Prevention Of Emphysema

To prevent emphysema, not smoking and avoid breathing secondhand smoke. Wear a mask to protect your lungs if you work with chemical fumes or dust.

Treatment Of Emphysema

Emphysema can not be cured, but treatment can relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Medication

Smoking cessation drugs. Prescription drugs such as bupropion hydrochloride (Zyban) and varenicline (Champix) can help you stop smoking.

Bronchodilators. These drugs may relieve coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing relaxing Airways forced, but are not as effective in treating emphysema as they are in the treatment of asthma or chronic bronchitis.

Inhaled steroids. Drugs such as aerosols inhaled corticosteroids may help relieve shortness of breath. But prolonged use can weaken your bones and increases your risk of high blood pressure, cataracts and diabetes.

Antibiotics. If you develop a bacterial infection such as acute bronchitis or pneumonia, antibiotics are appropriate.

Therapy

Pulmonary rehabilitation. A pulmonary rehabilitation program can teach you breathing exercises and techniques that can help reduce your breathlessness and improve your ability to exercise. You can also get advice on proper nutrition. In the early stages of emphysema, many people need to lose weight, while those with advanced emphysema, often need to gain weight.

Supplemental oxygen. If you have severe emphysema, low levels of oxygen in the blood, oxygen on a regular basis at home, and when used can provide some relief. Many people use oxygen 24 hours a day. It is usually administered in a narrow tube that is inserted into the nostrils.

Surgery

Depending on the severity of emphysema, your doctor may suggest one or more types of surgery, including:

Lung volume reduction. In this procedure, surgeons remove small wedges of damaged lung tissue. Removal of diseased tissue using the remaining lung tissue to work more efficiently and helps to improve breathing.

Lung transplantation. Lung transplantation is an option if you have severe emphysema and other options have failed.

Symptoms Of Emphysema

You may have emphysema for many years without noticing any signs or symptoms. The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, which usually begins gradually. You can start to avoid activities that make you feel breathless, makes this symptom did not become a problem until it begins to interfere with daily tasks. Emphysema causes shortness of breath, finally, even when you are resting.

When to seek medical advice

Consult your doctor if you have shortness of breath for several months, especially if it's worse or is it interfering with your daily activities. Do not attempt to assign it to your deconditioning or age or weight. Seek immediate medical attention if:

You are so out of breath, you can not talk

Lips or fingernails turn blue or gray

You are not mentally alert

The heart rate is very fast

Causes Of Emphysema

The main cause of emphysema is prolonged exposure to irritants in the air, including:

Cigarette smoking

Marijuana smoke

Air pollution

Making Smoke

Coal and silica

Rarely, emphysema, hereditary causes a lack of protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema.

Causes Of Emphysema

Emphysema Overview

Emphysema occurs when air sacs in the lungs are gradually destroyed, making you short of breath more slowly. Emphysema is one of several diseases known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking is a major cause of emphysema.

As it worsens, emphysema front air bags ball - clustered like grapes - in large, irregular pockets with gaping holes in interior walls. This reduces the surface of the lungs and in turn the amount of oxygen reaching your bloodstream.

Emphysema is also slowly destroy the elastic fibers that keep open the small airways leading to the airbag. This allows those Airways collapses, as you exhale, the air in your lungs can not escape. The treatment can slow the progression of emphysema, but can not reverse damage.