By: Hayley Allred, Courtney Zechman, and Amanda Guercioni

 Emphysema- which involves destruction of the lungs over time  Emphysema destroys the alveoli (small sacs). They help with oxygen exchange between the air and the bloodstream.  Smoking is the primary cause, which makes it a preventable illness.

Symptoms:  Mostly it causes the shortness of breath and a cough, caused by smoking, which gradually worsens over time.  Diagnosis of emphysema is based upon history, a physical examination, and pulmonary function studies.  Emphysema is not curable once present, but its symptoms are controllable.  People with this disease might need an oxygen supplement.  Exercise training and education are essential components to help with emphysema

 Emphysema is not curable, once the lungs are damaged it cannot be reversed  The goal of treatment is to stop lung damage and keep the lungs functioning  If the patient is a smoker, then the #1 treatment goal is to get the patient to stop smoking  As the disease gets worse, people with emphysema may need extra oxygen, first for sleep, then exercise, then for daily life  There are three main types of medications: ◦ Bronchodilators: relax the smooth muscles around the lungs ◦ Corticosteroids: helps decrease inflammation ◦ Antibiotics: used to treat common, short-term illnesses because people with emphysema are more prone to them

 People with emphysema have trouble getting rid of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) from the lungs  CO 2 can come from some of the nutrients we eat, mostly carbohydrates like simple and complex sugars  A lower amount of CO 2 comes from fats  People with emphysema usually have a high fat, low carbohydrate diet to decrease the amount of CO 2 in the body  It increases calorie energy because ineffective breathing uses up a lot more calories  A person with emphysema should have at least 2,000 calories/day with 50% of the calories from fat

Increases:  Energy level  Muscle strength and endurance  Cardiopulmonary (heart-lung) endurance  Ability to fight infection  Relaxation  Restful sleep  Bone density Decreases:  Shortness of breath  Risk factors of heart disease  Blood pressure  Side effects of medicine (steroids)  Depression  Blood sugar levels Exercise is an important part of improving emphysema. It is not true that people with chronic lung disease are too short of breath to exercise. Regular exercise helps you feel less short of breath, improve your heart and muscles, and help you feel good about yourself.

 Emphysema does not necessarily affect how long you live, but it affects the quality of your life  The patient will constantly have the miserable feeling of being short of breath  It will be hard on the family because they have to watch the patient struggle to breath  The person may not be able to play with their kids/grandkids anymore  The family needs to help the person with emphysema by helping them do things like: ◦ Heavy lifting ◦ Walking around ◦ Etc.

Short TermLong Term  QUIT SMOKING  If you are diagnosed early, you may be able to stop emphysema from worsening before it affects your daily life  Follow the treatment plan provided by your doctor:  Taking medication everyday  QUIT SMOKING  Breathing with an oxygen tank  Lung transplant  Surgery  Trying to live a healthier lifestyle ◦ Eating more fats and less carbohydrates ◦ Exercising

Statistics  Number of emphysema deaths: 10,878  Emphysema deaths per 100,000 population: 3.5  Number of no institutionalized adults who have ever been diagnosed with emphysema: 4.3 million  Percent of no institutionalized adults who have ever been diagnosed with emphysema: 1.9%  Over 3 million Americans (2 out of every 1,000 residents) suffer from emphysema.  More than 100,000 people in the U.S. die from emphysema annually, and many more die from a disease brought on by it, such as congestive heart failure.

 Emphysema is the fastest growing cause of death in North America

 Statistics show that there are already 2 million Americans that suffer

 Smoking is considered as the number one cause of all respiratory diseases, nearly 82% of the respiratory diseases are caused due to cigarette smoking.

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