Treatment
for Emphysema
Doctors can help persons with emphysema live more comfortably
with their disease. The goal of treatment is to provide relief
of symptoms and prevent progression of the disease with a
minimum of side effects. The doctor's advice and treatment
may include:
Quitting smoking -the single most important factor for maintaining
healthy lungs.
Bronchodilator drugs (prescription drugs that relax and open
up air passages in the lungs) - may be prescribed to treat
emphysema if there is a tendency toward airway constriction
or tightening. These drugs may be inhaled as aerosol sprays
or taken orally.
Antibiotics-if you have a bacterial infection, such as pneumococcal
pneumonia.
Exercise -including breathing exercises to strengthen the
muscles used in breathing as part of a pulmonary (the term
"pulmonary" refers to the lungs) rehabilitation
program to condition the rest of the body.
Treatment-with Alpha I-Proteinase Inhibitor (ALPI) only
if a person has AAT deficiency-related emphysema. AIPI is
not recommended for those who develop emphysema as a result
of cigarette smoking or other environmental factors.
Lung transplantation - Some recent reports have been encouraging.
Experience at this point in time is limited.
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