Symptoms Breathlessness, followed by coughing are symptoms of emphysema. This can happen by any effort such as talking or laughing. This can make chewing and swallowing very difficult. If your skin has a bluish tint this is caused by lack of oxygen in the blood. If you have emphysema your lungs can catch infection very easily and in time, the strain from breathing will damage the heart.
People become more and more disable and eventually they die.
There is no cure. Emphysema can not be cured, but it can be slowed down. The most important thing for a person to do with emphysema is to quit smoking. You should also avoid polluted or dusty places and stay away from anyone with a chest infection. Bronchodilator drugs can help to clear the air passages, and also breathing pure oxygen from a cylinder allows more oxygen to enter the blood.