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Emphysema: Lungs
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Emphysema and chronic bronchitis generally occur together. Emphysema develops over many years -- as the small air sacs within the lungs (alveoli) are gradually destroyed, usually by cigarette smoke. As a result, the surface area necessary to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide becomes inadequate, and patients become more and more short of breath. Chronic bronchitis refers to an ongoing inflammation of the lining of the lung's breathing tubes (bronchi) caused by bacterial infection and, usually, smoke irritation. As the inflammation progresses, the bronchi fill with mucus and grow narrower, hindering the flow of air. This results in a chronic cough, as the body attempts to rid itself of the excess mucus that is irritating the lungs.
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Emphysema is a progressive disease of the airways that is characterized by a gradual loss of lung function. This serious lung disease causes damage that cannot be cured or reversed although there are treatments that can lead to some improvement in lung function. Emphysema is a result of the toxin destroying the small air sacs in the lungs, called alveoli. The air sacs stretch as they transport oxygen from the air to the blood and then shrink as they force out carbon dioxide. The lungs lose their elasticity as a result. Exhaling becomes difficult and air becomes trapped in the lungs trap air and cannot effectively exchange it with fresh air.
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Emphysema is a chronic lung disease in which air sacs and the surrounding lung tissues are destroyed. The air sacs may be collapsed or over inflated and stretched out. This is where gas exchange occurs in the lungs. This breakdown of the walls of the air sacs causes airflow limitation in the lungs that in most cases is not completely reversible. The most common cause of emphysema is cigarette smoking, although rare forms of emphysema may occur in non-smokers. Emphysema may be present with other lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and asthma.
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Emphysema: 1) A lung condition featuring an abnormal accumulation of air in the lung's many tiny air sacs, a tissue called alveoli. As air continues to collect in these sacs, they become enlarged, and may break, or be damaged and form scar tissue. Emphysema is strongly associated with smoking cigarettes, a practice that causes lung irritation. It can ... be associated with or worsened by repeated infection of the lungs, such as is seen in chronic bronchitis. The best response to the early warning signs of emphysema is prevention: stop smoking and get immediate treatment for incipient lung infections. Curing established emphysema is not yet possible.
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Emphysema is a disease of the lungs, primarily caused by smoking. The lung tissue, which is normally spongy and rather elastic and contains hundreds of millions of tiny air sacs, called alveoli. These are responsible for the absorption of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide from the body. It's these tiny air sacs that are attacked and destroyed by emphysema. Consider a sponge with all its tiny holes, when squeezed and released it has the ability to absorb water fast and hold it efficiently. By comparison a rubber ball with one or even several holes, when squeezed and released has slow and inefficient absorption.
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Emphysema is a respiratory disease in which millions of the lungs' tiny air sacs (alveoli) stretch out of shape or rupture. As these thin, fragile air sacs become damaged or destroyed, the lungs lose their natural elasticity and are unable to empty easily. Emphysema is a progressive disease, which means it continues to get worse. As the condition progresses, the lungs ... lose their ability to absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Breathing becomes more difficult, and a person feels easily short of breath, like he or she is not getting enough air.
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