Emphysema
Long term, progressive disease of the lungs Part of the C.O.P.D. group—chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Affects the bronchioles and alveoli
The lung tissue is destroyed and does not maintain its necessary shape for adequate gas exchange
Emphysema changes the anatomy of the lungs in several ways Lungs are normally very spongy and elastic
Sponge Analogy: When breath is taken, the chest wall expands, expanding the lungs Similar to how a sponge absorbs water when it is squeezed and released, suction draws air into the lungs when they expand
A sponge can absorb water because it has many small pores expanding at the same time, picking up the water after being squeezed If the pores were larger, they would not take in as much water
Lungs require hundreds of millions of alveoli to draw enough air into them to be useful Emphysema destroys the alveoli The fewer and the bigger the alveoli, the less effectively they perform
Emphysema is the opposite of pneumonia; too large alveoli In other words, the air sacs enlarge until they balloon outward (distention)
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Respiration is a two step process: Inhalation (active) → exhalation (passive)
Pathway to Emphysema See board Precursor: chronic bronchitis
Smoking is the number one cause of emphysema Contributes in two ways: Destroys lung tissue (cause of the obstruction) Causes inflammation and irritation of the airways (causes disease to worsen)
Symptoms Shortness of breath Coughing Wheezing “Purse lipped breathing” Barrel chest Cyanosis: lack of oxygen to tissues causes skin to look blue (fingernail beds, lips, tongue)
Cyanosis
Diagnosis Chest sounds Chest X-ray Lung function test Blood test
Treatments Stop smoking Bronchodilating medication: allow for better gas exchange Surgery Transplant