How Many Stages of Emphysema Are There?
One of the leading causes of deaths in human beings is a type of lung disease called emphysema. Part of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) groups of diseases, emphysema is a lung disease that affects respiratory function. Treatment of this disease is determined by the degree of damage caused to the lungs. The degree will range from a mild level to one that is serious enough to lead to death.
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The Facts
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Smoking is one of the top causes of emphysema; another is regular breathing in of toxic fumes from chemicals. Emphysema is an obstructive disease that limits the airflow to and from the lungs, making it difficult for a patient to breathe properly.
Significance
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The lungs are vital respiratory organs in the human body. There are two lungs, one located on each side of the chest cavity. Air is drawn from the atmosphere through the nose or mouth into the lungs; oxygen is drawn and sent to the bloodstream and then carbon dioxide is released from the blood stream, exiting through the nose or mouth. Tiny cells make up the lung tissues that expand and deflate in the breathing process. When dangerous toxins are introduced to the lungs, it destroys the tiny cells and airflow is obstructed, resulting in the difficulty of breathing and the development of emphysema.
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Stages
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The doctor determines the severity of a patient's emphysema through tests and then decides after analyzing the results at what stage the disease falls under.
There are four stages of emphysema. The first one is called "at risk," where the patient has a chronic cough, mild difficulty in breathing and a production of mucus. The tests the patient undergoes will not show enough evidence of emphysema, but these results are enough to consider you a candidate for the disease.
The second stage is mild emphysema, wherein the patient shows all the same symptoms of the at-risk stage but a breathing test will show that airflow is limited.
Moderate emphysema, the third stage, is often the stage when patients go to the doctor. The patient finds that breathing with normal activities suddenly becomes difficult and is alarmed. At this stage, the patient's condition is at an advanced level and treatment is needed.
The fourth and last stage is Severe Emphysema, where even slight physical movements cause difficulty in breathing. At this stage, damage to the lungs functions is severe and respiratory failure or heart failure is highly probable.
Considerations
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Once prolonged inhalation of smoke from cigarettes or toxic fumes occurs in the lungs, the respiratory system is damaged and will result in emphysema. Emphysema is a progressive disease that starts with mild symptoms escalating into a severe and life-threatening illness.
Prevention
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The most effective way to prevent emphysema from developing in the lungs is to avoid smoking. The damage to the lungs in severe cases is irreversible and only treatment of the symptoms resulting from emphysema can be given, but these therapies will not be able to treat the disease directly.
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