Treatment for Emphysema
Quitting smoking is a quintessential component of management of emphysema. A few available treatment modalities help in alleviating the symptoms and avoiding complications. They include the following:¹

• Corticosteroids inhaled as aerosol sprays can reduce the symptoms of emphysema.
• Drugs like bronchodialators help to lessen cough, shortness of breadth and troubled breathing due to constricted airways.
• Providing oxygen supplements can treat severe emphysema with low blood oxygen.
• Broad-spectrum antibiotics may help in relieving the symptoms of emphysema caused due to acute bronchitis, pneumonia and influenza.
• Flu shots annually and pneumonia shots every 5–7 years is recommended if a person is at high-risk to emphysema and other respiratory diseases.
• Surgery is done to remove small wedges of the damaged lung tissue by a procedure called lung volume reduction surgery. This surgery improves the functioning of the lungs with severe emphysema.
• Lung transplantation may be required only when all other treatments have failed to treat emphysema.
• Protein therapy may be suggested to persons who have inherited protein defiency.