Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Schiffman received his B.S. degree with High Honors in biology from Hobart College in 1976. He then moved to Chicago where he studied biochemistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle. He attended Rush Medical College where he received his M.D. degree in 1982 and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the University of California, Irvine.
Emphysema is a destructive disease of the lung in which the alveoli (small sacs) that promote oxygen exchange between the air and the bloodstream are
destroyed.
Smoking is the primary cause of emphysema,
which makes it a preventable
illness.
Shortness of breath is the primary symptom of emphysema. It is a
progressive complaint, worsening over time. Early in the disease, shortness of
breath may occur with exercise and activity but symptoms gradually worsen and
may occur at rest.
Diagnosis of emphysema is based upon history, physical examination, and pulmonary
function studies.
Once present, emphysema is not curable, but its symptoms are controllable.
Medication regimens are available to preserve function for daily activities
and quality of life for an individual with emphysema.
Oxygen supplementation may be required for a person with emphysema.
Exercise training and education are essential components of emphysema
therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Surgical options for individuals with emphysema have been developed and but are not expected to be
available for widespread use.
Emphysema does not affect quantity of life, but rather quality of life. There are no
studies that can predict life-expectancy in individuals with emphysema.
Introduction to emphysema
The lungs are a pair of organs in the chest that are primarily responsible
for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the
blood.
The lung is composed of clusters of small air sacs (alveoli) divided by thin,
elastic walls or membranes. Capillaries, the tiniest of blood vessels, run
within these walls between the alveoli and allow blood and air to come near each other. The distance between the air in the lungs and the blood in the
capillaries is very small, and allows molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide to
transfer across the membranes.
Air reaches the alveoli via the bronchial tree. The trachea splits into the
right and left mainstem bronchi, which branch further into bronchioles and
finally ends in the alveolar air sacs.
When we breathe in, air enters the lung and the alveoli expand. Oxygen is
transferred onto hemoglobin molecules in the red blood cells to be transported
to the rest of the body for use. As oxygen attaches to the red blood cell,
carbon dioxide, the waste product of metabolism, detaches and crosses into the
alveoli to be exhaled. When we breathe out, the alveoli get squeezed by the
elasticity in their walls and air is pushed out of the lungs.
Reviewed by George Schiffman, MD, FCCP on 9/28/2011
Emphysema is a progressive disease that usually manifests itself in patients
after 50 years of age. Emphysema is a subtype of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD in the US, COLD in the United Kingdom). Most patients, except in
those in whom disease is the result of a genetic deficiency (alpha-1 antitrypsin
deficiency), have variable manifestations of the different components of COPD
which include:
chronic bronchitis,
asthma,
emphysema, and
bronchiectasis.
Each of the subtypes has characteristic symptoms; those primarily associated
with emphysema are shortness of breath and wheezing. Initially the shortness of
breath (dyspnea) occurs with activity; as time continues and the disease
progresses, the episodes of dyspnea occur more frequently eventually occurring
at rest.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting
Pneumonia is inflammation of one or both lungs with consolidation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always due to infection. The infection may be bacterial,
Angina is chest pain that is due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. Angina can be caused by coronary artery disease or spasm of the
Bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchial passages become inflamed. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude).
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette
Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are genetic disorders that include symptoms such as loose joints, tissue weakness, easy bruising, and skin that stretches easily.
Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of the pressure in the pulmonary circulation caused by the constriction of the blood vessels that supply
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COPD mainly involves three related conditions,
Heart failure is caused by many conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and conditions that overwork the heart. Symptoms
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that may cause liver and lung disease in adults. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath,
Smoker's lung photo essay is a collection of pictures and microscopic slides of lung disease caused by cigarette smoking. Smoker's lung refers to the diseases
Nicotine is delivered to the brain through smoking, chewing, or sniffing tobacco. Nicotine is an addictive agent. Common names for nicotine products include
There are many unusual symptoms of asthma, including sighing, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, chronic cough, recurrent walking pneumonia, and rapid breathing.
Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as
If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia.
Polycythemia is a condition that results in an increased level of circulating
red blood cells in the bloodstream. People with polycythemia have an increase in
hematocrit, hemoglobin, or"...
