What Is Severe Emphysema?
Emphysema is a medical condition in which air sacs located in the lungs are gradually destroyed and lose their elasticity. Severe emphysema is the third stage of this disease, and individuals who have advanced to this stage are generally required to use supplemental oxygen to help with breathing. The air sacs involved in emphysema, called walls of the alveoli, are responsible for exchanging carbon dioxide in the blood with oxygen. Although severe emphysema is categorized as Stage III, there are actually four stages to this disease. Individuals at Stage 0 typically have a chronic cough and are at risk for developing emphysema. People in Stages I through III have already advanced to the early stages of emphysema and have limitations to their airflow. These changes appear in lung function tests as the disease progresses.
