Symptoms of Emphysema
Emphysema is a disease that affects the lungs and afflicts thousands of people world wide. It is a lung disease
that involves damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Emphysema is a chronic lung condition in which the
alveoli, or air sacs can be:
- destroyed;
- narrowed;
- collapsed;
- dilated;
- too swollen.
The over filling of the air sacs is the result of the breakdown of the walls of the alveoli, and causes a
decrease in respiratory function and breathlessness.
Damage to the air sacs is irreversible and results in permanent "holes" in the tissues of the lower lungs.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Emphysema.
Early symptoms of emphysema include:
- Shortness of breath after a physical effort
- Shortness of breath even at rest
- Coughing up of thick mucus
Other symptoms can be:
- Decreased respiratory rate
- Progressive dilation of the chest
- Over time, stasis of blood in the pulmonary circulation
- Heart disease (heart failure)
- Fatigue;
- Anxiety;
- Trouble sleeping;
- Weight loss
- Depression.
Definition of emphysema
The term "emphysema", comes from the Greek etymology and means swelling. So it can be defined as
"exaggerated and permanent dilation of the pulmonary vesicles, atrophy and rupture of the walls themselves, usually
due to chronic smoking. "
It is a fairly common disease, especially in males and in old age or senile.
Causes of pulmonary emphysema
Among the causes of emphysema, apart from smoking, two factors come into play:
Predisposing factors. These are represented by diseases of the lungs sustained earlier
due to repeated acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, persistent cough. The continuity
of these diseases may end up compromising the elasticity of lung tissue that forms the walls of the alveoli, which,
once the elasticity is lost easily defuse left by the determinants.
Other Determining Factors: These refer to causes that provoke an increase
in the air pressure within the alveoli, and this in turn adds pressure to the alveolar walls that have been
previously injured by the occurrence of one or two risk factors.
COPD Treatment: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to case
where both emphysema and bronchitis are present. This disease is non-reversible but treatment looks to
slow down the development of the disease and treating the symptoms.
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