Quiz: Emphasis On Emphysema

One of the most common types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is emphysema. If you’ve got it, you’ve got company—close to 5 million Americans have this disease, according to the American Lung Association. It can’t be cured but it can be treated and successfully managed. Take our quiz to learn more:

1. The air sacs in the lungs are called alveoli. Emphysema is diagnosed when the alveoli have become ____.

A. Collapsed
B. Narrowed
C. Overinflated
D. Stretched
E. All of the above

2. The main symptom of emphysema, shortness of breath, only occurs during when a person is active—at first.

A. True
B. False 

3. For every ten people with emphysema, smoking is the cause in about __ of them.

A. One
B. Three
C. Five
D. Nine 

4. Emphysema affects only the lungs.

A. True
B. False

5. You can get test your lung function simply and painlessly with a ____ in the doctor’s office.

A. Peak flow meter
B. Oximeter
C. Spirometer
D. Balloon test

6. A supervised pulmonary rehab program is one of the best options for people with emphysema.

A. True
B. False

Answers:

1. E. All of the above.  Any type of damage to the alveoli can lead to decreased respiratory function.
2. A. True. At first, shortness of breath happens during activities. But as the disease progresses, patients experience shortness of breath all of the time.
3. D. Nine. Other factors that may contribute to emphysema include air pollution, fumes, and dust in the workplace.
4. B. False. Emphysema and other forms of COPD make the heart work harder. Patients get tired easily, may have chest pains or feel their heart beat rapidly. Low oxygen levels can also cause headaches, sleep problems, and irritability.
5. C. Spirometer.  Patients blow into this device to measure how much air you can blow out and how quickly you can do it. It helps physicians to track and stage emphysema. A peak flow meter also measures how well your lungs push air out and can often be used at home.
6. A. True. Hospital-based programs help manage your disease and provide support with breathing methods, exercise, and counseling.

Source: The Health Library at healthlibrary.sjchs.org.