The progressive lung disease emphysema occurs when the tiny sacs in the lungs are destroyed and lungs are unable to effectively get oxygen into the body. Emphysema is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 45; about 94 percent of people diagnosed with emphysema are 45 years old and older, according to the American Lung Association. As the condition progresses, the symptoms that people with emphysema experience cause difficulties in everyday functioning.
Increased Shortness of Breath
In earlier stages of emphysema, the patient would only develop shortness of breath with strenuous exertion. Once the disease enters into the final stages, the shortness of breath can develop with minimal exertion and even while at rest. Patients at the end-stage of emphysema often have to use extra oxygen to breathe.
Barrel-Shaped Chest
As noted on the Merck Manual website, in advanced stages of emphysema, a person's chest becomes barrel-shaped. This enlargement of the chest is caused by the over-inflation of the lungs, which is caused by extra oxygen that gets trapped in the damaged lung tissue.
Use of Extra Muscles During Breathing
In the end-stages of emphysema, the patient will have to work harder to breathe. This can be seen by the use of the neck muscles and shoulder muscles when breathing. At this stage, the muscles in between the ribs can also be used to assist in breathing; these intercostal muscles are not usually used for normal breathing. In the end stages of emphysema, these muscles will move paradoxically--or move inward--when the patient is breathing out, according to the Merck Manual.
Weight Loss
People with end-stage emphysema are thin and lose weight according to the Merck Manual. This weight loss is caused by wasting of the muscles of the body partly from lack of use. The muscles of the body are not used very much because the shortness of breath causes the patient to be more sedentary.
Cyanosis
According to PDR Health, another symptom of the end-stage of emphysema is that the patient's fingertips or fingernails may become blue. This occurs because there is not enough oxygen in the blood and not enough oxygen is getting to the fingertips.
Right-Heart Failure
For some patients, during the end-stages of emphysema, the heart stops pumping effectively, according to PDR Health. The heart has to work harder because of the changes in the lungs; the progressive air sac destruction increases the pressure over time in the blood vessels in the lungs. The extra work causes the right side of the heart--the side that pumps blood into the lungs--to fail. This leads to the patient developing swelling in the legs and ankles or abdomen; the patient may also develop chest pain or blood pressure issues.
