In 2021, an estimated 14 million adults in the United States reported a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. If you’re not sure what the ...

Emphysema is not hereditary. It usually results from smoking or exposure to other harmful lung irritants. However, a rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) passed down in ...

The longer and more frequently you smoke, the higher your chances of developing emphysema. It’s well known that smoking can have a widespread impact on your body. While most people think of just ...

Quitting won’t reverse damage from emphysema or stop it from progressing, but it can slow it down and greatly reduce your symptoms. If you quit smoking after finding out you have emphysema, you might ...

Subcutaneous emphysema is the medical term for air becoming trapped in tissues beneath the skin. It is rare, but may occur as a result of trauma, injury, infection, or certain medical procedures.