Most of the time, tobacco is the main culprit. Doctors don't know exactly how smoking destroys air sac linings, but studies show that smokers are about six times more likely to develop emphysema than are nonsmokers. Doctors don't know why some smokers get emphysema and others don't.
While tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, only approximately 20 % of smokers develop the disease.
“With normal aging, lung function declines,” explains Dr. Smith. “And because of that decline, people with smaller airways—who already have low lung function to begin with—may develop COPD later in life. On the other hand, smokers with larger airways might have some reserve to withstand the harmful effects of smoking.
Smoking is the main cause of emphysema. Cigarette smoke destroys your lung tissue, and it also irritates your airways. Cigarette smoke causes inflammation and damages your cilia. Irritation and damaged cilia cause swollen airways, mucus production and difficulty clearing your airways.
So if you smoked, you know, one cigarette a day for maybe a year, probably your risk is very little. But if you smoked a pack a day for 20 years, then 20 to 30 years later you are still at risk.
About 10 to 15 percent of smokers develop COPD, but the optimal strategy to identify those most at risk is unknown.
Your lung function can improve by up-to 30%. You might notice the impact of this in a reduction in shortness of breath when exercising. The fibres in your lungs that help to reduce mucus build-up and protect against bacterial infection might start to grow back.
Due to the chronic and incurable nature of emphysema, it will still progress over time despite smoking cessation.
Studies suggest that those with stage one or two (mild and moderate) COPD who smoke lose a few years of life expectancy at the age of 65. For those with stages three or four (severe and very severe) COPD, they lose from six to nine years of life expectancy due to smoking.
While ex-smokers have taken a major step to improve their health, they need to be aware they are still at high risk for lung diseases, even many years after quitting, according to the researchers.
Prognosis. There is no cure for emphysema. But the condition can be controlled. People with mild emphysema who quit smoking have a normal life expectancy.
Emphysema usually progresses slowly and the majority of patients do not notice the changes in their breathing. Some patients do experience a faster onset of symptoms, though that is less common.
While lung tissue cells do regenerate, there's no way a smoker can return to having the lungs of a non-smoker. At best, they will carry a few scars from their time smoking, and at worst, they're stuck with certain breathing difficulties for the rest of their lives.
The exact length of time you can live with COPD depends on your age, health, and symptoms. Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis.
"It's not a death sentence by any means. Many people will live into their 70s, 80s, or 90s with COPD.” But that's more likely, he says, if your case is mild and you don't have other health problems like heart disease or diabetes.
We take a look at some stats... Researchers at 'Action on Smoking and Health' have reported that a 30-year-old smoker can expect to live about 35 more years, whereas a 30-year-old non-smoker can expect to live 53 more years.
If you have emphysema, you can take a number of steps to halt its progression and to protect yourself from complications: Stop smoking. This is the most important measure you can take for your overall health and the only one that might halt the progression of emphysema.
It's never too late to get benefits from quitting smoking. Quitting, even in later life, can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer over time and reduce your risk of death.
Background: Heavy smokers (those who smoke greater than or equal to 25 or more cigarettes a day) are a subgroup who place themselves and others at risk for harmful health consequences and also are those least likely to achieve cessation.
1 to 12 months after quitting
Tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) that move mucus out of the lungs start to regain normal function, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
Stage 1 Symptoms are mild and often unnoticed, except during times of exertion. These include mild shortness of breath and a nagging dry cough. Stage 2 Shortness of breath worsens, accompanied by a persistent cough and phlegm production. Flare-ups can cause changes in phlegm color.
There is mounting evidence that the rate of progression of COPD can be reduced when patients at risk of developing the disease stop smoking, while lifelong smokers have a 50% probability of developing COPD during their lifetime.
Smoking is a trigger for many people who have COPD. Smoking can cause an exacerbation, or flare-up, of your symptoms. You do not have to be a smoker for smoking to cause harm. Exposure to someone else's smoking (called secondhand smoke) is also a trigger for COPD flare-ups.