Emphysema is a chronic lung disease caused by smoking that destroys lung tissue. It has four stages, with symptoms ranging from mild coughing to severe breathing difficulties. There is no cure, but treatment focuses on slowing progression and improving quality of life through pulmonary rehabilitation and avoiding smoking.
Emphysema is a chronic lung disease characterized by symptoms such as shortness of breath. With emphysema, lung tissue is destroyed and most cases are caused by smoking. This disease has four stages, each with varying degrees of difficulty breathing. During early emphysema, some individuals may not even realize there is a problem.
Emphysema praecox is often thought of as the first two stages. The first stage of emphysema is referred to as the at-risk stage. The disease is still in its preliminary stages at this point and symptoms can be extremely mild or even non-existent. During very early emphysema, patients may experience a mild cough, sometimes called a smoker’s cough. This cough is also accompanied by a small amount of mucus production.
During the second stage of emphysema, symptoms may start to get worse. The cough often becomes more frequent and mucus production may also increase. Since this is still part of emphysema praecox, other breathing difficulties may not be very apparent. Some patients, however, may begin to notice that they feel breathless much more easily, such as during long walks or when climbing stairs.
The later stages of emphysema, the moderate and severe stages, typically bring worse symptoms than those of early emphysema. Breathing difficulties become more evident during the moderate stage of this disease. A patient may begin to notice that they are often out of breath. Strenuous activity often appears to be the cause of most respiratory problems.
Severe emphysema is the last and worst stage of emphysema. During this stage, the first symptoms of this disease are much more prevalent. A patient may become breathless or breathless with no apparent cause and with little physical activity. This final stage of emphysema could lead to death.
There is no cure for emphysema and the damage done to the lung tissue cannot be reversed. Treatment is primarily focused on slowing the progression of the disease rather than reversing any damage. One of the first things an individual who has been diagnosed with emphysema must do is to stop smoking and avoid all contact with any type of cigarette smoke or other noxious fumes.
Pulmonary rehabilitation can help, usually more in the later stages than with early emphysema. This therapy is aimed at reducing symptoms. Patients are educated about their illness and taught how to deal with it. The good habits they learn during pulmonary rehabilitation can lead to a better quality of life.
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