Enfisema Pulmonar is a form of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The main characteristics of COPD are the obstruction of normal airflow which usually manifests in the patient’s inability to breath normally, even while doing the most common tasks, like walking around in the house. In the United State of America, COPD is listed in position four for the number of death causes. According to studies, approximately 12 million people have been diagnosed with this health condition and another 12 million are estimated to have contracted a form of COPD, but have not been diagnosed, yet.

The disease can be diagnosed rather easily through a breathing test. Smoking is the major cause for Enfisema Pulmonar. However, the illness can also be contracted by exposure to toxins, such as asbestos fibers. Similar to other respiratory diseases, Enfisema Pulmonar has a rather long latency period. It is not uncommon to see a patient exhibiting no symptoms for many years before the first signs surface.

Symptoms include, chronic coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. The illness starts in the air sacs located inside the lungs. As these sacs are getting destroyed the regular lung function gets severely impaired. Eventually, carbon dioxide is being admitted to the blood stream instead of oxygen. The disease is not curable, however, treatment options are available. Smokers are advised to quit their habit for obvious reasons. Some patients may require additional oxygen support. Further to that, the doctors may prescribe so called broncho-dilators. Those drugs help to open up the airways of the lungs. In extreme cases, the situation may require the patient to undergo a lung transplant.

If a person is suffering from any of the aforementioned symptoms, medical assistance should be sought  as soon as possible. The sooner a diagnosis can be made, the better are the chances of an effective treatment.