Library · Disease
Emphysema
Make it clearer
Emphysema is damage to the lung's internal structure. Inside the lungs there are millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli, each one separated from its neighbor by a thin wall. In emphysema, those walls gradually break down. Picture an ice cube tray with the dividers snapped out: where there used to be many small compartments, now there's one big open space. Without those divisions, the lungs have a harder time pushing air back out.
Emphysema is one form of COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But COPD isn't just another name for emphysema: it's a broader label that covers more ground. So while emphysema falls under COPD, saying COPD isn't the same as saying emphysema.
In brief
In emphysema, the walls that separate the lungs' small air sacs, called alveoli, are damaged.
Instead of many small spaces separated by thin walls, larger spaces remain with fewer internal divisions.
When those walls are lost, the lungs have a harder time pushing air out.
Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. However, COPD is a broader term and is not exactly the same thing as emphysema.
Sources (1)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteCOPD
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated