Emphysema is a serious and chronic condition that can become life threatening. If you have emphysema, it means your airways are damaged and have narrowed which makes it hard to breathe normally. However, it can be treated and managed, especially if it is caught early on. The first step is to quit smoking, as smoking is the leading cause of emphysema. If you do smoke or have been exposed to pollutants that are known to cause emphysema, you and your doctor will need to watch for early emphysema symptoms so you can start treatment right away to minimize disability from this disease.
Trouble Catching Your Breath
The difficulty in diagnosing emphysema in the early stages is that your symptoms may be so mild that they are not attributed to a chronic disease. Mild shortness of breath may be one of your first warning signs, says the Mayo Clinic. At first, you may just get out of breath when you are very active. Activities that you could once easily do, now make you breathe harder. As the condition starts to progress, you may have trouble catching your breath when you are climbing stairs or walking uphill. While you may dismiss this as getting older or just being out of shape, any changes in your breathing capacity should be discussed with your physician.
Cough
According to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, if you start to develop a chronic cough or smoker's cough, this may be an early warning sign of emphysema. At first you may just think you have a cold, but eventually your cough will produce a thick mucus. In the early stages, your doctor can listen to your lungs to detect abnormal breathing sounds or wheezing, which is another sign of emphysema. While emphysema can not be cured, there are treatments that can help to slow its progression. The earlier you catch emphysema, the more successful your treatment plan may be.
Fatigue and Weight Loss
If your body is not getting the oxygen it needs or you have to work harder to breathe, you may start to feel fatigued. Feeling tired once in a while is normal, but chronic fatigue that stops you from doing your normal activities should be investigated. The Emphysema Organization recommends that you also be on the lookout for unexplained weight loss. If you are having trouble breathing, you may also have trouble catching your breath while trying to eat. This can lead to a loss of appetite and weight loss. If you notice any of these early warning signs, see your doctor. He can do lung function tests and scans to determine if your symptoms are due to emphysema or another cause.
