The Three Major Symptoms Of Emphysema

There are many lung diseases nowadays, and emphysema is simply one of them. The normal functioning of the lungs has a great deal to do with their shape, so it is important that they are maintained in their proper shape. We have to keep it in mind that the lung is the site at which blood is oxygenated: in other words, a site in which an interchange of gases takes place.

Destruction of the lung tissue would mean a distortion of the lung shape and a malfunction in its usual processes. We will try to look into the various symptoms that will arise from this condition. Be warned, however, that these symptoms will show themselves one at a time, not all in one burst. Rather, they tend to come about progressively: such that a patient starts with one of these symptoms, before advancing to the next one and then to the next one after that.

Now the first major symptom through which the lung disease known as emphysema manifests is that of breathlessness. This lung disease takes quite a while to build up or worsen, since it involves the gradual destruction and deterioration of the lung tissue that maintains the lung shape. Initially, one will only experience the breathlessness when subjected to major exertion. Soon, the breathlessness will become a regular occurrence, even without major exertion, because the lung tissue is deteriorating. If no intervention is done, a point can eventually come where the patient is breathless even when sitting or sleeping (when at rest). You can probably dismiss the early stages of the symptom as something that is just normal. But as it progresses, a point comes when it becomes truly distressing ' and this is the point at which most of the patients tend to turn up for treatment.

Chest expansion could also take place. This is yet another symptom of emphysema. The disease will naturally lead to difficulties in breathing, which then results to chest expansion. The patient could not breathe properly. Therefore, he has no choice but to expand his chest in order to compensate. Evidence for the expansion is normally found when the antero-posterior diameter measurement of the chest is taken, and compared with what would ordinarily be expected.

Skin discoloration is also another symptom of this lung disease. You will see the skin of the patient suddenly turning shades of blue. It is not only emphysema that manifests this symptom. Lung diseases that involve lack of blood oxygenation will be showing this symptom. This lung disease symptom, which is also called cyanosis, takes time to manifest itself. It does not take place all at once. In the early stages of the disease, the cyanosis may not be noticeable, but a point soon comes (especially if no interventions are put in place) when the change in skin color can't be ignored.