EMPHYSEMA

Emphysema is a lung disease involving damage to the air sacs or alveoli. The lungs lose their elasticity and become less able to expand and contract.

The alveoli cannot deflate completely so less oxygen is taken into the lungs, leading to breathing difficulties.

Cigarette smoking is the most frequent cause of emphysema but for the miners seeking compensation it was the coal dust which was held to be mainly responsible for the disease.

It is thought that coal dust causes the release of chemicals in the lungs that damage the walls of the air sacs. The damage to the lungs worsens over time, affecting the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the process by which we breathe.

• Chronic cough,
• Bluish coloration of skin due to lack of oxygen,
• Chronic shortage of breath,
• Wheezing,
• Other symptoms can include; nasal flaring, bulging eyes, dizziness, excessive sleepiness, insomnia, memory loss, anxiety and stress, impotence, weight loss.

Breathing can be improved by using hand-held inhalers. Many sufferers aid their breathing by using oxygen tanks kept at home. The thinning and removal of lung secretions to help the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide can be enhanced by physical therapy, for example chest clapping. Experimental surgery to remove badly damaged portions of the lungs is now being developed.

The prognosis is better for those people who give up smoking, but is poor for those who have extensive lung damage. Death can occur from respiratory failure or heart failure.