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What is Emphysema?

By , About.com Guide

Updated April 14, 2009

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Question: What is Emphysema?
Answer: Emphysema is a type of COPD which causes permanent enlargement of the airways in your lungs. It is accompanied by destruction of the walls of the alveoli, the air spaces in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged during the breathing process. It is lung disease that progresses slowly over many years and is irreversible.

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