Emphysema is a serious disease that can damage your lungs and your heart. You should see your doctor at the first sign of symptoms. The first symptom of emphysema is usually shortness of breath. Sometimes coughing or wheezing are noticed first, and patients and doctors alike may confuse it with asthma. Weight loss occurs frequently and may be so sever that cancer is suspected.
Some patients have chronic bronchitis before developing emphysema.
This over-inflation is caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alveoli by various factors. In emphysema, however, the elasticity of the lungs is reduced, and so it requires more time and effort for a person to exhale. Emphysema is a progressive disease and so it becomes worse with time. It may take many years for the disease to develop to the point that a person notices it. Eventually, emphysema will begin to have a negative impact on a person's daily activities.