Emphysema

• Emphysema is a lung condition where the walls of the alveoli lose their elasticity due to damage
• The loss of elasticity leads to abnormal enlargement of the alveoli, reducing the total surface area for gas exchange
• Degradation of alveolar walls can cause holes to develop and alveoli to merge into huge air spaces (pulmonary bullae)
• Major cause of emphysema: smoking, as chemical irritants in cigarette smoke damage alveolar walls
• Lung tissue damage from smoking leads to recruitment of phagocytes that produce elastase, breaking down elastic fibres in alveolar walls
• A small proportion of emphysema cases are due to a hereditary deficiency in the enzyme inhibitor due to a gene mutation
• Treatments for emphysema:

  • No current cure, but treatments available to relieve symptoms and delay disease progression
  • Bronchodilators relax bronchiolar muscles and improve airflow
  • Corticosteroids reduce the inflammatory response breaking down elastic fibres
  • Elastase activity can be blocked by enzyme inhibitor (α-1-antitrypsin) if elastase concentrations are not too high
  • Oxygen supplementation needed in later stages for adequate oxygen intake
  • Surgery and alternative medicines can help decrease symptom severity in some cases