Emphysema
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Disease Basics, Lung
Disease Symptoms, COPD and
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Emphysema causes
One very commonly known lung disease is emphysema. It is
affecting millions of people each year and causes shortness of
breath and reduces your ability to take part in physical
activities. The most common cause of emphysema is smoking but
not all people who contract it are smokers. Emphysema causes
damage to the small air sacs and the tiny airways in the lungs.
This damage will obstruct the airways when you breathe,
blocking breathing and making it difficult to breathe and
painful to exhale.
Emphysema is a progressive disease which means it gets worse
over time. The longer you have it, especially if untreated and
if you continue to smoke, the worse it will get. When emphysema
becomes advanced, the person will have to work very hard to be
able to breathe out. Expelling air can become a difficult task
in itself. The bad thing about emphysema is that since it
develops over many years, many people don’t notice significant
symptoms until the disease has already progressed beyond
repairs.
Identifying an emphysema symptom
What are some signs and symptoms of emphysema? Well, the
most obvious signs are usually shortness of breath and a
reduced ability for physical activity. Other symptoms may
include a chronic, mild cough, loss of appetite, weight loss,
and fatigue. Symptoms will worsen over time. At the first
suspicious signs of symptoms or that something is wrong, you
should seek the assistance of a professional. There are certain
tests that can be performed to help determine if you may be
suffering from emphysema and also to see what kind of damage
there is to the lungs.
Prevention is an important part of lung care and avoiding
emphysema. The more you learn about how to take care of your
lungs, eat healthy and avoid harmful chemicals such as
cigarette smoking, the better your lungs will be and the better
your overall health will be. If you have questions or concerns
about emphysema or your own lung health, speak with a qualified
health professional right away to learn more about how you can
improve your lung health and quality of life.
There are certain circumstances that can increase your risk
factor of obtaining emphysema. Some of these risk factors
include age (those 50-60 may first experience tobacco related
symptoms), exposure to secondhand smoke, exposure to certain
indoor and outdoor pollutants, and exposure to chemical fumes
from your job, hereditary exposure (if someone in your family
has emphysema), HIV infection and certain connective tissue
disorders.
If you are at risk and then experience shortness of breath,
frequent breathing trouble and difficulty with physical
activity, it is important to see your doctor for a series of
tests to determine the cause and possible treatment if you do
have emphysema.
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