Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which also described diseases like chronic bronchitis, reports MayoClinic.com. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, or COPD, is a group of lung diseases that block the airway and make it...
Emphysema is a chronic lung disease; the term is sometimes used interchangeably with COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition of which emphysema is one factor. If you have emphysema, the minuscule sacs in your lungs that contain...
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...
There are two forms of bronchodilator medicines. The first is theophylline, a pill, syrup or solution sold under such names as Phyllocontin and Norphyl. The second is an adrenergic bronchodilator that's inhaled. This type is sold as Accuneb,...
Hyperexpanded lungs occur when the air sacs of the lungs break down and become enlarged. This affects the lungs' ability to take in new air, making it difficult to breathe, particularly when you exhale. This condition is most commonly associated...
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is one of the most common lung diseases. It is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, respiratory tract infections and fatigue. Smoking is the leading risk factor for COPD. Occupational...
Emphysema, a condition in which your alveoli, or lung air sacs, are destroyed, affects many people in the United States. The American Lung Association states that about 3.7 million Americans may have emphysema, 94 percent of them over age 45....
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease refers to several lung disorders that cause permanent damage to the respiratory system. The two most common COPD disorders are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Herbal treatments may help relieve various...
According to the Mayo Clinic, emphysema involves the destruction of the bronchioles, which are sacs at the ends of the smallest airways of your lungs. This disease is one of the factors that leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD,...
Your lungs consist of air sacs that fill with oxygen when you take in a breath. Factors such as smoking may cause gradual damage to these sacs, limiting the amount of air you take in. This condition, known as emphysema, results in permanent damage...
You probably do not think about breathing until you are having a problem doing it. Minerals like magnesium are important for health, but magnesium may have added benefits if you have emphysema, a chronic illness that affects the lungs and...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a damaging and destructive disease that remains incurable as of publication. The lung disease is primarily linked to cigarette smoking, although environmental toxins and genetic factors play a...
According to the American Geriatrics Society, breathing problems such as shortness of breath, discomfort in chest, coughing and wheezing, often have causes in underlying illnesses. These respiratory illnesses include chronic bronchitis, asthma and...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease of the lungs in which airways carrying oxygen through the lungs are obstructed making breathing difficult. COPD is a major cause of death in Americans with more than 14 million people...
Emphysema is a chronic condition where the air sacs become irregularly shaped and develop holes. These changes cause oxygen to get trapped in the lungs which makes it difficult to breathe out fully and it inhibits oxygen from entering the...
Lung disease can take several forms. The most common diseases fall into three categories: lung infection, such as pneumonia; lung cancer; or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as emphysema. When a patient presents with lung symptoms such...
Cigarette smoking is known by most people to be hazardous to health. Every year, approximately 443,000 people die from the negative effects of smoking; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quitting smoking reduces the...
A cough is a reflex triggered by the body in an attempt to keep harmful substances out of body and keep the airways clear. An occasional cough may occur as a result of dust particles or irritating substances in the air, or it can be brought on by...
Heavy smoking is a dangerous habit that can cause conditions that affect the heart, lungs and other major organs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male smokers are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer and female...
Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which occurs when there is damage to the alveoili air sacs in the lungs, MedlinePlus says. The air sacs are usually deformed and do not inflate like those in healthy lungs....
In 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General announced that smoking has irrefutable harmful effects on health. MedlinePlus reports that smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is associated with multiple health problems. Besides lung disease,...
The lungs inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Air is breathed into the nasal passages, then moves into the bronchial tubes, or airways, and air sacs of the lungs. In normal circumstances, the bronchial tubes and air sacs expand and contract...
Emphysema occurs when the air sacs at the ends of your smallest air passages are gradually damaged. Smoking is the leading cause of this condition that can contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD is characterized by a...
The generically named drug aminophylline is a bronchodilator, meaning it works to dilate or open the bronchial tubes in the lungs to make breathing easier. Physicians may prescribe the medication to help in the treatment of emphysema and...
Advair is an inhalant used for the treatment of COPD, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, according to Advair.com. Prednisone and albuterol steroids in asthma medication can cause weight gain as a side effect. Unexpected weight gain...
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound the lungs make when breathing in and out. It develops when airflow is constricted, causing the air to whistle through narrowed breathing tubes. When wheezing accompanies a cough and phlegm, it is almost...
According to Pierre Theodore, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of California, although many of the congenital lung diseases will be noticeable early in a child's life, most of them will not be detected until either late...
Emphysema is a chronic disease that in most cases could be prevented, as approximately 80 percent of the cases are caused by smoking cigarettes, according to Cedars Sinai. Emphysema is a respiratory disease that is often associated with chronic...
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and it is often consumed to feel more awake and alert. It can have several effects on the body, including altering the breath rate, which may be a concern especially for those with lung disorders. If...
Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease most often caused by exposure to tobacco smoke or toxic material. Learn more about emphysema, including symptoms and treatments, in this video.