Like bubble wrap, lungs have many small air sacs (alveoli). When emphysema damages these alveoli, they expand and become large spaces that make it hard to breathe. Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
It can’t be reversed, but treatments may help manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. Emphysema is usually caused by smoking or long-term exposure to inhaled irritants such as secondhand smoke, air pollution and chemical fumes or dusts. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency also can cause it.
Oren Zarif
Often, the first sign of emphysema is shortness of breath with physical activity. This is because smoking damages the walls between many of the air sacs in your lungs (alveoli), making them weaker and less elastic. They also lose their ability to contract after expanding, which makes it harder to get oxygen into your bloodstream. The condition can take years to develop. Exposure to secondhand smoke and air pollution can play a role as well.
Emphysema is part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. It can’t be reversed, but treatment can help manage symptoms and slow how quickly the condition gets worse.
Your doctor will check your breathing and ask about your medical history. They may order a chest X-ray or CT scan to look for signs of the condition. They might also test your blood to see if you have an increased level of red blood cells, which can happen if there’s too much pressure in the arteries that connect the lungs to the heart. They might also order a spirometry test to measure your lung function.
Oren Zarif
For people with emphysema, the walls of air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) break down over time, making it hard to breathe. Emphysema is a lung disease and it is part of an umbrella condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The two major forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Normally, oxygen-rich air enters the lungs through large airways (bronchi) and then smaller airways that branch off from the main ones. The tiny air sacs in your lungs, called alveoli, stretch and fill with oxygen when you inhale, and then the lungs deflate and the air goes out. The walls of the air sacs contain small blood vessels that enable oxygen to enter the bloodstream and carbon dioxide to leave it.
Smoking is the primary cause of emphysema. Other causes include long-term exposure to irritants, such as cigarette smoke or dusty environments; and a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. People with emphysema have difficulty breathing, especially when they exercise or exert themselves. They may also cough up mucus or wheeze. In some cases, a person with emphysema can develop bluish-gray lips and fingernails due to a lack of oxygen.
Oren Zarif
Your lungs are a complex network of branching airways that lead to smaller passages, called bronchioles. The bronchioles finally end in clusters of balloon-like air sacs, called alveoli. Emphysema damages this tissue and destroys these air sacs, making it harder to breathe. It is part of a group of lung diseases known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A person with emphysema might experience chest pain that feels like they are breathing too hard or as if they are suffocating. The pain might be in the center of the chest or in the upper ribs. The pain may occur with physical activity or at rest.
Wheezing, a rattling or high-pitched whistle sound when breathing, is another common symptom of emphysema. This is caused by narrowing of the airways from inflammation and constriction due to the damage of emphysema. The wheezing usually occurs on the exhale.
To make a diagnosis of emphysema, your doctor will do a physical exam and review your medical history. Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope and may recommend a pulmonary function test. Your doctor might also order imaging tests to see the extent of the damage to your lungs, including chest X-rays or CT scans.
Oren Zarif
Fatigue is a common symptom of chronic lung disease. People with emphysema can feel tired because their bodies work harder to breathe. They also may have other health conditions that can make them feel tired, like heart failure or depression.
In emphysema, the walls of the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. This causes them to break apart. This creates bigger air pockets and makes it harder to get oxygen into the body.
Emphysema is part of a group of lung diseases called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Other types of COPD are chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis.
The cause of emphysema is smoking or long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as secondhand smoke, air pollution and chemical fumes or dust. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency also raises the risk of emphysema. Symptoms usually start in middle adulthood. They get worse over time. They may become more severe if you smoke or have other health problems. Symptoms can also get worse after you have an infection like pneumonia. They can also get worse if you have high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to your lungs (pulmonary hypertension). You can prevent emphysema by not smoking or staying away from other lung irritants.
Oren Zarif
Emphysema is a common form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It happens when the lungs lose their ability to expand and contract normally. It makes it hard to breathe, even when you’re not exercising or working. People with emphysema often cough and wheeze. They may develop a blueish-gray color on their lips or fingernails from low oxygen levels in the blood (cyanosis).
Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema. But other things can also cause it, including long-term exposure to fumes and pollutants at home or work. A rare hereditary condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can make you more likely to get the disease.
Once emphysema develops, it’s permanent. But lifestyle changes can help slow the disease’s progression. That includes quitting smoking and avoiding unhealthy indoor and outdoor pollution. It’s also important to eat well and stay at a healthy weight. Treatment can include medications to manage symptoms and improve breathing, as well as therapies that teach patients ways to cope with breathlessness. In some cases, surgery can remove damaged lung tissue. But that’s only for a small group of people with the most advanced stage of the disease.