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Diseases & Conditions
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Emphysema is a progressive lung disease that results in shortness of breath and reduces a person's capacity for physical activity. The alveoli, which are tiny air sacs in the lungs, become enlarged. This enlargement causes the alveoli walls to break down or rupture, narrowing the airways. The narrowed airways make it difficult for a person to breathe, and the lung tissue eventually gets destroyed. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis often occur together, and they cause a condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Symptoms may include:
- shortness of breath
- reduced capacity for physical activity
- chronic, mild cough
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- fatigue
- accute respiratory failure
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