Emphysema: Emphysema a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs. The most common symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath. Causes and risk factors for emphysema include cigarette smoking, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, air pollution, abnormal airway reactivity, gender, and age. Treatment includes medication, lifestyle changes (quitting smoking), surgery, and lung transplantation.
Must Read Articles:
-
Asthma
Asthma is a disease that affects the breathing passages of the lungs (bronchioles). Asthma may be caused by genes and environmental factors. Asthma causes wheezing, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Treatment includes avoidance of triggers and medications to control and prevent symptoms. -
Bacterial Pneumonia
Bacterial pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. People with pneumonia usually experience coughing, fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Pneumonia is a leading cause of death from infection. -
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the air passages in the lungs. There are several viruses and bacteria that cause bronchitis. Exposure to pollutants or tobacco smoke are also at risk. Bronchitis is contagious if it is viral or bacterial. It is not contagious if it is due to smoking, air pollution, and other inhaled irritants. Symptoms of bronchitis include cough, sore throat, wheezing, fever, chills, etc. Treatment for bronchitis depends on the cause. -
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition in which there is a long-lasting obstruction of the airways, and occurs with emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and/or asthma. Causes of COPD include cigarette smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke and environmental tobacco smoke, Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, airway hyper-responsiveness, and air pollution. Symptoms of COPD include a productive cough and acute chest illness, shortness of breath, wheezing, heart failure, cyanosis, and weight loss. Treatment of COPD includes medications, oxygen therapy, surgery, and lung transplant. -
Collapsed Lung
A collapsed lung or pneumothorax is a condition in which the space between the wall of the chest cavity, the as a result all or a portion of the lung collapses. Types of pneumothorax include tension and simple. Causes of pneumothorax include spontaneous, traumatic, disease and related. Pneumothorax is a life-threatening emergency. Medical care should be sought immediately. -
Coughs
A cough is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition. A chronic or persistent cough may signal certain lung conditions that should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Common causes of coughs include infection, allergies, lung disease, medications, and GERD (reflux). Acute coughs are categorized as infectious or non-infectious. Chronic cough (persistent cough) have a variety of causes and should be evaluated by physician. Treatment of cough, acute cough, chronic or persistent cough depends on the cause of the cough. -
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormally high pressure in the pulmonary arteries leading from the heart to the lungs. Primary pulmonary hypertension has no underlying condition that has caused this condition. Secondary pulmonary hypertension is caused by other underlying conditions. Treatment depends on the cause of the underlying condition, or the condition of primary pulmonary hypertension. -
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of death and illness among Americans. Effects of smoking can cause cancers, emphysema, bronchitis, COPD, chronic cough, and more. Smoking cessation includes nicotine replacement therapy and behavioral therapy.
Featured:
Expert Views and News
- Tai Chi Benefits People With COPD
- FDA Approves New Inhaler for COPD
- Half of Cancer Survivors Die From Other Conditions
- Cured Meats May Worsen COPD
- Study: Vitamin D Has No Clear Benefit for COPD Patients
- Walking Speed May Indicate Severity of COPD
- Test May Reveal Early Signs of Emphysema
- Gene Therapy May Stall Inherited Emphysema
Emphysema Topic Guide - Visuals
Slideshows, Pictures, Images, and Quizzes:
-
Slideshow
-
Slideshow
-
Slideshow
-
Slideshow
-
Slideshow
-
Slideshow
Emphysema Topic Guide - Medications and Vitamins
Medications:
Tiotropium InhalationTiotropium inhalation is a bronchodilator that is used to prevent bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways in the lungs) in adults with COPD (chronic obstructi...learn more »
LevalbuterolLevalbuterol is a short-acting bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways and increases air flow to the lungs...learn more »
Albuterol And Ipratropium (inhalation)Albuterol and ipratropium are bronchodilators that relax muscles in the airways and increase air flow to the lungs...learn more »
Salmeterol (inhalation)Salmeterol inhalation is a bronchodilator that is used to prevent asthma attacks or exercise-induced bronchospasm...learn more »
Alpha 1-proteinase InhibitorAlpha 1-proteinase inhibitor is a protein, also called alpha 1-antitrypsin. This protein occurs naturally in the body and is important for preventing the bre...learn more »
Acetylcysteine (inhalation)Acetylcysteine inhalation is used to thin the mucus in people with certain lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, or tube...learn more »
Terbutaline (oral)Terbutaline is a bronchodilator. It works by relaxing muscles in the airways to improve breathing...learn more »
AlbuterolAlbuterol oral is a bronchodilator taken by mouth to treat bronchospasm (wheezing, shortness of breath)...learn more »
Albuterol InhalationAlbuterol inhalation is a bronchodilator that is used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people with reversible obstructive airway disease. Albuterol is al...learn more »
Ipratropium InhalationIpratropium is a bronchodilator that is used to to prevent bronchospasm in people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), including bronchitis and...learn more »
TheophyllineTheophylline is a bronchodilator that is used to treat symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other breathing problems...learn more »
Emphysema Topic Guide – Related Topics
Related Topics:
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is a condition in which a person's heart is failing and it can't pump enough blood and oxygen to the body's tissues. Sometimes...learn more »
CT Scan
What is a CT scan? Computerized tomography scans (CT scans) are important diagnostic tools for a variety of medical conditions. Some areas of the body frequentl...learn more »
Ask Who Is at High Risk for Emphysema
I have never smoked, but I’ve worked as a blackjack dealer in a casino for 15 years now. The secondhand smoke from the gamblers’ cigarettes has really started t...learn more »
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an infection and inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that lines the outside of the lungs and chest cavity. The infection can resolve on its own, be...learn more »
Ask How Do You Get Emphysema
My grandpa worked at a concrete plant all his life and was never a cigarette smoker. Even though he didn’t use tobacco, his doctor just diagnosed him with ch...
learn more »
Ask Have Emphysema Without Being a Smoker
I always heard that tobacco smoke causes emphysema, but are there other causes? Can you have emphysema if you’ve never smoked?learn more »
Pulmonary Edema vs Emphysema
Pulmonary edema is an excess collection of watery fluid in the lungs. This fluid makes it difficult for the lungs to function (to exchange oxygen and carbon dio...learn more »
Occupational Asthma
Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways caused by external triggers. learn more »