Exposure to other inhaled irritants can contribute to emphysema. These include secondhand smoke , air pollution , and chemical fumes or dusts from the environment or workplace. Rarely, a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can play a role in causing emphysema. At first, you may have no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease gets worse, your symptoms usually become more severe.
They can include. Some people with emphysema get frequent respiratory infections such as colds and the flu. In severe cases, emphysema can cause weight loss, weakness in your lower muscles, and swelling in your ankles, feet, or legs. There is no cure for emphysema. However, treatments can help with symptoms, slow the progress of the disease, and improve your ability to stay active.
There are also treatments to prevent or treat complications of the disease. Treatments include. If you have emphysema, it's important to know when and where to get help for your symptoms. You should get emergency care if you have severe symptoms, such as trouble catching your breath or talking. Call your health care provider if your symptoms are getting worse or if you have signs of an infection, such as a fever. Since smoking causes most cases of emphysema, the best way to prevent it is to not smoke.
It's also important to try to avoid lung irritants such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, and dusts. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.
See, Play and Learn No links available. In the United States, around 3. In , 7, people 2. Keep reading to learn more about emphysema, including the causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Emphysema is a type of COPD. With emphysema, lung tissue loses elasticity , and the air sacs and alveoli in the lungs become larger.
The walls of the air sacs break down or are destroyed, narrowed, collapsed, stretched, or over-inflated. This means that there is a smaller surface area for the lungs to take oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the body. The key symptoms of emphysema include:. At first, a person may notice these symptoms during physical exertion.
However, as the condition progresses, they can also start to happen during rest. In the later stages, a person may have :. Learn more about late stage COPD here. These can resemble the symptoms of COPD and emphysema. A person should contact their doctor if they have any unusual symptoms or a high fever. Generally, the stages are based on a combination of airflow limitation, symptoms, and exacerbations.
A doctor can use a breathing test to measure lung capacity. The test measures the forced expiratory volume in 1 second FEV1. The stages help describe the condition, but they cannot predict how long a person is likely to survive. In most cases, emphysema and COPD result from cigarette smoking. Other causes appear to be genetic factors, such as an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and exposure to environmental irritants, including secondhand smoke, workplace pollutants, air pollution, and biomass fuels.
People with small airways in proportion to their lung size may be more at risk than those with wider airways, according to a study. Don't ignore it by telling yourself it's because you're aging or out of shape. Seek immediate medical attention if:. Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs.
It's called alphaantitrypsin deficiency emphysema. To prevent emphysema, don't smoke and avoid breathing secondhand smoke. Wear a mask to protect your lungs if you work with chemical fumes or dust.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Emphysema Open pop-up dialog box Close. Emphysema In emphysema, the inner walls of the lungs' air sacs alveoli are damaged, causing them to eventually rupture.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. More Information Hyperinflated lungs: What does it mean? Share on: Facebook Twitter. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. If damage to the lungs is too severe or surgery does not alleviate symptoms, a doctor may recommend a lung transplant. Call or request an appointment online to get started today. Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Emphysema Emphysema is a progressive, destructive lung disease in which the walls between the tiny air sacs are damaged.
COPD vs Asthma COPD and asthma are both obstructive lung diseases marked by shortness of breath but asthma is by definition reversible while with COPD the airflow obstruction is either irreversible or only partly reversible. Bronchodilators Bronchodilators relax the muscles of the bronchi, the major air passageway in the lungs.
This allows air to get in and out easier. These medications are available in pill or liquid form taken orally , or as an aerosol spray inhaled. Steroids Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory medications. The only role for systemic steroid therapy in COPD is for days during an acute exacerbation. Longer term treatment with systemic steroids in COPD has not been shown to have any benefit and can carry significant risks.
The potential side effects of long term systemic steroid use include osteoporosis, diabetes, weight gain, cataracts, muscle weakness, cataracts, and hypertension.
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