Emphysema - who is at risk (causes, symptoms, treatment)
Emphysema - who is at risk (causes, symptoms, treatment)
Content:
What is emphysema?
Emphysema is the irreversible destruction of bronchioles and alveoli. When distal distal alveoli appear and the walls between these alveoli are stretched, we are talking about emphysema.
As a result, the gas exchange surface is reduced. The prolonged process leads to shortness of breath and respiratory failure.
Emphysema - types.
The most common are:
primary emphysema (senile), secondary emphysema - may occur as a complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Emphysema - symptoms.
Depending on the severity of emphysema, patients will have different symptoms. Most often they will be:
Shortness of breath, cough, shortness of breath, usually after exercise, weight loss, weak muscles.
When we look closely at such a sick person, we notice that his chest is barrel-shaped, his ribs are horizontal, he breathes through pursed lips, and his breathing is elongated. During the examination, the doctor will also detect the eardrum during tapping on the chest, calm breathing.
Emphysema - causes.
The very process of destruction of follicular septa and expansion of air spaces depends on proteolytic enzymes released from neutrophils. In healthy people, there is a balance between these proteolytic enzymes and antiprotease inhibitors that neutralize them.
However, in the case of chronic bronchopulmonary infections, protease activity increases. Tobacco smokers, in turn, inactivate antiproteases with tobacco smoke components, and there is also a group of people with innately reduced antiprotease activity, especially alpha-1-antitrypsin.
Emphysema - diagnosis.
Your doctor will order a chest X-ray, which will show wide intercostal spaces and the horizontal position of the ribs, the lungs are excessively filled with air, and larger emphysema blisters may also be visible.
A CT scan, in turn, will show smaller changes. Increased breathing resistance and decreased FEV1 in spirometry will provide information about how advanced the changes are.
Emphysema - treatment and prevention.
Treatment of emphysema is mostly symptomatic. It is very important to avoid exogenous toxic substances that accelerate the process of destruction of the walls between the bubbles, such as smoking cigarettes.
Effective treatment of lung and bronchial infections is important. Vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia is recommended. Concentrates of this substance are prescribed to patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.
Bronchodilators are given as auxiliary measures, breathing exercises are performed. In advanced cases, home oxygen therapy is used. Sometimes you can try to surgically remove emphysema blisters. Unfortunately, the quality of life of these patients and the average life expectancy are declining. It is important to start treatment early. 1xBet is a popular online sports betting & casino platform in Nigeria that offers promotional codes. The 1xBet bookmaker is interested in encouraging customers to place bets and use the rest of the services of the betting operator. There are many promo code for 1xbet provides users with a remarkable first deposit bonus of up to 300% and a maximum of ₦189,280.