Anyone know anything about Emphysema?

Question

I need to know as much as I can from people who know people with this or people who have this, not a site a can go to. I need real life experiences. Please no web sites to go to.

Answer 1

Emphysema is a progressive disease. It does not reverse. People die of emphysema unless something else kills them.

It is painful to the chest as it falls under chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ofter people will need the assistance of home oxygen to get thru the day.

Answer 2

My husband has emphysema in its second stage, at first I thought he had asthma so we went to the drs and were told it was emphysema, the one thing that I have found is his memory is not as good as it was 18 months ago due to the lack of oxygen to the brain which causes hypoxia. he is more prone to chest infections, they turn very quickly into pluralicy
as the emphysemia advances you find they are getting more tired easily, and that they are more short of breath. I found a really good men's multi vitiman and use vit c 1000Mg every day for him, he uses spirva which helps his sleeping patterns are all over the shop and I have recently noticed they are getting worse, his legs cramp a lot and he has a slight tremor.
good food groups help all the right vegies, short walks, lots laughs, never never never smoke in a room with them in it.
their are brathing excerises that can be done with them i don't know of anything else you need but if I can help I will

Answer 3

My grandfather died of emphysema and my father has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which has the same similarities as empysema. Emphysema falls under the category of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When emphysema and COPD is progressed it is very uncomfortable for the patient, have to have oxygen, etc. It is not a fun disease to have at all.

Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lung that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the lung tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lung are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD (pulmonary refers to the lungs). Emphysema is called an obstructive lung disease because the destruction of lung tissue around smaller airways, called bronchioles, makes these airways unable to hold their shape properly when you exhale.

This group of diseases ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Unlike heart disease and other more common causes of death, the death rate for COPD appears to be rising.

Answer 4

You didn't really ask a question, but...

My mother died of emphysema (COPD). As they already said, it's a progressive disease that can't be reversed and can't be cured. It can be somewhat managed, but it can't really be treated.

In the early stages, the patient might take pills or inhalers to help open their airways, but as it progresses they might also take oxygen and breathing treatments - at first, maybe only at night, but eventually, around the clock. They're usually sensitive to odors, perfumes, smoke, and pets, and they eventually smother to death unless something else kills them first. It's a truly horrible way to die, and it's a very common illness in the US.

Answer 5

Emphysema falls into the COPD category.


The air ways become less elastic and the lungs enlarge making it harder to get enough air into the lungs. There is medication to help the lungs function more efficiently. Many eventually get to the point that they need to have oxygen.

Answer 6

my mother died of alpha I antitrypsin deficiency (a rare genetic disease) which caused her to suffer fro severe, chronic and terminal emphysema. she was diagnosed at 38 and died at age 50. she lived the last 12 years of her life on nebulizers, inhalers, cortizone, and walking on a treadmill as much as she could. her skin became extremely thin due to all the steroids. she was approved for heart/lung transplant (they didn't do just lung transplants in the early '90's) but she died at age 50 after being hospitalized with a simple cold. she had healed from the cold, but developed diverticulosis (again, from the steroids) which caused massive amount of blood loss. she underwent a colonoscopy (no anesthesia, mind you) at which time she went into shock, had to have surgery, and died about 30 hours later. she was an amazing woman. over 100 people attended her funeral, even though she was pretty much house-bound the last couple of years of her life...that's how much energy and life a person with COPD can have...if they reach out to others in their doctors' offices and in their personal lives. i have a never-ending admiration for people who live with this disease.

Answer 7

My father died from emphysema. He smoked cigarettes all his life and refused to stop. Emphysema is a progressive disease that just gets worse and worse. It is a slow, agonizing death. You eventually suffocate.

Answer 8

I'm a third year medical student, so I've learned a lot about emphysema from my medical school classes thus far. Also, my grandmother has emphysema, so I have personal experience as well.

What would you like to know?