AtoZ Diseases

In emphysema,the lungs become less and less efficient because of damage to some of the millions of alveoli, or air-sacs, at the ends of thIn emphysema, the lungs become less and less bronchioles in the lungs. It is in the alveoli that oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange takes place. Healthy lungs have an elastic, spongy texture, so they contract and expand fully. If the alveoli become stretched or rupture, the elasticity of the lungs is gradually destroyed. This type of damage occurs when the alveoli are constantly subjected to higher pressure than normal. This happens to people who have a long-standing lung disease. Chronic bronchitis or asthma for example, cause narrowing of the lung airways. The labored, forceful breathing that results strains, weakens and may ultimately damage the alveoli.

What are the Symptoms?

The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, which is likely to become gradually worse over a period of years. If you have emphysema, your chest is probably distended into a barrel like shape. The name of the disease comes from the Greek word for inflation. If you also wheeze, cough, and bring up phlegm, these are symptoms of other kinds of lung trouble, not of emphysema.

What are the Risks?

Emphysema usually occurs in people who have bronchitis or asthma. It is much more common in men than in women, and your chances of having it increase if you smoke and/or live in an area where the air is polluted. Some people are particularly susceptible to emphysema because of an inherited defect in the chemical make-up of their lungs. If your job requires exceptionally forceful use of lung power, you may also be highly susceptible. Some examples of such professions are glass-blowing and playing a wind musical instrument. If you have increasing shortness of breath, you risk death from eventual respiratory failure. Emphysema also makes you more susceptible to chest infections such as pneumonia that can be life-threatening.

There is also a risk of a pneumothorax In addition, since blood cannot flow freely through damaged alveoli, the resulting strain on the right side of the heart, which pumps blood to the lungs, can lead to heart failure .

What should be done?

If you are troubled by breathlessness, you should consult your physician. In the initial examination, the physician will probably percuss, or finger tap, your chest, and listen to it with a stethoscope. The doctor may also ask you to have a chest X-ray, and to blow hard into a peak-flow meter, a machine that measures your breathing capacity. Special breathing tests called pulmonary function tests may also be necessary. Because emphysema is usually associated with other lung disorders, it is not an easy disease to diagnose independently

What is the Treatment?

Self-help: If you smoke, stop. A void places with polluted air. Keep away from people who have coughs or colds. Exercise moderately but regularly in fresh, clean air.

Professional help: Physicians can relieve the symptoms and delay the progress of emphysema, but they cannot cure it. If you have bronchitis along with emphysema, you may be told to inhale bronchodilator drugs, which widen the airways and help prevent further damage to the alveoli. Since bronchitis and lung infections of any kind aggravate emphysema, the best way to help control the disease is to prevent respiratory infection. Thus your physician may prescribe antibiotics as a preventive measure.

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