emphysema and chronic bronchitis are chronic (long-term) lung diseases that make it hard to breathe. both diseases are chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (copd) meaning they are conditions that cause a limitation in airflow. emphysema and chronic bronchitis can occur separately or together and are usually the result of cigarette smoking. in addition although it happens rarely a genetic form of emphysema can occur early in adulthood even if you never smoked. in the united states copd is vastly underdiagnosed. while only 15% to 20% of smokers are diagnosed with copd experts believe the majority of smokers develop some degree of airflow obstruction. emphysema comes on gradually after years of exposure to irritants such as cigarette smoke. with emphysema the tiny air sacs in the lungs become damaged. because the tiny sacs lose their "stretch " less air gets in and out of the lungs. this causes you to feel short of breath. with chronic bronchitis the airways that carry air to the lungs are inflamed and produce a lot of mucus. the mucus and inflammation cause the airways to narrow or become obstructed making it difficult to breathe. once the airways are irritated over a long period the lining of the airways becomes thickened. this thickening of the airways results in an irritating cough hampered airflow and lung scarring. the damaged airways then become a breeding place for bacterial infections such as pneumonia.
what is emphysema and chronic bronchitis?