting can help prevent you from getting the disease. If you already have emphysema, not smoking might keep it from getting worse. Treatment is based on whether your symptoms are mild, moderate or severe. Treatments include inhalers, oxygen, medications and sometimes surgery to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
Who gets Emphysema?
Persons with emphysema are, for the most part, males between 50 and 70 years old. Women get emphysema, too, but so far, not as often as men. However these statistics are changing as women are starting to smoke more, and at an earlier age.
A very high percentage of the people who have emphysema smoke cigarettes and have been heavy smokers for many years. Frequently, people with emphysema live in areas where air pollution is a constant problem. Some people are born with a lack of a substance called alpha-1 antitrypsin. This makes them more likely than others to get emphysema and at an earlier age.
The symptoms that usually brings a person to the doctor is that he or she has begun to feel short of breath on exertion in the morning or evening or both. The person may think he or she has asthma or heart disease from emphysema side effects.*
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine
