Genetic differences mean that certain people are more likely to develop emphysema than others. Emphysema causes shortness of breath and difficulty pushing air out of the lungs, and it is part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD). This is the gradual damage to lung tissue that occurs when the walls of the tiny air-sacs in the lungs where the blood takes up oxygen, called the alveoli, weaken and break. ![]() Not only can smoking cause lung cancer, it can also lead to conditions such as emphysema. It is well known that smoking is bad for the lungs. Image credit: Modified from Blausen Medical Communications, Inc. ![]() Schematic representing healthy alveoli (left) and alveoli with emphysema (right).
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