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| National Emphysema Foundation |
Question:
My mother has asthma, and a couple of weeks a go she was diagnosed with emphysema. She is 59 years old, and she has never smoked before. Is this possible? I have read a little about it, and don't know what to do? Can anybody help?
Answer:
Emphesema can be caused by smoking, or inhaling heavily polluted air, or it can be inherited (A1AD). It's diagnosed with lung function tests by a pulmonologist. Also poorly treated asthma can lead to remodeling of the lungs with emphesema like symptoms. Emphesema is a type of COPD. Emphesema is treated with many of the same drugs as asthma, plus Atrovent. Bronchodilators are more important in the treatment of emphesema and may need to be used on a regular basis.
Links:
http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9504/htm/emphysem.htm Emphysema
http://emphysemafoundation.org/ The National Emphysema Foundation
http://www.njc.org/MFhtml/RCS_MF.html Recognizing COPD '94, NJC
http://www.njc.org/MFhtml/COP_MF.html Management COPD '94, NJC
http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/lungemphysem.html Emphysema (ALA)
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