What happens in emphysema

The lungs become pale, swollen, and lose tissue elasticity. Mucus and pus plugs appear in the bronchi. This leads to difficulty in breathing, which causes shortness of breath.

• At an early stage of the disease, shortness of breath appears only during physical exertion, there is a slight cough with sputum.
• In the second stage – pulmonary insufficiency – dyspnea is more pronounced even at rest, there is hemoptysis. Due to lack of oxygen, lividity of the face, hands and feet develops.
• At the third stage, shortness of breath becomes severe, coughing is accompanied by copious sputum production, the shape of the chest changes, swelling appears.

If the condition is left untreated, complications develop: collapsed lung, inability to breathe on your own. Blood circulation is impaired, liver, heart, kidneys suffer from gas exchange problems. The patient is vulnerable to respiratory infections that progress to chronic forms.

Causes of emphysema

The main reasons:

• genetic mutations;
• smoking;
• exposure to smoke and toxic vapors;
• dust particles in the inhaled air.

Most often the disease is diagnosed after 50 years of age against the background of prolonged smoking or unfavorable working conditions.

Diagnosis

In the clinic “MDI” diagnose emphysema with a comprehensive examination:

1. Lung X-rays.
2. Spirometry.
3. Picflowmetry.
4. Blood tests if an inflammatory process is suspected.

The doctor assesses lung volume, exhalation rate, examines the structure of the organ for areas with air. It is important to detect emphysema in the early stages in order to prescribe therapy in time.

We invite you to consult a pulmonologist at our clinic in Israel. We provide high quality medical services, always selecting an individualized treatment plan depending on the severity and type of emphysema.