What do you know about Emphysema !!!

Hi Rose I am sorry to read this and yes it is a big shock to the System I have had this Illness and COPD for the last 6 years now well I have had it longer but it was only detected 6 years ago I will tell you now your Husband will need you more now then ever, it is not an easy thing to deal with Like Him I was healthy fit and on the go all the time well my Life changed it was hard to adjust for me, I went into depression and I mean bad depression for a year as I felt useless I could not do certain things any more and it does restrict me but he needs encouragement and love I will let your Doctor explain everything to you but tell him he will be able to live with it but it will take time for him to adjust and to accept that there will be certain things he will not be able to do like he used to Do not get in a panic Sweetie, I know it is a shock I certainly do know that I was 42 when I was diagnosed and they reckon I already had a few Years then Big Hugs to you both

it's sad to hear that your husband is having this disease involving the lungs. would you mind if i ask if your husband smokes? Emphysema is an irreversible disease condition. it involves destruction of the alveolar walls of the lungs causing enlargement of the bronchioles causing poor gas exchange.

I would suggest that you get him involved with a site for people with this same health condition so he has people to talk to about what he is going through and they will be able to offer him advice since they have been through it already. My dad had this and his lungs were hardly working at all. It is a disease of the lungs. They specialist will do testing to find out just what functions he has of his lungs. They will let yo know how bad it is or if it's just starting and he will get lots of advice from them on his chances of life style that he may have to make. He may not need it now but at some time he will need to be on oxygen to help his lungs breathe. I wish you and him lots of luck and I sincerely hope he does not have a bad case of this.

All I know is from what I've seen happen to other people. My best friend in junior high, her grandfather had emphysema. He ended up having to get a lung transplant. He was a smoker. But after he got the lung transplant he did live a better life (I imagine this man was worse off than your husband. I don't want you to worry your husband will need a lung transplant). Of course her grandfather was quite old when he was diagnosed. I am very sorry that your hubby has been diagnosed with this. I pray he gets very good care. And remember, new health treatments are coming out all the time.

sorry to hear about this. what you need to do is all the research you can regarding this to see how you can help him. check out your local lung assiciation and even the library.

Hello Rose, I'm Melissa and I'm a nurse and I work with patients with COPD and emphysema daily. Here are a few things you should know...there is no cure,,, but the disease can be slowed by eliminating smoke, smog, and other irritants from your surroundings. Build a resistance to respiratory infections by eating foods high in vitamins and fiber, ask your doctor about the flu and pneumonia vaccine as well. Schedule rest periods often, and avoid any unnecessary strenuous activity, although mild excercise is recommended. Persons with emphysema burn a lot of calories just to breathe, so make sure to have a good diet with 'good' foods and no junk foods, as nutritional foods help improve lung function, and less nutritional foods can cause breathing muscles to become weak. Limit salt intake also. Hope this helps, if there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask =)

My ex. wife, with whom I am still friendly, has had emphysema for several years. Since her mid-50s I would say. It seems that it is an inherited disease as her mother also had it. With medical attention and monitoring she is doing OK. However, one thing that bothered her at one time is that she was a really excellent singer and we worked together professionally for many years (I am a musician). She misses that ability because she needs good breath control to sing, and now can no longer do it. She does however, train young people in singing and stage presentation. She has the right attitude for such a difficult disease and is proving to a lot of people that she can still have a life, even though it doesn't involve singing that she loved so much in the past. It did take her a while to come to terms with it though, but we are a lot stronger than we think we are. Myself, I have come to terms with having had a heart attack at 58, even though I kept myself fairly fit. It was just genetic blood clotting, and it has changed my life quite a lot inasmuch as I don't have the energy I used to, but I'm working on it! You just gotta keep working on it... That's my philosophy and everytime I feel that life has slapped me down because my energy and strength has gone. I just pick myself up and go for it again. What else am I do to do? I ask myself. Nothing is forever, and that inludes my stamina. I hope that your husband gets a positive prognosis, and that things work out well for you both. _Derek

I don't know much about it, but I am sending somebody your way.

It is a lung disease where air passage gets smaller and it tightens due to swelling. The tissue becomes weak and it deteriorates. The moment you inhale air the lungs expand and because of the weak tissue the lungs cannot hold its expansion and tends not to serve its purpose. Chain smoking is one reason you'll get this ailments. Perhaps advise him not to expose himself to places where it will trigger irritation on his breathing like smoking areas, constructions sites, polluted streets or even places with lots dust mite. I pray that he will recover soon. It can be cured. I asked my sister about it. She's a doctor.