3. Frequent Lung Infection
Individuals with emphysema are at higher risk of contracting lung infections, such as bronchitis. The condition affects the health of the lungs, filling the alveoli with fluid and pus that requires constant coughing to clear mucus. When fluid pools in the lungs, it becomes a magnet for viruses, fungi, and bacteria that treat the air sacs as breeding grounds to replicate.
In their weakened state, the lungs are less resilient to incoming infections, and as a result, the disease spreads quickly throughout the airways. People suffering from emphysema also run the risk of catching pneumonia, a dangerous lung infection that can cause death in individuals with emphysema.
Pneumonia typically affects one side of the lungs only. However, individuals with emphysema struggle to contain the bacteria, Streptococcus pneumonia, which spreads to both lungs, increasing the possibility of severe complications with the disease. Patients who experience lung infections require immediate treatment with antibiotics to prevent the spread of the disease.