The alveoli which are the tiny air sacs in the lungs can be damaged due to environmental pollution and smoking. At this point it easy to tell emphysema symptoms can start to progress. Are there ways to detect if a person really suffers from those symptoms? Yes the person himself can tell if he is having one of those symptoms since they are not the normal things that everyone will just get.

For example, the affected person will begin to experience shortness of breathing. It is the most common symptom and is easily recognizable than any other symptoms.

Another way to detect is to see if the person is coughing, with or without sputum. This is a chronic cough that is a lot different from the normal cough that everyone gets with cold.

There is also a loss of appetite that would lead to weight loss. This is not the same thing with people who suffer from anorexia because of mental disorder.

The chest may also experience rapid breathing which is another common signs that a person suffers from emphysema.