EMPHYSEMA

CAUSES OF EMPHYSEMA

• Long-term regular smoking.
• Tobacco smoke
• Marijuana smoke
• Air pollution
• Manufacturing fumes

EFFECTS OF EMPHYSEMA

• The alveoli turn into large irregular packets with holes in them.
• The surface area of the lungs is gradually reduced.

SYMPTOMS

• Shortness of breath-#1 symptom
• Chronic cough
• Fatigue
• Wheezing
• Anxiety
• Unintentional loss of weight
• Feet and ankle swelling

TREATMENTS

• Smoking cessation----quit smoking
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation---regular exercise
• Oxygen therapy--use of a nose tube for extra oxygen

GENDER/AGE GROUP AFFECTED

• Men are more likely to get emphysema than women
• But in 2011 the number of women exceeded the number of men.
• Any age can get emphysema, but 65 is the most prominent age.

DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSIS

• Doctor examination, recognizing breathlessness and their history of smoking.
• Pulmonary Function tests (PFT) a person sits in an enclosed booth and breathes into a tube to measure how much air their lungs can hold and how rapidly they blow air out.