Difference Between Asthma & Emphysema

Asthma and emphysema are both chronic lung diseases, but they have different features. Asthma can be controlled but emphysema worsens as time passes.

Asthma

• Asthma is a condition where you wheeze (whistle when you breathe), cough, get short of breath, and have chest tightness, which is an attack. There is no cure for asthma and the cause is not known.

Emphysema

• Emphysema is a long-term, incurable lung condition whose leading cause is smoking. When you breathe, you cannot get enough air out of your lungs on exhalation.

Age Difference

• Asthma affects people of any age, but it is most common in children. Emphysema affects adults, with an onset of symptoms is between 40 and 60 years of age.

Effects

• Asthma affects the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs. These airways become irritated, swollen, and narrow. Emphysema affects the air sacs at the ends of the smallest air tubes in the lungs and destroys them.

Prevention

• Prevention for asthma problems includes knowing triggers that cause the attacks and avoiding them. Emphysema's main preventative measure is to stop smoking and avoid chemicals and dust if they are the cause.