|
Emphysema is a severe lung disease. Tiny air
sacs known as alveoli (present in the lungs) get damaged due to tobacco
smoke. People suffering from emphysema have fewer and larger blocks as
compared to the others.
Though emphysema is caused by different
types of environmental pollution, tobacco smoke is by far the most
potent cause. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals. These
chemicals are thought to damage the alveoli and ultimately break them
down. The resulting larger sacks are less efficient in processing the
inhaling and exhaling of oxygen and carbon dioxide respectively. This
makes our breathing difficult. The larger sacks are responsible for
trapping air and making our breathing difficult. The end result is
severe breathlessness.
There are certain
symptoms of emphysema which make us understand the disease better. They
are described below:
1) Shortness of breath or dyspnea
2) A chronic cough
3) Wheezing
4) Anxiety
5) Unintentional weight loss
6) Feet and ankle swelling
7) Fatigue
Emphysema is a slow disease. It develops into a full blown disease over
many years. So a person does not come to know if he is suffering from it
until he finds it difficult to breathe. The effects of emphysema are
permanent and irreversible. But a smoker can arrest further damage to
his heart if he stops smoking immediately. A smoker can improve his lung
function to a great extent by kicking the habit.
There is a whole
array of treatments available for emphysema. They are- pulmonary
rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, inhaler therapy, alpha-1 anti trypsin
therapy, fluids and mist inhaler, antibiotics, bullectomy or removal of
larger air sacs and lung volume reduction therapy. But the most
important thing is quitting smoking to arrest further damage. Quitting
becomes imperative to halt the disease's progression. It can help you
fight Emphysema more than any of these treatments.
|