Emphysema

Emphysema is a degenerative lung disease that develops after many years of lung tissue exposure to cigarette smoking or other toxins that pollute the air.

When you inhale, oxygen travels down your airways, into your lungs and into tiny air sacs in the lungs called alveoli. The alveoli pushes the oxygen to the heart so that it can be distributed throughout the body, and it pushes out carbon dioxide so that it can be exhaled out of the body.

In a person suffering from emphysema, the alveoli become damaged and lose there elasticity. The air sacs are no longer able to completely deflate and push all of the oxygen and carbon dioxide out. Instead, the oxygen and carbon dioxide remain in the alveoli, and new fresh oxygen can not be drawn in. This makes the sufferer feel as if his or her lungs are always full of air. Exhaling becomes hard on the patient, and the hear and the rest of the body are unable to get the oxygen that is needed, and the pears feels fatigued.

Emphysema is one of the lung diseases which interferes with normal breathing. It is in the group referred as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Emphysema sometimes occurs in conjunction with chronic bronchitis, and other COPD. The difference between the diseases share common symptoms and treatment goals. Even though emphysema can not be cured, treatment can help ease the symptoms and help improve the quality of life.

Causes

As we grow older, the air sacs, or alveoli, in our lungs grow weaker. This degeneration is emphysema, and age leads to it but smokers destroy alveoli at a more rapid rate than a person that has never smoked in their life. That makes smokers have the greatest risk for development for diseases at younger ages. Smoking is the number one cause of emphysema.

Other pollutants besides cigarettes, cigars, and pip smoke can also damage the lungs and cause emphysema. If you work around polluted air or with chemical fumes, your chance are much higher to develop emphysema.

Emphysema may also be inherited. A protein called Alpha-1 antitrypsin exists in most people, and it protects the lungs from damage by pollutants. Occasionally, a person may not have inherited this protein from his or her parents. If a person is missing this protein, the deficiency will cause the person to be much more vulnerable to the disease.

Other people who may have a greater chance of developing emphysema include:

→ Those who have been exposed to second hand smoke

→ Those infected with HIV

→ Those who have been exposed to indoor and outdoor pollution

→ Those suffering from connective tissue disorders

Symptoms

If you are suffering from emphysema, you will notice that you have a chronic cough, which may or may not produce sputum or mucus. You will also notice that you will be short of breath, and this will grow increasingly worse over the time you have the disease. Other symptoms of emphysema include:

→ Physically thin appearance

→ Decrease ability to exercise

→ Fatigue

→ Anxiety

→ Wheezing

→ Swelling of hands and feet

→ Unexplained weight loss

→ Barrel shaped chest

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, see your health care professional as soon as possible for an accurate diagnosis and treatment to relieve your symptoms.

The more you decide to smoke the closer your coming to needing a DeVilbiss IGO portable oxygen concentrator.