What causes emphysema?

Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that causes destruction of the air sacs of the lungs, resulting in reduced lung capacity and difficulty breathing. The most common cause of emphysema is smoking. Rarely, nonsmokers develop emphysema as the result of an inherited deficiency in alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein made in the liver that helps protect the lung tissue.

What are the risk factors for emphysema?

A number of factors increase the risk of developing emphysema. Not all people with risk factors will get emphysema. Risk factors for emphysema include:

  • Breathing in dust particles or chemical fumes
  • Exposure to air pollution
  • Family history of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Jobs working with livestock, grain, textiles or coal
  • Preexisting lung disease
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Smoking
INTRODUCTION

What is emphysema?

Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that causes destruction of the air sacs in the lungs, resulting in reduced lung capacity and difficulty breathing. Emphysema is a common respiratory disorder in the United States: about 3.7 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with it. Peop... Read more about emphysema introduction

SYMPTOMS

What are the symptoms of emphysema?

The primary symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, which may or may not be accompanied by other symptoms.... Read more about emphysema symptoms

TREATMENTS

How is emphysema treated?

Treatment for emphysema begins with seeking medical care from your health care provider. The goal of treatment is to improve breathing. Severe cases not responding to therapy or accompanied by serious bleeding may require surgical resection, or, in rare cases, lung transplant.... Read more about emphysema treatments

Medical Reviewer: All content has been reviewed by board-certified physicians under the direction of Rich Klasco, M.D., FACEP. Last Annual Review Date: May 2, 2011 Copyright: © Copyright 2011 Health Grades, Inc. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or reprinted without permission from Health Grades, Inc. Use of this information is governed by the HealthGrades User Agreement.

This Article is Filed Under: Lungs, Breathing and Respiration


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