What are the symptoms of emphysema? These common manifestations

Emphysema generally develops slowly. Patients have a long history of coughing and sputum. If the condition continues to worsen, breathing difficulties will occur, which will have a great impact on life and work. Timely treatment and care are required.

1. The onset is slow, and there is often a history of chronic cough and sputum. The early symptoms are not obvious, or there is difficulty breathing when tired. As the disease progresses, the dyspnea gradually worsens, making it difficult to perform the original work. When chronic bronchitis is complicated by obstructive pulmonary emphysema, gradually worsening dyspnea occurs on the basis of the original symptoms such as cough and sputum. When secondary infection occurs, symptoms of respiratory failure such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, headache, drowsiness, and confusion appear. When emphysema worsens, barrel chest appears, respiratory movements weaken, exhalation is prolonged, vocal tremor weakens or disappears, percussion is too clear, the heart dullness boundary shrinks or disappears, the liver dullness boundary descends, the heart sounds are distant, the breath sounds weaken, and there are wet Up sounds in the lungs. Some patients develop complications: spontaneous pneumothorax, acute lung infection, and chronic cor pulmonale.

2. Most of the signs of mild emphysema are normal . When emphysema worsens, the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest increases, the appearance is barrel-shaped, the spine is kyphotic, the shoulders and clavicles are lifted, the intercostal spaces are full, the rib and clavicle movements are weakened, the vocal fremitus is weakened, the percussion sound is too clear, the cardiac dullness boundary is reduced or disappears, the liver dullness boundary is descended, the breath sounds and vocal fremitus are weakened, the exhalation is prolonged, and sometimes dry and wet up sounds can be heard at the lung base, the heart sounds are distant, and the pulmonary artery second heart sound is hyperactive. Patients with severe emphysema will have shallow and rapid breathing even at rest, and breath sounds are almost inaudible. Cyanosis may occur. When combined with cor pulmonale and right heart failure, signs such as distended jugular veins, ascites, hepatomegaly, and pitting edema may occur.