Smoking hurts your health in many ways. Years of smoking can lead to a disease of the lungs called emphysema, which affects more than 3 million people in the United States (American Lung Association).

A form of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema develops slowly over time and once it develops, it can’t be reversed.

In those with emphysema, lung tissue is gradually damaged, specifically the tiny air sacs called alveoli. The damage causes the tiny air sacs to rupture and create one larger air pocket instead of several small ones. This can result in air being trapped in the damaged tissue and prevent oxygen from moving through the bloodstream. The damage can also cause the lungs to overfill making it difficult to breathe.

Unfortunately, you may not notice symptoms of emphysema until half of the lung tissue has been destroyed. First signs of the disease may be shortness of breath and fatigue. Other symptoms of emphysema include coughing with mucus, wheezing and tightness in the chest.

Symptoms tend to develop slowly and for many may not appear noticeable until after age 40.

The number one cause of emphysema is smoking, making it one of the most preventable respiratory diseases, according to the American Lung Association. Cigarette smoking destroys lung tissue and irritates the airways. Once these cells are damaged, they are more prone to become abnormal or cancerous.

While emphysema and lung cancer are different conditions, they share smoking as the main risk factor. In fact, 90 percent of lung cancers are linked to cigarette smoking.

Aside from cigarette use, other risk factors for developing emphysema include:

• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Occupational exposure to certain fumes from dust or chemicals from grain, cotton, wood or mining products
• Exposure to certain pollutants, such as fumes from heating fuel
• Respiratory infections

To diagnose emphysema, your doctor may rely on imaging, such as a chest X-ray or CAT scan, and tests, including a blood draw, pulse oximetry (oxygen level in the blood), spirometry (lung function) and electrocardiogram (ECG).

Though emphysema is not curable, medications can help relieve symptoms and slow the development of the disease. Your doctor may suggest bronchodilators to help relieve coughing and shortness of breath, inhaled steroids to alleviate inflammation and antibiotics if you develop an infection.

Other treatments may involve supplemental oxygen to help with breathing or nutritional therapy to help ensure your diet is appropriate. In some extreme cases, surgery may be used to relieve pressure by removing a portion of damaged lung tissue.

As soon as you quit smoking, your body begins to repair itself. Learn what happens after you quit smoking.

Learn how to help a loved one quit smoking.

Edward-Elmhurst Health offers acupuncture to help people quit smoking. This method helps lower stress and other factors that could feed into the addictive behavior. For more information, contact the Integrative Medicine Clinic.

Learn more about cancer services at Edward-Elmhurst Health.