Pulmonary emphysema usually occurs at 60 to 80 years of age, and is defined as being early-onset when the disease develops before 55 years of age (1). Not surprisingly, early-onset pulmonary emphysema is a rare condition.
Although the lung damage that occurs in emphysema develops gradually, most people with tobacco-related emphysema begin to experience symptoms of the disease between the ages of 40 and 60.
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.
Emphysema is usually caused by smoking. But chemical fumes, dust, or air pollution also can cause it over time. People who get it in their 30s or 40s may have a disorder that runs in families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. But this is rare.
But the condition can be controlled. People with mild emphysema who quit smoking have a normal life expectancy. Those who adopt good health habits can enjoy a fairly normal lifestyle for a long time.
Emphysema is usually caused by cigarette smoking. There is no cure, but the condition can be managed using medications and adjustments to lifestyle. If you have shortness of breath or a long-term productive cough (a cough that produces mucus or phlegm), see your doctor for a lung function test.
How Serious Is Your Emphysema? Stage 1 is also called mild emphysema. But that doesn't mean your disease is mild. You could have significant lung damage before you even notice the breathing problems of stage 1, especially if you're relatively young and otherwise healthy.
Once emphysema advances to the severe stage, individuals may lose an average of 9 years of life expectancy. Various treatment options are available, with doctors reserving surgery for the most severe cases. Getting treatment early and quitting smoking can make a difference in a person's outlook.
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.
Emphysema and COPD can't be cured, but treatments can help relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
Emphysema has no cure, and patients live with severe shortness of breath that makes daily activities like walking or showering difficult.
To answer your question, yes COPD progresses, whether it's mild, moderate, severe or very severe. The caveat is that it depends on how you look at it.
Early symptoms of pulmonary emphysema may include: Cough. Rapid breathing. Shortness of breath, which gets worse with activity.
Very mild, or stage 1: FEV1 is about 80% of normal. Moderate, or stage 2: FEV1 is 50–80% of normal. Severe, or stage 3: FEV1 is 30–50% of normal. Very severe, or stage 4: FEV1 is less than 30% of normal.
It's possible to have emphysema for many years without noticing any symptoms. This is because symptoms usually begin gradually, and we have been designed to have more lung function than we need. Eventually enough of the lung becomes damaged and symptoms will begin to appear.
How Serious Is Your Emphysema? Stage 2 is also called moderate emphysema. But that doesn't always mean that your disease is moderate. If you're young and otherwise healthy, you could have severe lung damage and still be at stage 2.
Symptoms tend to develop slowly. Smokers who have the disease typically first show signs between ages 45 and 60. As you get older, your lungs slowly lose function -- even if you don't smoke. If you have emphysema and continue to smoke, you'll lose lung function faster.
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.
Emphysema is one of the most preventable respiratory illnesses because it is so strongly linked to smoking. Air pollutants, an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and respiratory infections can also play a role, but smoking is considered the number one cause.
Exposure to chemicals, exposure to secondhand smoke, both indoor and outdoor pollution, and respiratory infections can also cause emphysema.
Stage 2 COPD life expectancy is 2.2 years.
The goal of therapy for emphysema is to provide relief of symptoms, prevent complications and slow the progression of the disease. Quitting smoking is also essential for patients with emphysema, since continuing to use tobacco will only further damage the lungs.