LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Emphysema
built 640 days ago
Emphysema, along with chronic bronchitis, is part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a serious lung disease and is progressive, usually occurring in elderly patients. It is defined as over-inflation of structures in the lungs known as alveoli or air sacs. The walls of the alveoli break down resulting in a decrease in the respiratory ability of the lungs. Patients with this disease may first experience shortness of breath and cough.
Source:
Emphysema is a chronic condition affecting the lungs. Individuals with emphysema gradually lose the natural elasticity of the lung's air sacs, which causes difficulty breathing and often painful or uncomfortable respiration. As the elasticity is lost, small holes begin to form in the lung tissue and the air sacs become damaged. Over time, emphysema leads to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which in turn affects the heart.
Source:
Emphysema begins with the destruction or air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Each lung has many alveoli. Alveoli are the places where oxygen from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. The walls of the alveoli are very thin and fragile. When damage occurs to the alveoli, it is irreversible and results in permanent "holes" in the tissues of the lower lungs. As air sacs are destroyed, the lungs are able to transfer less and less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing shortness of breath.
Source:
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are both termed "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" (COPD). In the U.K. it accounts for over 20,000 deaths each year. The vast majority of cases are the direct result of cigarette smoke which is known to contain hundreds of chemicals which damage lung tissue. However, environmental pollutants, poor posture, poor nutrition and nervous tension are considered to be contributory factors. For instance, one study revealed that road workers in California USA are 250 times more likely to develop Emphysema than the general population(1). Researchers have ... found that a herbicide called 'Paraquat' can cause emphysema(2).
Source:
Emphysema is characterized by loss of the normal elasticity of the lung that helps to hold airways open. With progressive inelasticity of the lungs, the small airways collapse on expiration, making it impossible to fully exhale air. Our current understanding of emphysema is incomplete, but the best models theorize that there is a delicate balance between natural substances that fight disease but can ... destroy lung tissue (enzymes called proteases) and other substances that prevent this destructive process (e.g., alpha1-antitrypsin). Some people are born with a deficiency in their ability to produce alpha1-antitrypsin, which makes it more likely that they will get emphysema at an earlier age. However, deficiency in alpha-1-antitrypsin accounts for only a small percentage of all people with emphysema. A major cause of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema is smoking.
Source:
Emphysema is most common among people over the age of fifty. In the late 1990s, males are considered more likely to develop the disorder than females. However, that pattern is changing. The number of women who smoke is increasing rapidly. As this number continues to increase, the number of women who die of emphysema will ... increase. In 1999, there were around two million people in the United States with emphysema.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Emphysema