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Emphysema is an irreversible condition that progresses from the mild stage to moderate, severe, and very severe. Because it’s an irreversible condition, the goal of treatment is to slow down the...
Emphysema is a lung condition that causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) are damaged. Over time, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture — creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones.
Emphysema can worsen over time, so treatment focuses on slowing emphysema down and maximizing the function of your remaining healthy lung. The type of treatment depends on the severity of your emphysema.
Stage 1 emphysema is when the amount of air you can breathe out in 1 second (your FEV1) is 80% or more of the average for someone of your age, sex, and height. How Serious Is Your Emphysema?...
To determine if you have emphysema, your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. Your doctor may recommend a variety of tests. Imaging tests. A chest X-ray can help support a diagnosis of advanced emphysema and rule out other causes of shortness of breath.
What is the life expectancy of someone with emphysema? The outlook varies greatly, depending in part on your smoking history and how advanced your emphysema is. A smoker who quits and has mild ...
In severe cases, emphysema can cause weight loss, weakness in your lower muscles, and swelling in your ankles, feet, or legs. How is emphysema diagnosed? Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis: What are the treatments for emphysema?
The goal of treatment for people with emphysema is to live more comfortably with the disease, control symptoms, and prevent the disease from getting worse, with minimal side effects. There is no way to repair or regrow the damaged lung tissue.
Emphysema can be caused by smoking, indoor and outdoor air pollution and by a genetic form of COPD called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Signs and symptoms of emphysema may take years to develop. The most common early warning signs are shortness of breath, coughing up mucus, wheezing and chest tightness.
There is no cure for emphysema, but treatments are available that focus on helping patients breathe easier and improving their quality of life. In serious cases, emphysema can lead to life-threatening complications or death. What is emphysema? Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).