Introduction to Emphysema (Doc)

EMPHYSEMA

Emphysema:
• the condition of the lung that results in occurrence of
shortness of breath in patients
• air sacs in the lungs are damaged
• the inner walls of the air sacs are seen to get weaken
• reduction of the surface area of the lungs (Steiger et al.
2017)
• amount of oxygen that reaches the bloodstream is reduced
• old air is seen to get trapped which thereby gives no space
to the fresh, oxygen rich air to enter

Causes
Main symptom:
• shortness of breath
Causes
• marijuana smoke, (Klooster et al. 2015)
• tobacco smoke,
• chemical fumes and
• dust and
• even air pollution
risk factors
• Smoking
• Age
• occupational exposure
• exposure to different indoor as well as outdoor pollution

Pathophysiology: Macrophages
• invading foreign antigens infiltrate the innate respiratory
defenses
• the inflammatory responding immune cells take active
participation in the transportation of the antigens to
different bronchial associated lymphatic tissue layer
• inflammatory immune cells are the eosinophils,
polymorphonuclear cells, macrophages as well as cd4 and
cd8 positive lymphocytes
• huge amount of release of the neutrophilic chemotactic
factors
• results in the destruction of the epithelial barrier of the
lungs