Health Blurbs

Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein your body doesn’t get enough oxygen. Suffering from emphasema lung disease makes it hard to catch your breath.

Emphysema is marked by the irreversible destruction of alveoli. Damage to these fragile air sacs causes exchange difficulty between oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood.

Emphysema develops slowly, usually after years of exposure to irritants.  Most often caused by smoking cigarettes and it differs from lung cancer.

Rarely, emphysema is caused by a low level of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAt) protein.  AA deficiency is hereditary.

Additional risk factors for emphasema’s cause include:

• secondhand smoke
• indoor, outdoor pollution
• occupational chemical fume exposure

Your initial symptom is feeling activity induced shortness of breath beyond the norm. As your emphysema progresses, even a short walk can leave you breathless.  Some experience chronic bronchitis before their emphysema develops.

Other symptoms of emphysema may involve:

• edema
• fatigue
• anxiety
• hypoxia
• wheezing
• weight loss
• loss of appetite
• mild chronic cough
• prolonged exhalation
• reduced exercise capability

Respiratory infections, such as a cold or flu, causes you an especially hard to breathe status. And pulmonary hypertension is a possible complication.

Emphysema treatments focus on relieving shortness of breath symptoms and preventing complications. Ranging from oxygen therapy all the way up to lung surgery.

Available treatments are:

• oxygen therapy ~ relieves low blood oxygen levels
• vaccines ~ annual flu shot & pneumonia shot every 5 years
• bronchodilators ~ open constricted airways, used to treat asthma
• antibiotics ~ treat bronchitis, pneumonia, influenza bacterial infections, which are leading complications of emphysema
• inhaled steroids ~ relieves emphysema symptoms associated with asthma & bronchitis, prolonged use can increase risk of high blood pressure, cataracts, diabetes
• lung volume reduction surgery ~ removes small wedges of damaged lung tissue which frees up space to help the remaining lung tissue & diaphragm work more efficiently

Lung transplantation surgery is an option for severe emphysema after these other “get me more oxygen” treatments have already failed.

Smoking cessation is your most effective treatment of all!

Shortness of Breath Health Blurbs:

• Methane Gas Causes Low Oxygen Level Symptoms of Headache, Weakness and Lightheaded
• Pulmonary Edema, ARDS Causes Fluid in Lungs Difficulty Breathing Respiratory Distress Symptoms
• Cystic Fibrosis Causes Dehydration, Malnutrition, Breathing Problems Symptoms for Diet Treatment
• High Altitude Acute Mountain Sickness Causes Pulmonary Edema Symptoms, High Altitude Training
• Pulmonary Embolism Causes Hypoxia, Shortness of Breath, Chest Pain, Coughing Up Blood Symptoms
• Sarcoidosis Granuloma Causes Breathing Problems, Skin Bumps Symptoms for Corticosteroids Treatment
• Pulmonary Fibrosis Lung Disease Causes Dry Cough, Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea), Clubbing Symptoms

Other Info About Emphysema:

• The Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema Handbook
• The Quiet Killer: Emphysema/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Breathe Out: Living Life to the Fullest, with Emphysema, COPD, or Smoker’s Lung
• Lung Volume Reduction Surgery for Emphysema (Lung Biology in Health and Disease)
• Breathing Free: The Revolutionary 5-Day Program to Heal Asthma, Emphysema, Bronchitis, and Other Respiratory Ailments
• Life and Breath: The Breakthrough Guide to the Latest Strategies for Fighting Asthma and Other Respiratory Problems — At Any Age
• Emphysema And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Therapeutic Approaches Through Nutrition Natural Medicine Alternative Medicine