which body system does emphysema effect?

Answer 1

Emphysema means acumulatrion of air/gas into a tissue or an organ. Subcutaneous emphysema is acumulation of bubbles of air or gas below the skin surface. pulmonary emphysema is a serious condition of the lungs, most of the times as consequence of a chronic disease( i.e.: C.P.O.D. or Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease, common in alltime smokers). There is alrerady an acummulation of air in the lungs that can´t be totally espirated because of partial/total bronchial or bronchiolar obstruction and tends to inflate the alveoli, and eventually their thin walls are ruptured by the pressure , creating cavities filled with air that are not ventilated and don´t participate in hematosis, so this condition slowly diminishes lung expansion and ventilation, and it´s capbility of air exchange, leading to pulmonary insufficiency.

Answer 2

Emphysema is a condition in which there is over-inflation of structures in the lungs known as alveoli or air sacs. This over-inflation results from a breakdown of the walls of the alveoli, which causes a decrease in respiratory function and breathlessness.

In emphysema, the lungs loose elasticity and are unable to fully expand and contract. This occurs because the air sacs cannot completely deflate, thus unable to fill with fresh air for adequate ventilation. Emphysema in children is usually caused by congenital abnormalities of the lung and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

In emphysema, the patient can breathe in but breating out is difficult and inefficient. The seriousness of emphysema varies greatly. Some persons never reach a stage of incapacity and go through life with relatively litte inconvenience, while in others, the disease worsens until final degeneration of the ability to breath occurs.



Symptoms?

Early symptoms or emphysema include shortness of breath, a chronic cough, a bluish coloration of the skin caused by lack of oxygen, shortness of breath (chronic), shortness of breath with mild exertion wheezing. Other symptoms that may occur with this disease are: dizziness, difficulty, lying down anxiety, stress, impotence, fatigue, impaired ability to concentrate, excessive daytime sleepiness, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.



What Causes Emphysema?

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema. Tobacco smoke and other pollutants are thought to cause the release of chemicals within the air sacs of the lung that damage the walls of the air sacs. When chemicals are released, a chemical imbalance occurs. There are many different reasons this chemical imbalance occurs. Smoking causes the imbalance as well as exposure to air pollution, and irritating fumes and dusts on the job.



Statistics

- 2 out of 1,000 people suffer from emphysema.
- Males with emphysema outnumber females by 64%.
- Emphysema ranks ninth among chronic conditions that contribute to lack of activity.




How Does Emphysema Occur?

Emphysema begins with the destruction or air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Each lung has many alveoli. Alveoli are the places where oxygen from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. The walls of the alveoli are very thin and fragile. When damage occurs to the alveoli, it is irreversible and results in permanent "holes" in the tissues of the lower lungs. As air sacs are destroyed, the lungs are able to transfer less and less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing shortness of breath. The lungs also lose their elasticity and the individual experiences great difficulty exhaling.

Emphysema doesn't develop suddenly. It occurs over years of exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, and irritating fumes.



Can Emphysema be treated?

Doctors can help persons with emphysema live more comfortably with their disease.

Answer 3

The lungs which get choked by cigarette tar and/or other foreign bodies like cotton dust,paint spray, hair laquer etc. The end result is that you gasp for oxygen and usually end up attached to an oxygen bottle. This is a really good reason to quit smoking.

Answer 4

1

Answer 5

Body with a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness.
Actually, with a condition in which air is abnormally present within the body tissues.

Answer 6

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ISNT THIS WHY THEY MADE SCHOOL? There are 500 trillion different things that happen when you smoke. Lets start off, black lung, lung cancer, throat cancer, death, cancer, cost a lot of MONEY, death, second hand smoke on nebighors, death, tons of health risks, death, heart deaise, death, hard to breather, death, and did i mention death? Do twenty jumping jacks then get one of thoes small coffee straws and put it in you mouth and try to breath (or use you pinkey finger if you dont have a straw) and that is how it is like breathing for people all the time. they cant even move. they have to sleep sitting up. DONT SMOKE!

Answer 7

Lungs

Answer 8

Lungs. The air is trapped in aveoli. The aveoli loose their elasticity so they don't exchange the gases properly with outside environment.

Answer 9

Respiratory tract.

Answer 10

Your Lungs.