6 Keys to living with emphysema

One of smoking's many adverse effects is the risk of developing emphysema and COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.



Emphysema is one of two types of COPD; the other is chronic bronchitis. If you have emphysema, it is likely that the air sacs, or alveoli, in your lungs are damaged. As a result, your body is not getting the oxygen it needs to function properly.


"Think of COPD as a spectrum of disease, with chronic bronchitis on one end and emphysema on the other," says Jeffrey Michaelson, MD, a pulmonologist with Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. "COPD-related disease is most frequently caused by smoking cigarettes and first starts to manifest symptoms usually by the mid-fifties in continuous smokers."




*Telltale Emphysema Symptoms


Emphysema affects your body in many ways. Typical emphysema symptoms include having a hard time catching your breath — especially while exercising — and a chronic cough. "Symptoms of emphysema deal with progressive shortness of breath that limits activity," says Dr. Michaelson.


Many people with emphysema also have chronic bronchitis, so an emphysema diagnosis may include chronic bronchitis symptoms as well. Chronic bronchitis brings with it the continual production of sputum associated with cough and chest congestion. Michaelson notes that the majority of patients fall somewhere in the middle of the COPD spectrum and display symptoms of both diseases.


*Finding the Right Emphysema Treatment


Emphysema and COPD can't be cured, but the right treatment can improve your emphysema prognosis as well as your overall health and well-being. Taking these steps will help:


*Get a diagnosis. If you're unsure if you have emphysema and COPD, start by getting a diagnosis. Only then can your doctor begin to help you. "If you feel that you or someone you know over the age of 35 may be experiencing symptoms, a brief, five-question screener will help determine if that person might be at risk for COPD," says Michaelson.
Start emphysema treatment.  Your doctor needs to be your primary source for getting a handle on emphysema treatment, says Michaelson. "It is important to seek treatment once diagnosed since COPD is a progressive disease. It can lead to frequent hospital admissions, poor quality of life, the need for supplemental oxygen, or a ventilatory assist device worn at night to help maintain effective breathing while asleep," he says. Treatment — especially quitting smoking — along with using inhalers, helps lessen symptoms, delays disease progression, and enables patients to maintain an active lifestyle. 

*Quit smoking.
If you want to have a better emphysema prognosis and prevent the progression of emphysema symptoms, no step is more important than to quit smoking. "Stopping smoking reduces the inflammation and lung damage that leads to worsening of COPD and emphysema," says Michael S. Nolledo, MD, an attending pulmonologist at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, N.J.Avoid other irritants. Tobacco smoke isn't the only irritant that can exacerbate emphysema and COPD. "Most COPD in this country is related to smoking, but only 20 percent of smokers develop significant COPD," says Byron Thomashow, MD, medical director at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and chairman of the COPD Foundation.

 "This suggests that other genetic or environmental factors must also play roles." Some potential irritants include cold air or poor air quality days in your region. 

*Keep immunizations up to date. Michaelson says that this is a critical step for avoiding complications to emphysema and COPD. Flu and pneumonia immunizations are especially important.

*Do the right exercises.
Both breathing exercises and regular cardiovascular exercise like walking are critical to curbing symptoms and having a good emphysema prognosis. Get started by doing these exercises in a program led by a trained professional before you branch out on your own. "Exercises are best managed under the guidance of a pulmonary rehabilitation program that involves not just specific exercises, but disease counseling as well," says Dr. Nolledo. "COPD patients who complete these programs have been shown to have significant improvement in their shortness of breath."

 Because emphysema symptoms will worsen without treatment, it's vital that you work with your doctor to manage your condition. Taking care of yourself and taking control of your symptoms will give you the best possible prognosis.