The Main Emphysema Symptoms
Many people suffer from diseases like asthma and chronic bronchitis, but emphysema is a disease that can be missed, so here are the main emphysema symptoms. You should take note of all the symptoms when you suspect that you might have asthma or emphysema which is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These include shortness of breath and a tight chest where breathing is difficult. This is often associated with wheezing and coughing. These are similar to adult asthma symptoms and can often be misdiagnosed. You will be able to tell the difference though by getting a test done at your local doctor’s office. You should suspect that you have emphysema, however, if you are a heavy smoker and you are over the age of 45. Other emphysema symptoms include weight loss and fatigue.
This is because the emphysema causes your lungs to not function properly. In fact, people that have only started experiencing emphysema symptoms have already lost nearly 60 percent of their lung function. In late stage emphysema cardiac problems are expected as the blood cannot flow effectively to all the parts of the body and to the lungs which causes the heart to work a lot harder.
You will find that if you have started experiencing some symptoms and you quit smoking that your condition will improve dramatically. If you have not experienced any symptoms yet, it does not mean that you won’t, so quitting is still recommended, especially if you are a heavy smoker or have been throughout your life.
The treatment emphysema makes use of is varied. It ranges from stopping smoking, to starting an exercise program to strengthen the diaphragm and stomach muscles, and also medication like an inhaler. The type of treatment you will receive depends on how bad the emphysema is and your age. Some people decide to treat their condition by moving to the country away from all kinds of pollutants and other irritants. Even dust and perfumes can make your condition worse, so avoiding these is important.
When you look at the medications that you can get from your doctor, the inhalers are the most common. There has, however, also been some success with those who suffer from an enzyme deficiency that is responsible for the breaking down of the lung tissue, to use Alpha 1 Antitrypsin. Before any treatments can be given, a positive diagnosis has to be made which includes taking chest x rays, doing CAT scans, and performing various lung function tests.
When you understand all of the emphysema symptoms that you can expect, it is much easier to take notice of them and suspect emphysema or allergy induced asthma, or even another form of respiratory disease. You should be aware that when you go to the doctor they might diagnose asthma quite readily, but you should insist that you are tested if you have been or are a smoker and you are sure that you could have emphysema. Once all the possible tests have been done and you have been diagnosed you can go about looking at treatment options and learning how to manage the disease.
