Emphysema

This is a disease that causes swelling in certain areas of the lungs called alveoli. The alveoli are the tiny parts of the lungs that allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to get in and out of the body. When the alveoli swell, air cannot get into and out of the body as easily so this makes you short of breath. This swelling eventually leads to the death of the involved alveoli. As emphysema gets worse, more and more alveoli die and it gets extremely hard to breathe.

Emphysema causes air to sit, trapped, in the lungs instead of being inhaled and exhaled. This trapped air causes your chest to get bigger and change shape. This change in shape also makes it harder for you to breathe.

As your emphysema progresses, you may need to be given oxygen to help you breathe. You may develop infections in the lungs, which can further injure them. With more lung injuries, you may need more and more oxygen. If the lungs are injured too much, breathing is impossible.

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