Signs of Emphysema Symptoms and Types

Beginning Emphysema Symptoms

The following Emphysema symptoms are typical of an incipient pulmonary emphysema :

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is the most important symptom of emphysema. At first it only occurs during exercise and is dependent on external factors such as season or climate.
Cough may or may not occur.
Lips and fingers are stained blue (cyanosis), this is due because oxygen deficiency in the blood.
Affected are tired and worn, the drive decreases.
The rising emphysema disease to infections. When infection is often an increase in air emergency

Advanced Emphysema Signs

In advanced illness, the following emphysema signs are added :

The shortness of breath becomes the continuous symptoms of emphysema, associated with increasing achievement weakness.
Cough and sputum become constant companions.
The thorax is barrel-shaped, because the chest muscles will remain in inhalation position.
Degradation of general condition with weight loss and muscle loss.
Due to the change in the lung tissue of the right heart is more contaminated, and it comes to right heart failure.

In severe cases, emphysema people can not alone cope with their daily lives and need help from outside, which means they are in need of care.

Two Emphysema Types

According to outside appearance of emphysema patients, two principle emphysema types can be differentiated. Transitions between two types of emphysema are possible :
- Pink Puffer : The “pink puffer” is pulmonary emphysema in foreground. It is thin, has little muscle and suffers from heavy difficulty in breathing. Occasionally, dry cough occurs in pink puffer. A bluish discoloration (cyanosis) due to oxygen deficiency does not occur. These emphysema patients die because their respiratory failure.
- Blue Bloater : The “blue Huster” suffers particularly from a cough and sputum. It usually is overweight and cyanotic, i.e. bluish lips and nails are discolored due to lack of oxygen. Nevertheless, it has little difficulty in breathing. Here is the fatal right heart failure.