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| Stage Of Emphysema |
Question:
What are the signs of emphysema and what is the most severe stage of it?
Answer:
Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) that evolves over a period of time. Specifically,
emphysema destroys the structural architecture of the lungs and
results in destruction of the alveoli, the approximately three million
tiny air sacs in the lungs. Oxygen is delivered to the lungs and
carbon dioxide is carried from the lungs across the walls of the
alveoli; as more and more alveoli are damaged, it becomes harder and
harder for the lungs to function, causing one or more of the following
symptoms: shortness of breath, increasing difficulty exercising, great difficulty exhaling,
chronic coughing, tiredness and fatigue, and chest pain.
As the disease progresses, breathing becomes increasingly difficult.
In its most severe stage, virtually any physical activity becomes
extremely difficult, if not impossible.
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