What is Emphysema

Are you a heavy smoker? If yes, you might be at an increased risk of suffering from a progressive lung disease called emphysema. Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Since emphysema is associated with irreversible change in the anatomy of lungs, those suffering from this medical condition can use the available treatment options just to slow down the process. Here is some information on what is emphysema, how it is caused and how it can be treated.

Emphysema

Causes and Symptoms

What causes emphysema? To understand how this condition affects the lungs, let's first understand how lungs function. As we inhale, the air is carried to the lungs through bronchi or the branches of the trachea. Within the lungs, bronchi get divided into several smaller airways called bronchioles. At the end of bronchioles are clusters of tiny air sacs called alveoli. In the small blood vessels present within the alveolar walls, oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer takes place. When we breathe, these air sacs inflate and deflate due to the presence of elastic fibers. In the early stages of emphysema, the bronchioles get inflamed and this restricts the amount of air flowing into the alveoli. The elasticity in the alveolar walls also gets diminished. As this disease progresses, these alveolar walls and the capillary blood vessels that run within these alveolar walls get damaged.

Due to the damage to the walls and elastic fibers, the amount of amount of air inhaled is less and therefore, less oxygen reaches the lungs. Due to the damage to the elastic fibers, the patient will have to force air out of the lungs while exhalation and that leads to shortness of breath. This damage to the alveolar walls can be caused due to smoking, airway reactivity and the deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-1-antitrypsin. Tobacco smoke paralyzes the cilia that line the bronchial tube and thus allow germs to enter the alveoli. This causes inflammation of lung tissue and damage to the elastic fibers.

Smokers are definitely at an increased risk of contracting this illness. Though the symptoms might not be very conspicuous in the initial stages, with time, those suffering from emphysema will experience shortness of breath, chest congestion, mild or chronic cough and wheezing. The disease progresses at a slow pace and if the person continues to smoke heavily, other symptoms might appear. In the later stages, the affected individual might develop a 'barrel chest' and will find it hard to indulge in physical activity. An emphysema patient suffers from breathing problems even while consuming food. This could lead to a loss of appetite which in turn may cause one to lose weight.

Treatment

Since smoking is one of the major factors responsible for causing emphysema, one must make efforts to quit smoking. You can slow down the progression of emphysema by giving up this habit. Since pollution can also cause damage to lung tissues, make sure that you protect yourself from pollutants. Since this condition inhibits proper air exchange and causes shortness of breath, you can consult the doctor regarding use of bronchodilaters. These medications facilitate better air exchange and allow the air passages to open fully. Those suffering from severe emphysema might also require the oxygen treatment. You could use devices that deliver supplemental oxygen to the lungs. Antibiotics and steroids might be prescribed to treat emphysema associated with asthma and bronchitis. Performing certain breathing exercises might also help.

If you are a smoker and have been suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, you must get yourself medically examined at the earliest. Chest X-ray, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gases analysis and sputum analysis are some of the diagnostic tests that are conducted to diagnose emphysema. If you are diagnosed with emphysema, make sure that you follow your doctor's advice on ways to slow down the progression of this lung disease.