Emphysema Symptoms, Causes and Diagnosis

Have you ever heard of Emphysema? It is a disease which lasts for a while, causing many troubles to its holder. The target organ of infection is lungs. The patient runs out of breath as the alveoli are swelling. It means air sacs in the lung. The tissue responsible for the swap of oxygen and carbon dioxide is being ruined. The disease belongs to the category of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The symptoms of this severe disease include breathlessness or running out of the air. Another common sign is an ongoing cough created by mucus. Sometimes, this cough, as well as other sounds coming out of the mouth, are supported by wheezing. It becomes too difficult for the patient to do every day physical exercises like jumping, running, or even simply walking. This disease progresses smoothly. Only if you notice slow deterioration, it can be a symptom. In many cases, the same problem is faced by the heavy smokers.

The main reason for the person to have Emphysema is smoking heavily for ages. People who suffer from this disease may smoke for some time but do it regularly. Tabacco, as well as some other factors, possess special airborne irritants, and some people cannot withstand them. Marijuana, air pollution, and chemical fumes may be the causes too. Rarely, the patient may simply lack protein to defend the lungs.

How can one detect if it’s Emphysema? The health care professional must find out whether the patient has corresponding hints in his medical history. One more thing is to conduct a physical examination. There are several methods used to define whether the patient suffers from Emphysema: X-ray test is one of the most effective tools. It checks the chest to discover the true causes of breathlessness and other issues with lungs.

Another efficient way to diagnose the disease is computerized tomography (CT) scans. Still, to be more accurate, the doctors will need X-ray pictures mixed with the results of CT. Many different parts of the body must be observed, but the greatest accent is lungs. As a result, the doctors obtain cross-sectional views of internal organs. A CT is also a must-have before assigning a surgery as a treatment.

Laboratory examinations along with the tests observing the work of lungs are two more methods of detecting Emphysema. The patient has to submit the blood from the wrist artery to find out whether the lungs deliver oxygen to all strategic parts of the body. The lungs should also be able to replace carbon dioxide from the general bloodstream. As for the tests, they evaluate the ability of the lungs to absorb the air and keep it inside. Sometimes, it’s just enough to blow into the spirometer to be examined.