Emphysema By: Hayley Allred, Courtney Zechman, and

Amanda Guercioni

Emphysema- which involves destruction of the lungs over time

Emphysema destroys the alveoli (small sacs). They help with oxygen exchange between the air and the bloodstream.

Smoking is the primary cause, which makes it a preventable illness.

Emphysema

Symptoms: Mostly it causes the shortness of breath and a cough,

caused by smoking, which gradually worsens over time.

Diagnosis of emphysema is based upon history, a physical examination, and pulmonary function studies.

Emphysema is not curable once present, but its symptoms are controllable.

People with this disease might need an oxygen supplement.

Exercise training and education are essential components to help with emphysema

Emphysema

Emphysema is not curable, once the lungs are damaged it cannot be reversed

The goal of treatment is to stop lung damage and keep the lungs functioning

If the patient is a smoker, then the #1 treatment goal is to get the patient to stop smoking

As the disease gets worse, people with emphysema may need extra oxygen, first for sleep, then exercise, then for daily life

There are three main types of medications:◦ Bronchodilators: relax the smooth muscles around the lungs◦ Corticosteroids: helps decrease inflammation◦ Antibiotics: used to treat common, short-term illnesses because

people with emphysema are more prone to them

Treatment and Medications

People with emphysema have trouble getting rid of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the lungs

CO2 can come from some of the nutrients we eat, mostly carbohydrates like simple and complex sugars

A lower amount of CO2 comes from fats People with emphysema usually have a high fat,

low carbohydrate diet to decrease the amount of CO2 in the body

It increases calorie energy because ineffective breathing uses up a lot more calories

A person with emphysema should have at least 2,000 calories/day with 50% of the calories from fat

Role of Diet

Increases: Energy level Muscle strength and endurance Cardiopulmonary (heart-lung) endurance Ability to fight infection Relaxation Restful sleep Bone densityDecreases: Shortness of breath Risk factors of heart disease Blood pressure Side effects of medicine (steroids) Depression Blood sugar levels

Role of Exercise

Exercise is an important part of improving emphysema. It is not true that people with chronic lung disease are too short of breath to exercise. Regular exercise helps you feel less short of breath, improve your heart and muscles, and help you feel good about yourself.

Emphysema does not necessarily affect how long you live, but it affects the quality of your life

The patient will constantly have the miserable feeling of being short of breath

It will be hard on the family because they have to watch the patient struggle to breath

The person may not be able to play with their kids/grandkids anymore

The family needs to help the person with emphysema by helping them do things like:◦ Heavy lifting◦ Walking around◦ Etc.

Impact on You and Your Family

Management of Emphysema

Short Term Long Term

QUIT SMOKING If you are diagnosed

early, you may be able to stop emphysema from worsening before it affects your daily life

Follow the treatment plan provided by your doctor:

Taking medication everyday

QUIT SMOKING Breathing with an

oxygen tank Lung transplant Surgery Trying to live a

healthier lifestyle◦ Eating more fats and

less carbohydrates◦ Exercising

Statistics Number of emphysema deaths: 10,878 Emphysema deaths per 100,000 population: 3.5 Number of no institutionalized adults who have ever

been diagnosed with emphysema: 4.3 million Percent of no institutionalized adults who have ever

been diagnosed with emphysema: 1.9% Over 3 million Americans (2 out of every 1,000

residents) suffer from emphysema. More than 100,000 people in the U.S. die from

emphysema annually, and many more die from a disease brought on by it, such as congestive heart failure.

Emphysema

3 WOW’s

Emphysema is the fastest growing cause of death in North America

Statistics show that there are already 2 million Americans that suffer

Smoking is considered as the number one cause of all respiratory diseases, nearly 82% of the respiratory diseases are caused due to cigarette smoking.

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