doctor's discussion of emphysema

[strdsbrg]

My doctor told me on a recent visit that I probably have the beginnings of emphysema and that most people with my history (25 year smoker, 41 years old) do have it.  Of course, I was terrified, but he spoke about it very casually and said that if I quit smoking, it will not progress further and I should be fine.  I had a lung capacity test done and the technician said the same thing.  Can someone elaborate on this for me?

[National Jewish Health]

Sounds like you have early, mild emphysema, also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from smoking.  You should be thankful that it was discovered at an early stage.  He is right.  If you quit smoking, it will not progress and, after a few years, your annual rate of loss of lung function will approximate that of your non-smoker friends.

[tomcat47]

I was told the same thing 5 years ago,and was prescribed  seravent,,,10 years prior to that a young doctor told me my lungs sound like an old man,,now I take 2 to thre inhalers andd was told i had copd,,,had I listened to the first docotor 15 years ago,and quit smoking I might be able to run,,now I have a hard time sworking 12 hours a day,,If you quit now, you wont do anymore damage,,and maybe the damage ,,,did they tell you how much lung capicity you have left???

[tomcat47]

I was told the same thing 5 years ago,and was prescribed  seravent,,,10 years prior to that a young doctor told me my lungs sound like an old man,,now I take 2 to thre inhalers andd was told i had copd,,,had I listened to the first docotor 15 years ago,and quit smoking I might be able to run,,now I have a hard time sworking 12 hours a day,,If you quit now, you wont do anymore damage,,and maybe the damage ,,,did they tell you how much lung capicity you have left???

[tomcat47]

buy the way Im 46,,,I smoked for 30 years,,,

[avenue1]

My mother was diagnosed with emphysema at the age of 44. She stopped smoking, but her condition still deteriorated. She developed Pneumonia and never really recovered from that fully.She died last year at the age of 57. Although if she had still smoked she wouldn't have lasted that long. It is a horrible disease and I don't know how she suffered it for soo long. My advice is to stay as active as possible and do not get too reliant on the nebulisers and oxygen as you will become their prisoners. At the end of her life my Mum was on oxygen 24hours a day.This made her CO2 level too high making her organs work too hard [or something like that] So in the end the oxygen she needed to keep her breathing was killing her.

[jsn1215]

A related discussion, emphysema and coughing/talking was started.