Pulmonary emphysema is a respiratory disease in which the lungs lose their elasticity due to constant exposure to pollutants or tobacco, mainly, which leads to the destruction of the alveoli, which are structures responsible for the exchange of oxygen. This process of loss of pulmonary elasticity occurs gradually and, therefore, in most cases the symptoms take time to be noticed.
The diagnosis is made based on symptoms and imaging tests, such as chest X-rays, for example, or tests that assess the exchange of oxygen in the lung, such as spirometry. Understand how spirometry is done.
Pulmonary emphysema has no cure, but treatment to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life, which is usually done with the use of bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids according to the pulmonologist's recommendation. Find out how treatment for emphysema is done.
Pulmonary emphysema symptoms
The most common symptoms of pulmonary emphysema usually appear after the age of 50, and include:
- Feeling of shortness of breath; Wheezing in the chest; Persistent cough; Pain or tightness in the chest; Bluish fingers and toes; Tiredness; Increased mucus production; Swelling of the chest and, consequently, of the chest; Greater susceptibility to infections pulmonary.
Shortness of breath is the most common symptom and gradually worsens. Thus, in the early stages, it appears only when the person makes intense efforts and, as the disease worsens, it can even appear during rest. A good way to assess this symptom is to assess whether there are activities that cause more tiredness than before, such as climbing stairs, taking a walk or running after the bus, for example.
In the most severe cases, emphysema can even interfere with the ability to do daily activities, such as bathing or walking around the house, and also cause a lack of appetite, weight loss, depression, difficulty sleeping and decreased libido. Learn more about pulmonary emphysema and how to prevent it.
Why it happens and how it evolves
Emphysema usually appears in smokers and people exposed to a lot of smoke, such as using the wood oven or working in coal mines, for example, as they are very irritating and toxic to lung tissue. In this way, the lungs become less elastic and with more injuries, which causes a gradual loss of their function, so it usually starts to show the first symptoms after 50 years.
After the first signs, the symptoms tend to worsen if no treatment is done, and the speed at which symptoms worsen varies from person to person, depending on genetic factors.
How to confirm the diagnosis
To identify whether the symptoms are being caused by emphysema, it is advisable to consult a pulmonologist so that he can evaluate the symptoms and do tests such as chest X-ray or computed tomography, for example.
However, tests can show normal results, even when you have the problem, so if that happens, your doctor may still do lung function tests to assess oxygen exchange in the lung.
