Emphysema is one of the most common effects of smoking and chewing tobacco. While the specific chemicals that tobacco contains causes this is unknown, it is clear that it is the tobacco, which causes the contamination of the lungs. Since the 1990s, the world has become more aware of the negative side effects resulting from using tobacco products. For this reason, it is why so much time and resources have gone into finding tobacco free cigarettes and other tobacco free products. All of which, will prevent the oral and lung diseases, including cancer and emphysema. Today, companies all over the country and even throughout the western world have encouraged smokers to buy electronic cigarettes, which cut out the health risks caused by tobacco.

By the time many are diagnosed with emphysema, they have missed the signs of earlier symptoms that were treatable, in order to prevent the onset of emphysema. Emphysema is the result of the delicate linings of the lungs' air sacs becoming irreversibly damaged. In addition to the air sacs becoming damaged, the alveolar walls are completely destroyed along with the capillary blood vessels that are interconnected to the walls. By the destruction of these parts, the total area where blood and air can come together is lessened. This limits the potential for oxygen and carbon dioxide to transfer. This damage to the lungs is a long-term and progressive occurrence, which if not seen early on, becomes untreatable.

Those that get treatment early, do so usually by patients exhibiting reoccurring diagnoses of Bronchitis, and chronic Asthma. This is because, in early emphysema, there is associated inflammation of the small airways or bronchioles that limit the amount of air that can flow to the alveoli (the tubes that allow oxygen to pass through the rest of our body). However, as emphysema progresses, and more alveoli, or airways, are destroyed, non-functioning air filled sacs are formed. These sacs, which are usually located in the upper areas of the lungs, become extremely large to the point that they can burst, causing the lung to collapse. While in otherwise healthy lungs, a collapsed lung is treatable by a simple operation involving lung tissue of the other lung, lungs in onset emphysema are not healthy enough to repair damage, and an immediate transplant operation is often necessary in these instances.

As emphysema further develops however, the work done by the remaining healthy organs becomes harder and often results in heart failure, kidney failure and other organ problems, mainly due to the fact that not enough oxygen is getting to these organs to begin with. When not enough blood or oxygen is reached through the body, the heart naturally pumps harder which then puts strain not only on the heart but on the rest of the working organs as well. For many cases of emphysema, the heart fails before the lungs do.

While there are many causes or risk factors for emphysema, it is clear tobacco is the main threat. Emphysema is a very long and debilitating disease, which fortunately today, can be prevented by opting to stay away from tobacco products. Fortunately, researchers are getting better and better at finding safe and affordable substitutes for tobacco products. Companies and anti-tobacco organizations across the country are telling smokers where to buy smokeless cigarettes, helping to stop tobacco use. While it may take a while to get the entire smoking population to switch to smoke free cigarettes, we are seeing rapid drops in tobacco sales and cases of Emphysema.