Emphysema is a devastating lung disease that affects millions of people. The number was over 4 million people all the way back in 2011. The condition occurs in many people who are over 45 years of age. The causes vary from rare hereditary situations to smoking and environmental contamination. Drug use, immune system problems and connective tissue problem can cause the disease to occur, as well. Doctors usually diagnose emphysema with a mixture of chest X-rays, lab tests and pulmonary tests such as peak flow monitoring.What emphysema does specifically is it causes the air sacs to inflate excessively. The scientific name for the air sacs is the alveoli. The alveoli eventually become so inflamed that they lose their normal elasticity. That causes a heap of problems for the sufferer, up to and including a rupture or a complete lung collapse. The violent coughing that occurs when someone has emphysema is one the There are four stages of emphysema that a person may experience before getting to a life-threatening situation. The body will show a wide variety of symptoms depending on which stage the person who has the disorder is in. The following are some of the many signs and symptoms that a person may experience during the various stages of emphysema.
