Smoking_Causes_Emphysema

Smoking Causes Emphysema Emphysema, a chronic irreversible lung disease that gradually destroys the lungs, is the most common cause of death from respiratory disease in the United States. Emphysema is primarily caused by cigarette smoking; over 82% of all cases are developed from heavy cigarette smoking. The prognosis for emphysema patients is very poor because Emphysema is a serious and chronic disease that cannot be reversed (2). It cannot be cured, although, the progression of the disease can be significantly slowed down with proper medical intervention and education. By learning what Emphysema is, the causes of Emphysema, and treatment procedures used to treat Emphysema, everybody can help prevent themselves from getting the chronic life-long disease, Emphysema. Emphysema is a chronic lung condition in which the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs become over stretched, destroying the elasticity of fibers that open and close the air sacs during breathing (8). The surface area of air sacs is for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide becomes smaller from the sacs being less elastic and this is what affects the ability to breathe out carbon dioxide after breathing it in (3). This is where oxygen (air) is exchanged for carbon dioxide (in the emphysema, lungs, oxygen, disease, air, blood, lung, patients, 15, 14, help, chronic, breathing, breath, smoking, people, chest, copd, symptoms, pulmonary, over, very, treatment, shortness, prevent, mucus, heart, carbon, amount, 17, while, sacs, respiratory, need, important