Emphysema

Your lungs are filled with delicate air sacs, tiny, soft structures surrounded by very small blood vessels. In these air sacs, carbon dioxide gases from the body are exchanged for fresh air from the outside. Emphysema damages these delicate air sacs. They become large and hard, and lose their ability to exchange air. With damaged air sacs, you cannot get enough air to breathe, and always feel that you cannot catch your breath. Emphysema is a very serious disease. It take years to develop, but its damage cannot be undone. The disease can be caused by any substance in the lungs which causes irritation and swelling. Cigarette smoke is the most common cause of this disease.

SPECIMEN 1: Normal Lung - This is a clean lung. The black specks are from having breathed smoggy air. Compare the smooth surface of this lung with the rough, ugly surface of the lung with emphysema.

SPECIMEN 2: Lung with Emphysema - This lung shows damage caused by smoking. Note the hollow bubbles in what was once healthy lung tissue.

SPECIMEN 3: Emphysema Close-up - This is a close-up view of what air sacs damaged by emphysema look like. Are your cigarettes worth this kind of permanent damage to your lungs?