Emphysema - Prevention

Emphysema is a condition that is relatively easy to prevent. The best way to prevent the disease is not to smoke cigarettes or, if a person already smokes, to quit. A relatively small number of cases are caused by genetic factors, over which a person has no control. But the vast majority of emphysema cases result from cigarette smoking.

Patients who have already developed emphysema can take a number of steps to slow its progress. For example, they should avoid breathing polluted air as much as possible. The pollutants in air have much the same effect on lungs as does cigarette smoke. Patients should also consider being vaccinated against diseases that affect the respiratory system, such as influenza (the flu; see influenza entry).