Pulmonary emphysema is a respiratory disease in which the lungs lose their elasticity due to constant exposure to contaminants or tobacco, mainly, leading to the destruction of the alveoli, structures responsible for the exchange of oxygen. This process of loss of lung elasticity occurs gradually and therefore, in most cases, symptoms take time to notice.
Pulmonary emphysema has no cure, but a treatment to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life, which is usually done with the use of inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids as recommended by the pneumologist. Find out how emphysema is treated.
- Symptoms of pulmonary emphysema appear when the lungs lose their elasticity and the alveoli are destroyed and.
- As a result.
- Are more common from the age of 50.
- Being:.
Shortness of breath is the most common symptom and gradually worsens. In the early stages, shortness of breath occurs only when the person is making a lot of effort and, as the disease gets worse, it can even appear at rest. A good way to assess this symptom is to assess whether there are activities that cause more fatigue than before, such as climbing stairs or taking a walk, for example.
In the most severe cases, emphysema can even interfere with the ability to perform daily activities, such as bathing or walking around the house, and also cause lack of appetite, weight loss, depression, sleep disturbances and decreased libido. Learn more about pulmonary emphysema and how to prevent it.
Emphysema usually occurs in smokers and people exposed to a lot of smoke, such as when they use wood-burning ovens or work in coal mines, for example, as they are highly irritating and toxic to lung tissue. In this way, the lungs become less elastic and with more injuries, resulting in a gradual loss of function, so they usually start to show the first symptoms from the age of 50.
After the first signs, symptoms tend to worsen if no treatment is performed and the rate of worsening of symptoms varies from person to person, depending on genetic factors.
To be able to identify if symptoms are caused by emphysema, it is advisable to consult a pneumologist so that you can evaluate symptoms and perform tests such as chest x-rays or CT scans, for example.
However, tests can show normal results, even if you have the problem, so if this happens, your doctor can still perform lung function tests to evaluate the oxygen exchange in the lungs, so called spirometry. Understands how spirometry is performed.