Causes of Emphysema

Emphysema is actually a bronchial disease, and it can be divided into different types, mainly senile emphysema, compensatory emphysema, obstructive emphysema, etc. Most people who have this disease have a history of coughing and sputum. If it cannot be treated in time, secondary infection will form emphysema. Let's take a detailed look at the causes of emphysema.

In fact, the symptoms of emphysema are not obvious in the early stages. It is only when you are tired that you will experience breathing difficulties, which can be relieved after adjustments. This makes it easy for people to ignore the severity of the disease. However, scientific treatment first requires knowing the cause.

The pathogenesis of emphysema has not yet been fully elucidated, and it is generally believed to be caused by the synergistic effect of multiple factors. Various factors that cause chronic bronchitis, such as infection, smoking, air pollution, long-term inhalation of occupational dust and harmful gases, allergies, etc., can all cause obstructive pulmonary emphysema. Its occurrence mechanism can be summarized as follows:

① Due to chronic inflammation of the bronchi, the lumen is narrowed, forming an incomplete obstruction. During inspiration, gas easily enters the alveoli. During exhalation, the trachea is blocked due to the increase in intrapleural pressure. There is a lot of gas remaining in the alveoli, causing the alveoli to be over-inflated.

② Chronic inflammation destroys the cartilage of the small bronchial wall, causing the normal support function of the bronchus to be lost. During inhalation, the bronchi dilate and gas can still enter the alveoli. However, during exhalation, the bronchi shrink excessively and collapse, hindering the discharge of gas. A large amount of gas accumulates in the alveoli, causing the alveoli to expand significantly and the pressure to increase.

③ Chronic lung inflammation increases the amount of proteolytic enzymes released by white blood cells and macrophages, damaging lung tissue and alveolar walls, causing multiple alveoli to fuse into bullae or emphysema; in addition, cigarette components can cause neutrophils to release elastase through cytotoxic reactions and stimulation of active cells. In vitro and in vivo experiments have confirmed that macrophages can release an enzyme similar to elastase after exposure to cigarette smoke;

④ The capillaries in the alveolar wall are compressed, blood supply is reduced, and the lung tissue is nutritionally impaired, which also causes the alveolar wall elasticity to decrease, making emphysema more likely to occur.

The above is an introduction to the causes of emphysema. No matter what factors cause emphysema, it will bring harm to our health. Therefore, we should not easily ignore these phenomena in life. As long as they are discovered and treated as soon as possible, the damage can be minimized.