A disease, often caused by tobacco smoking or other air pollutants, that results in the inability of the lungs to exchange gases and impair and/or damage the alveolar sacs.
A medical condition characterized by the abnormal enlargement of the regular air spaces within the lungs, resulting in increased lung volume. This condition typically occurs alongside chronic bronchitis and leads to breathing difficulties and discomfort affecting both the lungs and the heart. In its advanced stages, it is identifiable by the chest taking on a barrel-like shape and severely limited chest expansion, which may be as little as half an inch. It is also referred to as pneumonectasia or pneumonectasis.