0:00 treatment of emphysema. Just to recap what emphysema is, emphysema is a type of 0:07 lung disease that causes shortness of breath. In a person with emphysema, the 0:12 alveoli are damaged. The alveoli walls, the elastic fibers are damaged and lost 0:18 . 0:18 So to look at it in simple diagram, here are normal alveoli. It is not damaged. 0:27 It 0:27 still contains the alveoli walls. Alveoli with emphysema, on the other hand, 0:34 are 0:34 damaged. The walls are damaged, the elastic fibers are lost and this makes 0:40 breathing difficult and uncomfortable. Now emphysema is usually not a disease 0:45 by 0:46 itself. Many people with emphysema also have chronic bronchitis. A combination 0:51 of 0:51 the two lung diseases is commonly called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 0:55 or COPD. Lung damage from emphysema and COPD is irreversible. The quality of 1:03 life 1:04 for a person's suffering diminishes as the disease progresses, which is quite 1:08 sad. The most important step in preventing emphysema and COPD and slowing 1:15 down its progression is to quit smoking, because smoking is the main cause of 1:21 emphysema. And another important preventive measure is to also not inhale 1:30 substances they may harm the lungs, for example air pollution or certain fumes. 1:34 There are of course pharmacological treatments available out there that 1:41 aims in reducing the symptoms associated with emphysema, as well as to prevent 1:46 exacerbations. One of the main drugs used are bronchodilators that beat it to 1:54 agonists. These medications widen the airways, allowing the person to breathe 1:59 better, easier. Because, for example, if we take a cross section of the bronch 2:07 ial 2:07 of this individual with emphysema, the airways are narrow because the smooth 2:13 muscles are contracting. There may be also a lot of mucus being produced here. 2:18 And so if we administer a beta-2 agonist inhaler, which is a bronchodilator, 2:25 this 2:26 will relax the airways, relax the bronchosmooth muscles, which will allow the 2:33 person to breathe easier. Bronchodilators will reduce symptoms and improve lung 2:39 function. Glucocorticoid inhalers can also be given to a person with emphysema, 2:49 and 2:49 this is to treat the exacerbation periods. These are painful periods when 2:55 the symptoms are more severe, more prominent. And so administration of 3:01 Glucocorticoids, which is an anti-inflammatory drug, will decrease the 3:08 pain caused by inflammation, which is associated with emphysema. So for 3:14 example, here we have an inflamed lung, and if the person takes 3:20 glucocorticoids, the inflammation will subside. The number of exacerbation 3:26 episodes will be reduced. Oxygen therapy is an important treatment for people 3:40 with 3:40 emphysema, if they exhibit hypoxemia. Hypoxemia is when you have low oxygen 3:47 levels in the blood, and so if an individual has hypoxemia, they require 3:54 oxygen therapy daily, about 15 hours or more per day. Oxygen therapy can 4:00 improve survival rates. Vaccines are advised to prevent respiratory 4:06 infections. Respiratory infections such as pneumonia can exacerbate the 4:11 symptoms of emphysema. Also, because emphysema is a result of a chaotic immune 4:18 response in the lungs, it is necessary that people with emphysema get regular 4:23 vaccinations. If a person does contract an infection, and is suffering from 4:31 chronic bronchitis, for example, antibiotics are used to clear up and 4:36 manage the infection. Lung volume reduction surgery is used in severe 4:45 cases, typically in COPD. This is where a non-functioning part of the lung is 4:51 removed. So for example, this non-functioning part of the upper lobule, 4:57 removing this non-functioning part of the lung will allow the other parts of 5:01 the 5:01 lungs to function better despite being also damaged. 5:07 Lung transplantation can and may be performed in end stage COPD, when lungs 5:17 are damaged, full stop, and the person is failing at other treatments. 5:23 Donor lungs are given. However, survival benefits has not been 5:27 demonstrated in emphysema. 5:30 Finally, there is rehabilitation programs aimed to educate people essentially 5:36 about emphysema, as well as improving lung function through 5:41 certain breathing exercises. Rehabilitation programs also provide 5:47 emotional support amongst many other things. 5:51 I hope you enjoyed this video on the treatments of emphysema. Thank you for 5:54 watching.
