Emphysema is a progressive lung disease that damages the air sacs of the lungs, gradually making breathing harder to accomplish. It is part of the collective of diseases known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
More than 4 million adults have emphysema, and while not everyone dies from the disease, it has touched many lives, including such other celebrities as Loni Anderson, Danica Patrick and supermodel Christy Turlington, all with relatives who have the disease.
Because there is no cure for the disease, the best hope is to manage and control its advancement. Smoking is believed to be the most prevalent cause of emphysema, so stopping that habit is typically the first tactic employed in halting its spread.
While a cure remains elusive, here are some effective ways to help patients manage the disease:
1) Bronchodilators -- This drug provides coughing relief and can help with breathing issues by relaxing the constricted airways, creating bigger pathways for airflow.
2) Inhaled steroids -- These are aerosolized corticosteroid drugs that are inhaled, much as nasal decongestants are used. They will relieve shortness of breath, but they have side effects, including weakening bones and increasing the likelihood of developing of high blood pressure, diabetes and cataracts.
3) Antibiotics -- These are used to fight acute bronchitis or pneumonia, which can complicate emphysema.
4) Pulmonary rehabilitation – Therapists may instruct patients in ways to cope with shortness of breath. These include breathing exercises and ways to control breathlessness.
5) Oxygen -- For those who have end-stage emphysema with extremely low blood oxygen levels, it may be necessary to have supplementary oxygen to provide some relief. The oxygen is administered with a mask or narrow tubing and may be used 24 hours a day in severe cases.
6) Nutrition -- This is guidance that can help sufferers lose weight, which can ease burdens on the respiratory system. For those in the very late stages of the disease, the process may be reversed because they may need to gain weight.
7) Surgery -- There are some surgical techniques that may ease emphysema symptoms. These include lung volume reduction, where small wedges of damaged lung tissue are removed to help the rest of the lung tissue expand and work better, thereby improving breathing; or a lung transplant, which will remove the diseased lungs and replace them with new ones.
How Does Emphysema Happen?
Emphysema begins when the inner walls of the lung air sacs begin to weaken, eventually rupturing and creating a large air space. This eventually reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the lungs, and upon exhalation, the damaged air sacs don't work well. Air becomes trapped, leaving little room for the new air to enter.
Because the disease progresses slowly, it can be many years before the afflicted notices any symptoms of emphysema. Emphysema sufferers gradually may start avoiding things which they formerly enjoyed that now cause shortness of breath. In its late stages, emphysema can cause shortness of breath even while resting.
Beyond shortness of breath, the early stages of emphysema may see the fingernails or lips turning blue after exertion, an inability to concentrate and minor activities leaving the afflicted severely weakened.
Causes of Emphysema
Emphysema is caused by exposing your lungs to airborne irritants. Smoking, because of its direct application, is a prime cause, but factors like air pollution and workplace fumes also can trigger the disease. In rare cases, a certain protein deficiency that protects the elastic structures in the lungs may cause emphysema. This is an inherited trait and called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema.
Cigar and pipe smoking are as bad as cigarettes as emphysema triggers. The risk increases substantially with extended use but can be affected by the amount smoked in a shorter period. Secondhand smoke is another cause of emphysema, particularly among workers who toil in smoky environments.
Age is another factor in emphysema development. It primarily strikes those between 40 and 60 years old.
Occupational exposure is yet another hazard. Chemical workers or miners are particularly susceptible, but those who work with grain, cotton and wood products are also at risk. Factors multiply if those workers also smoke and live in a particularly polluted environment. Even things like car exhaust and fumes from heating fuel can increase risk.
Emphysema sufferers are more susceptible to other physical ailments, including collapsed lungs, heart problems as the pressure in the arteries increases, and large holes in the lungs (referred to clinically as giant bullae).
Diagnosing Emphysema
A series of tests is necessary to diagnose emphysema. These include:
1) Imaging tests -- An X-ray may not provide total evidence of emphysema because X-rays may show normal results. Thus, a medical professional may recommend a CT (computerized tomography) scan.
2) Blood test -- Samples will be drawn from an extremity, usually an artery in the wrist, to better determine how well the lungs function.
3) Lung tests -- These are a series of exercises that will determine the lungs' air power, measuring their capacity and flow, as well as how effectively they deliver oxygen to the bloodstream. The most common tests involve a spirometer, which you blow into to measure lung function. All of these tests are non-invasive.
Emphysema patients can help themselves by continuing to exercise, wearing masks or scarves in cold weather to avoid causing spasms in the bronchial passages, and attempting to avoid respiratory infections by getting an annual flu shot and avoiding people who are obviously ill. The key to emphysema is management, and eliminating aggravating factors will help delay the disease's progression.