Question 1

why do people with emphysema lose weight?

Accepted Answer

Breathing: Patients with emphysema work hard to breath.  This effort uses up calories quickly.  Also the inflated lungs push on the stomach and limit the size of the stomach causing patients to ingest less food.

Question 2

how do i lose weight if i have copd and can't exercise?

Accepted Answer

Start slow: You don't need to run to lose weight. Even walking will help you lose weight. In the beginning, walk for very short distance, take break and then walk again and slowly it will improve. Also, optimize the COPD with medications and smoking cessation.

Question 3

what exercises can my husband who is 76 do to loose weight with emphasemia?

Accepted Answer

Ask his doctor: Given his age and what you have noted (emphysema, a chronic lung problem), he should consult with his primary doctor (or his lung doctor) before starting a new exercise program. Depending on the severity of the lung disease, his ability to exercise may be limited. Exercise helps weight loss by burning calories, so it is a good idea.

Question 4

why do people with emphysema sometimes have problems with fluid retention and ankle swelling?

Accepted Answer

Right heart strain: This is usually related to right heart strain from lung disease or from pulmonary hypertension (high pressure in the pulmonary vascular bed).  Patients with advanced copd/emphysema develop increased pressure in their lungs which causes the right side of the heart to dilate/enlarge.  This in turn causes fluid retention in the legs/ankles (known as edema).

Question 5

how long can emphysema last?

Accepted Answer

Forever: Once the condition is causing symptoms that are severe enough for a doctor to diagnose emphysema that means that there is a lot of lung tissue that is scarred. The scarring is permanent and there is no medication to reverse it. The medications to  treat emphysema only help the remaining unscarred lung tissue to work better.

Question 6

does emphysema effect older people?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Because emphysema happens over a period of years, most patients are older when they develop symptoms of it. Because there is such a gradual deterioration in lung function sometimes patients have mild symptoms for many months before they are diagnosed with emphysema.

Question 7

can emphysema affect small children?

Accepted Answer

Yes: 3% of babies in the neonatal intensive care unit can have interstitial pulmonary emphysema. There is a genetic condition that causes low levels of an enzyme that protects the lungs, and these patients can get emphysema even without smoking, but it does not affect small children. (it might be apparent in their 30's or 40's). Thanks @yayayarndiva.

Question 8

how long does emphysema take to occur?

Accepted Answer

Some years: Emphysema is a gradual scarring of the lung tissue. The damage occurs slowly over many years. People who smoke 3-4 packs a day are likely to develop emphysema more quickly than someone who smokes 1/2 pack a day, but both will have the same problem difficulty breathing once the emphysema is sufficiently advanced.

Question 9

what are the symptoms of end stage emphysema?

Accepted Answer

Emphysema: shortness of breath progressing to being short of breath even at rest

Question 10

how many people die from emphysema each year?

Accepted Answer

US COPD Stats: Here are stats for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in US:  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/copd.htm
Emphysema is one form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease .

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Doctor answers about:

Why do people with emphysema lose weight

A member asked:

Why do people with emphysema lose weight?

A member asked:

How do i lose weight if i have copd and can't exercise?

A member asked:

What exercises can my husband who is 76 do to loose weight with emphasemia?

A member asked:

Why do people with emphysema sometimes have problems with fluid retention and ankle swelling?

A member asked:

How long can emphysema last?

A member asked:

Does emphysema effect older people?

A member asked:

Can emphysema affect small children?

A member asked:

How long does emphysema take to occur?

A member asked:

What are the symptoms of end stage emphysema?

A member asked:

How many people die from emphysema each year?

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