How do you get disease of the lung?
Emphysema is one of the diseases which affect the normal function of the lungs.
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gMost individuals with this condition are smokers or have ever smoked previously and the cessation of smoking is always essential to the management of the condition as it results in small improved changes in the lungs.
Everyone has two lungs which receive air into the body. Your lungs take in air through your nose or mouth into your windpipe and then the air finds its way into the lungs. The lungs comprises a series of air filled sacs which enables the body to absorb all the good air - oxygen - into the body and remove the bad air – carbon dioxide – out of the body.
An individual with this condition has an usual sac size and also shows damage to the air-filled sacs. This destruction of the air sacs reduces the total lung area that your body needs to perform daily activities.
The damaged air sacs also makes it more difficult to get bad air out of the lungs and good air to enter the lungs, hence increasing your breathing rate and eventually leads to breathlessness.
Many individuals with this condition struggle to have a good quality of life. They are burdened with shortness of breath and various limitations to their daily activities.
Individuals with this condition have damaged air sacs in the lungs. The air sacs also lose its elasticity as a result of the damage. Under normal circumstances, whenever you take in air into your lungs, you are also able to expel all the bad air out of your lungs.
Due to the damage of the air sacs, the function of the lungs are decreased hence, only a small amount of air is taken into the lungs and an equally small amount of bad air is expelled with most of it being trapped in the lungs.
A number of individuals are affected by the condition. Individuals who smoke are more prone to acquiring the condition and it’s advisable to put a halt to smoking, to prevent the condition from getting worse.
Individuals who are exposed to second-hand smoke and airborne pollutants are also at risk of acquiring the condition. The condition may be present as mild, moderate or severe.
Symptoms of emphysema
The symptoms of the condition develop gradually over a period of time and the individual may be unaware of the condition until it has progressed to a point where the lungs lose their function.
Many individuals with this condition have ever smoked for a period of time before they begin to show symptoms.
Some individuals may complain of shortness of breath during their day-to-day activities. Other individuals may begin to wheeze especially upon exertion.
As the condition progresses the individual may realise that the shortness in breathe increases without exertion.
How is emphysema diagnosed?
To ascertain the diagnosis of the condition, you may be required to provide a few information or details about your lifestyle.
Also a detailed examination will be taken which may include an x-ray of your chest to check how well you are able to breathe in and out.
The Chest X-rays may show an over expansion of the lungs. Lung function tests may also be conducted. Another key test is the spirometry test, which assesses the ability of the individual to force air out of the lungs.
As the condition progresses or gets worse, the individual may have a reduced oxygen level and an increase level of carbon dioxide in the blood and this is also examined.
The writer is a Senior Physiotherapist at the 37 Military Hospital,
