Healthy lungs contain 300 million alveoli, elastic air sacs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide is removed from it. Emphysema develops when the alveoli membrane are destroyed. Though this process occurs slowly and does not affect all alveoli to the same extent, it does impair the lungs' ability to function, which increases the amount of time it takes for air to enter or exit the lungs. This results in shortness of breath.

Also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema commonly affects long-term, heavy cigarette smokers, but cigar and pipe smokers are also at increased risk. Smoking causes irritation and breakdown of the alvioli.

Smokers are not the only people who develop emphysema, however. Occupational exposures to chemicals, dusts, and fumes can also put a person at risk. Some people are genetically predisposed to the condition, due to a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-1 antitrypsin, which protects the integrity of the elastic fibers in the walls of the alveoli. People with low levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin usually develop severe emphysema sometime in their 20s or 30s.

Signs and Symptoms

Shortness of breath that worsens with time

A chronic, mild cough that may produce small amounts of phlegm

Decreasing tolerance of physical activity

An enlarged chest

Weight loss

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suspect you have emphysema, see your physician immediately. To diagnose emphysema, your doctor takes an inventory of your symptoms, reviews your medical history, and performs a lung function test and chest X-rays.

There is no cure for emphysema. Therapy can help you learn how to use your lungs as efficiently as possible, thus keeping the disease from progressing. You may also be taught breathing techniques to get the most of the limited airflow. To increase your lungs efficiency, engage in regular, non-strenuous exercise, such as walking or leisurely cycling. Your physician may prescribe a bronchodilator or anti-inflammatory medication, such as theophylline, sympathomimetics, anti-cholingergics, or corticosteroids.

In severe cases, home oxygen therapy-where pure oxygen is pumped through a tube from a portable tank-may be necessary. Surgery is also an option in severe cases. Relatively new surgical options include lung transplantation and volume reduction surgery, where up to 30 percent of the most diseased portions of lungs are removed.