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Emphysema develops when many of the small air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs are destroyed, reducing their elasticity and decreasing their ability to pass oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.
Symptoms include shortness of breath--beginning only with heavy exercise, then progessing to everyday activities. Many people who have emphysema also have chronic bronchitis. The mucus produced by these inflamed airways makes breathing even more difficult.
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