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SummaryWhat is emphysema?Emphysema is a type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). COPD is a group of lung diseases that make it hard to breathe and get worse over time. The other main type of COPD is chronic bronchitis. Most people with COPD have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, but how severe each type is can be different from person to person. Emphysema affects the air sacs in your lungs. Normally, these sacs are elastic or stretchy. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air, like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sacs deflate, and the air goes out. In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. This causes the air sacs to lose their shape and become floppy. The damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones. This makes it harder for your lungs to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of your body. What causes emphysema?The cause of emphysema is usually long-term exposure to irritants that damage your lungs and the airways. In the United States, cigarette smoke is the main cause. Pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoke can also cause emphysema, especially if you inhale them. Exposure to other inhaled irritants can contribute to emphysema. These include secondhand smoke, air pollution, and chemical fumes or dusts from the environment or workplace. Rarely, a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can play a role in causing emphysema. Who is at risk for emphysema?The risk factors for emphysema include:
What are the symptoms of emphysema?At first, you may have no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease gets worse, your symptoms usually become more severe. They can include:
Some people with emphysema get frequent respiratory infections such as colds and the flu. In severe cases, emphysema can cause weight loss, weakness in your lower muscles, and swelling in your ankles, feet, or legs. How is emphysema diagnosed?Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:
What are the treatments for emphysema?There is no cure for emphysema. However, treatments can help with symptoms, slow the progress of the disease, and improve your ability to stay active. There are also treatments to prevent or treat complications of the disease. Treatments include:
If you have emphysema, it's important to know when and where to get help for your symptoms. You should get emergency care if you have severe symptoms, such as trouble catching your breath or talking. Call your health care provider if your symptoms are getting worse or if you have signs of an infection, such as a fever. Can emphysema be prevented?Since smoking causes most cases of emphysema, the best way to prevent it is to not smoke. It's also important to try to avoid lung irritants such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, and dusts. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
What signs and symptoms would indicate inadequate breathing in a patient?Signs of Respiratory Distress. Breathing rate. An increase in the number of breaths per minute may mean that a person is having trouble breathing or not getting enough oxygen.. Color changes. ... . Grunting. ... . Nose flaring. ... . Retractions. ... . Sweating. ... . Wheezing. ... . Body position.. Which of the following patients is at risk of hypoxia?People living with heart or lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema or asthma, are at an increased risk for hypoxia. Some infections, like pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 can also increase your risk of hypoxia.
Which of these is negatively affected when you properly provide bag valve mask ventilations?The pressure in the chest cavity from bag valve ventilation decreases venous blood return to the right side of the heart, reducing blood flow to the lungs and potentially from the left ventricle. This effect is worsened in hypovolemia.
Which of the following changes is a negative side effect of positive pressure ventilation?Among the potential adverse physiologic effects of positive-pressure ventilation are decreased cardiac output, unintended respiratory alkalosis, increased intracranial pressure, gastric distension, and impairment of hepatic and renal function.
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