Deciphering Emphysema – Part I

Emphysema is a type of long-standing lung disease that leads to breathing distress due to a restriction in blowing air out. Emphysema is the main form of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused due to several reasons, with smoking being the most prevalent cause. There is no evident cure for emphysema hence, smoke cessation helps decrease the rate at which the emphysema spreads.

Emphysema occurs due to the irreparable damage to the fine linings of the air sac present in the lungs. Generally, the toxic components present in cigarette smoke leads to eventual damage over the years leading to emphysema. The deterioration is a gradual process wherein initially the delicate tissues present in between the air sacs get obliterated with air pockets forming in the lungs. This leads to air getting trapped in these pockets of the marred lung tissue. The lungs eventually expand in side leading to breathing becoming distressed and needing greater effort. Such a condition of emphysema is known as airflow limitation or restriction. At the time of lung function testing, such affected individuals would take more spans of time in emptying their lungs as compared to that individual who does not have emphysema.

Emphysema is the chief type of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD is given the name due to the reason that those individuals with emphysema breathe out air in manner that is suggestive of some obstruction being caused to the air flow. The other type of COPD is chronic bronchitis that is also known to be caused due to smoking.

In a huge populace of individuals smoking has been noted to be the reason behind emphysema. Precisely is what manner smoking harms the delicate linings of the air sacs present in the lungs is something that is still unclear. Yet, studies undertaken on population have revealed that smokers are noted to be nearly six times more prone to suffer from emphysema as compared to those who did not smoke.

Though approximates seem to show a discrepancy, but greater than ten million individuals in the United States alone probably have emphysema or another type of COPD. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis is widely believed to be the fourth prevailing reason for fatalities in the United States.

Astonishing findings indicated that majority of heavy or chain smokers did not develop emphysema. The reason why certain smokers developing emphysema while others smokers not developing it, is still not decipherable. However, all those who smoke heavily face other harmful effects of smoking.

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