Treatment of Emphysema

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Emphysema cannot be cured mainly because damaged lung tissue cannot be replaced. The first step in the treatment is to stop smoking to prevent further damage.

An important advance in the treatment of emphysema and related diseases is called non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV). This involves the wearing a nasal mask, often only at night, which is supplied with air at slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. Some people are unable to tolerate the mask.

Other forms of treatment include:

antibiotic drugs to help control infection,
drugs to widen the bronchi (bronchodilators) taken by inhaler,
steroid drugs to reduce inflammatory swelling,
oxygen therapy,
alpha antitrypsin replacement in individuals shown to have a deficiency in the enzyme,
exercise training to try to increase physical ability, and
surgery to remove the worst affected parts of the lungs.