I have lupus sle and was diagnosed in 2008. I was just told today that my ct scan shows i have emphazema and copd. I just got over a terrible case of pnuemonia where i was hospitalized for a week. i havent smoked in over 8 years. Is it the lupus causing all of this and what do I excpect now, health wise?
Thanks for your question emphysema is the dilatation of alveoli. Alveoli are the gas exchanging structures in the lung there are millions of alveoli in lung alveolar dilatation is causes by smoking from the last 3 you have not smoked but maybe you have earlier been smoking other causes of emphysema can be environmental smoke and alone intrinsic deficiency that is an enzymedialatation causes emphysema or COPD is a disease of lungs which causes emphysema in my patients I diagnose COPD by a chest X-ray and confirm it by a spirometryafter diagnosing I start them on inhaled medications which is the standard treatment for copddisscuss these points with your pulmonologist so that u get the best treatmentthanksfeel free to ask more questions may god bless you with good health