Emphysema Resources

People are often familiar with emphysema, but many people are not aware that emphysema is part of COPD.^[1] If you or someone you love is diagnosed with emphysema, you may want to learn as much as possible about living with this condition and what emphysema treatment will look like. Inogen has curated a variety of resources to help you learn important emphysema guidelines that provide you with the emphysema information you need.

About Emphysema

Emphysema is a type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). COPD is a group of lung diseases that make it hard to breathe and get worse over time. The other main type of COPD is chronic bronchitis. Most people with emphysema also have chronic bronchitis, but how severe each type is can be different from person to person.

Emphysema affects the air sacs in your lungs. Normally, these sacs are elastic or stretchy.^[2] When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air, like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sacs deflate, and the air goes out.

In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. This causes the air sacs to lose their shape and become floppy. The damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones. This makes it harder for your lungs to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of your body.^[1]

Finding the Right Emphysema Information

In order to find the right emphysema information, it is important that you are reviewing emphysema resources with the most accurate and up-to-date information. Look for emphysema information provided by medical professionals and experts so that you are sure you are following the correct emphysema guidelines. Though you will need to see your doctor to decide which emphysema treatments are right for you, doing your research beforehand can be helpful. 

Trusted Emphysema Resources

When you are searching for emphysema resources, begin with medical experts and organizations that specialize in providing accurate medical information. While the emphysema information you find on your own will not replace a doctor’s care, it can be helpful to be familiar with the latest emphysema guidelines and potential emphysema treatment options. This way, you are informed when you speak with your doctor and choose the correct emphysema treatment for you. 

Here are some emphysema resources Inogen has gathered to help you get more informed and get the emphysema information you need. 

• American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC): Information about new COPD and emphysema treatment options.
• American Lung Association (ALA): Key facts about emphysema, along with more available information about COPD overall.
• ATS patient resources: The American Thoracic Society Patient Information Series and Public Health Information Series includes more than 100 fact sheets on topics in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep
• Center for Disease Control (CDC): Information about COPD, including data, statistics, fact sheets, the basics about COPD, access to the COPD National Action Plan and additional resources.
• Chest/ACCP: Comprehensive library on lung health.
• COPD Foundation: Learn more about COPD, common causes and symptoms, how it is diagnosed and how you can enjoy life and live for many years with COPD
• eMedicineHealth: Information about emphysema, when to seek care, what emphysema treatment options are available, when to seek treatment and what a prognosis may mean, along with advice for preventing emphysema.
• GOLD report 2023:  Recommend effective COPD management and prevention strategies for use in all countries.
• Mayo Clinic: A comprehensive overview of emphysema as well as causes, symptoms, diagnosis and potential treatments.
• Medical News Today: Information and fast facts about emphysema and the causes, types and stages, as well as how it is diagnosed. Also includes detailed descriptions of emphysema treatment options like drug therapy, oxygen therapy, surgery, pulmonary rehabilitation and more.
• World Health Organization (WHO): An informative fact sheet about the health risks of tobacco use, including the fact that it causes emphysema.

Inogen Offers Emphysema Resources

Inogen’s purpose is improving  lives through respiratory therapy which includes offering information to help patients stay informed. Whether or not you have been prescribed oxygen therapy as an emphysema treatment, we want to offer emphysema resources that can help you understand what to expect as your condition progresses. We offer emphysema information about the stages of the disease, as well as signs and symptoms and emphysema treatment. And if you are prescribed oxygen therapy, we can help you through every step of that process, including helping you find the right oxygen concentrator for you. Learn more by exploring our COPD resources and contact us for more information about COPD, oxygen therapy and more.

References

1. Emphysema – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
2. Emphysema | Emphysema Symptoms | Emphysema Treatment | MedlinePlus

Additional Sources

• https://www.aarc.org/nn19-new-treatments-for-copd-what-rts-need-to-know/
• https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/emphysema
• https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/
• https://www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html
• https://foundation.chestnet.org/lung-health-a-z/
• https://www.copdfoundation.org/
• https://www.emedicinehealth.com/emphysema/article_em.htm#what_is_emphysema
• https://goldcopd.org/2023-gold-report-2/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/symptoms-causes/syc-20355555
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8934
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco