Emphysema Treatment

Emphysema treatment goals are focused on relieving symptoms, helping you breathe easier, and improving your overall health. Treatment is different for each person, and is based on whether a person's symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe. Treatment options for emphysema may include medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, or surgery. Although emphysema cannot be cured, early treatment can help slow the progress of the disease.

 

An Introduction to Emphysema Treatment

Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing emphysema and slow the progress of the disease.
 
Your doctor will recommend emphysema treatment that help relieve your symptoms and help you breathe easier. However, emphysema cannot be cured.
 
The goals of emphysema treatment are to:
 
  • Relieve your symptoms with no or minimal side effects of emphysema treatment
  • Slow the progress of the disease
  • Improve exercise tolerance (your ability to stay active)
  • Prevent and treat complications and sudden onset of problems
  • Improve your overall health.
     
Emphysema treatment is different for each person. Emphysema treatment is based on whether your symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe.
 
Your family doctor may recommend that you see a lung specialist called a pulmonologist.
 
Emphysema treatment may involve one (or a combination) of the following:
 
  • Medications
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation
  • Oxygen
  • Surgery.
     
(Emphysema Treatment Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD