Is there a cure for emphysema

Emphysema is a kind of chronic and obstructive disease of the lungs that attacks directly the air sacks, called alveoli. This happens most commonly in smokers and the latest stages of the disease involve the formation of the cyst in the place of the affected alveolus and that way the air stays locked-up in the lungs.

The consequence is the inability of the lungs for supplying the blood with enough oxygen and that is a very serious problem in general. So the process of inhaling and exhaling is damaged because the alveoli cannot contract. Other than that, emphysema may result in some serious degenerations and deformities of the lungs including, consequently, the injuries on the veins, arteries and capillaries of the lungs.

Treatment

So, because this disease is very dangerous, and thus, because of the high level of the mortality caused by it in U.S., the great attention has been paid on the medical treatment lately. There are also a lot of ways of dealing with this disease, and they can be based on the inhalers, oxygen, medications and sometimes surgery.

Nevertheless the first step in the healing process is, of course, staying away from cigarettes, because smoking can only worsen the already serious problem. Concerning this matter very helpful are certain therapies and medications for quitting the smoking.

Medications

As far as the drugs for treating emphysema are concerned, the ones that widen the bronchi, are most frequently prescribed. The most popular is the drug called Albuterol and it is often taken in the not-so-advanced stage of the condition especially if the patient is not able to inhale enough air. For the same purpose is used the drug called Atrovent, which can, like the one previously mentioned be found in both, the fluid form and in the form designed for inhalation. And, finally, the most common substitute for the drugs above is theophylline.

When it comes to another type of the drugs, which are used for reducing the inflammations, logically, the antibiotics could be used for lessening the symptoms of emphysema. Also, the steroids, which can be taken by mouth or by inhaling them are in a lot of the cases, efficient in minimizing the inflammatory processes, in general. More importantly, these drugs are used for treating moderate and severe symptoms.

And, finally, when we talk about the first-aid intervention, the treatment of inhaling the pure oxygen through the tube is the most appropriate for such a problem.