My doc has made me paranoid. is emphysema really common in younger people?

Short of breath : Some forms of emphysema are seen in younger people. More commonly long term smoking causes lung damage. Discuss with your doc so you understand what you are dealing with.

Emphysema : It is much more common in younger people (younger than 60-as it used to be seen in much older people more commonly). Now due in large part to smoking in teens, it is rapidly becoming a disease of a much younger population. Sad but true!