What are the dangers of emphysema?

Answer 1

Some of the consequences of emphysema include:

• lowering of blood oxygenation
• difficulty of breathing
• shifts in acid-base balance due to higher respiratory rate
• excessive sweating during exertion
• excessive tiredness, fatigue...the person's energy is taken by trying to breathe
• lung congestion
• chronic coughing to clear mucous
• suseptibility to lung infections
• excess workload on the heart leading to Heart disease
• loss of job, recreation, sexual activities, etc. because of difficulty breathing
• dependency on supplemental oxygen
• development of "barrel-chest"
• changes in lung tissues
• ultimately, death, either due to low oxygen level or from complications such as lung infections, particularly bronchitis or pneumonia

Emphysema is one of the consequences of smoking BUT emphysema can also be acquired by exposure to many other lung irritants. Other lung irritants include noxious chemicals in the workplace; exposure to noxious and profound smoke, such as in firefighting; diesel fumes surrounding truck drivers; exposure to coal or coke smoke which is in steel mills; coke burning (coversion of coal to coke); exposure to lung irritating paint, varnish, and other such manufacturing.

Emphysema can also be partly genetic, such as Hammond-Rich Syndrome which is closely related to emphysema.

Answer 2

A disease where the alveoli become overly large and merge with other alveoli. This causes the lungs to have few large alveoli instead of many small alveoli.