Years of smoking can take its toll on the body. One disease you’re likely to get is emphysema.

Emphysema is a condition wherein the air sacs (alveoli) and small airways of the lungs are overstretched and damaged, making breathing difficult. Aside from smoking, other risk factors are age, exposure to secondhand smoke and chemical fumes, indoor and outdoor pollution and HIV infection.

“In emphysema, inflammation destroys these fragile walls of the air sacs, causing them to lose their elasticity. As a result, the bronchioles collapse, and air becomes trapped in the air sacs, which overstretches them and interferes with your ability to exhale (hyperinflation),” according to the Mayo Clinic.

“In time, this overstretching may cause several air sacs to rupture, forming one larger air space instead of many small ones. Because the larger, less elastic sacs aren't able to force air completely out of your lungs when you exhale, you have to breathe harder to take in enough oxygen and to eliminate carbon dioxide,” it added.

Men are the usual victims although there are any women with emphysema nowadays due to the increasing number of female smokers. Repeated lung infections and a family history can also make you susceptible to the disease.

There are usually no symptoms in the early stages but shortness of breath increases over the years. Other signs are a cough with little sputum, weakness, weight loss and fatigue.

“When emphysema is advanced, you must work so hard to expel air from your lungs that just the simple act of breathing can consume a great deal of energy. Unfortunately, because emphysema develops gradually over many years, you may not experience symptoms such as shortness of breath until irreversible damage has already occurred,” the Mayo Clinic said.

The disease is incurable but it is not contagious and you can live a normal life by following your doctor's orders to prevent complications like bronchitis, pneumonia and influenza. The best thing to do is to stop smoking but this is easier said than done and you may need a smoking cessation program to help you quit.

Dr. H. Winter Griffith, a fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, recommends the following:

Don't smoke.

Avoid breathing irritating substances.

If you work in an area with severe air pollution, do all you can to decrease your exposure. Change jobs if necessary.

Treat any accompanying allergies to minimize aggravation of emphysema.

Avoid sudden temperature or humidity changes, loud talking, laughing, crying or exertion if these trigger coughing episodes.

Learn and practice breathing exercises.

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