Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chronic lung disease: Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that causes shortness of breath. It is characterized by damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, which become overstretched and lose their elasticity, reducing the lungs' ability to expel air effectively.
   • A condition marked by decreased respiratory function: This damage leads to impaired gas exchange and a decrease in overall respiratory function. The lungs lose their natural recoil, making exhalation difficult and often trapping air inside.

Usage

• Emphysema is a non-countable noun used to refer to the medical condition. It is typically modified by adjectives or used in prepositional phrases to specify context.
• It is commonly associated with risk factors such as tobacco smoking, long-term exposure to air pollutants, or genetic conditions like Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Years of smoking led to the development of emphysema.
  • The doctor diagnosed him with severe emphysema.
  • Shortness of breath is a primary symptom of emphysema.

Advanced Usage

• "Pulmonary emphysema": This is the full medical term, specifying that the condition is in the lungs.
  • The patient's pulmonary emphysema was confirmed by a CT scan.
• "Emphysema" in a medical context: It is often discussed alongside Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as it is one of the main diseases that constitute COPD.
  • Her COPD is primarily due to emphysema rather than chronic bronchitis.

Variants and Related Words

• Emphysematous (adj): Describing something related to or affected by emphysema.
  • The scan showed emphysematous changes in the lung tissue.

Synonyms

• Pulmonary emphysema: The full technical term.
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease): A broader category of lung diseases that often includes emphysema. (Note: This is a related, broader term, not a perfect synonym.)

Different Meanings

• In a very specific, non-human medical context, "emphysema" can sometimes refer to the abnormal presence of air in body tissues (e.g., subcutaneous emphysema). However, when used alone, it almost always refers to the lung condition.
  • The trauma caused subcutaneous emphysema, where air was trapped under his skin.

Noun

1. an abnormal condition of the lungs marked by decreased respiratory function; associated with smoking or chronic bronchitis or old age