Risk of Emphysema

Emphysema generally refers to a disease of the lungs that generally develops after prolonged years of smoking. Besides asthma and chronic bronchitis, emphysema belongs to a group of lung diseases referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a condition that results in the damage of the walls of the air sacs (i.e. the alveoli) of the lung. Alveoli are usually small, thin-walled, very delicate air sacs situated in the form of clusters at the end of the bronchial tubes deep inside the lungs. There are approximately 300 million alveoli in normal lungs of humans. As a person breathes in air (i.e. during inspiration) the alveolar walls get stretched, allowing an inward movement of oxygen and further transporting it to the blood. If the person exhales, now in this case the alveoli begins to shrink forcing the carbon dioxide to move out of the body. In this article we will further read about the major factors that make people at risk of emphysema.    

Symptoms of Emphysema

Symptoms of emphysema usually include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and an increased production of mucus. Many times, the symptoms can not be noticed until 50% or more of the lung tissue has been destroyed. Until then, the only symptoms that occur are a  gradual development of shortness of breath and tiredness (fatigue), this  can sometimes be mistaken with any other illnesses. People who suffer from emphysema usually have a higher risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, and any other different lung infections. The severe symptoms includes:

• Shortness of breath, mainly during light exercise or climbing steps.

• Continuous feeling of not being able to get enough air.

• Long-term cough or “smoker’s cough”.

• Wheezing

• Prolonged mucus production

• Ongoing fatigue

Causes

Emphysema is mainly common in males between the ages of 50 and 70. The major cause of emphysema is prolonged exposure to any airborne irritants, like:

• Tobacco smoke

• Marijuana smoke

• Air pollution

• Chemical fumes and dust

Very few emphysema are caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that mainly protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It is known as the alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema.

Risk factors

Factors that increase the risk of a person from developing emphysema comprises:

Smoking: emphysema is most commonly developed in cigarette smokers, whereas cigar and pipe smokers are also at the verge of infection. The risk for all types of smokers depends mainly on the increasing number of years and the  amount of tobacco smoked.

Age: however, the lung damage that is done in emphysema occurs gradually; many people with tobacco-related emphysema start to suffer from symptoms of the disease between the age groups of 40 and 60 years. 

Exposure to second-hand smoke: second-hand smoke, also referred to as passive or environmental tobacco smoke, is the smoke that a person indirectly inhales from another person’s cigarette, pipe or cigar. Being around second-hand smoke raises a person’s risk of emphysema.

Occupational exposure to fumes or dust: if a person breathes fumes from specific chemicals or dust from grain, cotton, wood or mining products, that is more likely to cause emphysema. This risk factor  even increases when the person directly smokes.

Exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution: inhalation of indoor pollutants, like the fumes from heating fuel, as well as those of outdoor pollutants such as car exhaust, this in turn increases her risk of emphysema.

Conclusion

To prevent emphysema, the smoker should avoid breathing secondhand smoke. Wear a mask in order to protect  the lungs if  the person works with chemical fumes or dust. Here we come to an end of this topic. We hope that you were able to grasp a clear concept of the topic.