Sue writes:
I am 60 years old and I have smoked for over forty years. I have been diagnosed with emphysema by two doctors. I went to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and they told me I had 82% capacity in my lungs. Since I quit smoking, I feel great sometimes, but when it rains I smother a little. I exercise and I walk everyday to help my lungs. Is my 82% a good capacity? How long before I will have to go on oxygen?
Dear Sue:
Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's fantastic! Unfortunately, it has caught up with you in the form of emphysema.
The average total lung capacity is about 5.8 liters (5800 cm3), however it varies from one person to the next, and is dependent upon factors such as weight, sex, age and activity. Women tend to have 20 - 25% lower capacity than males. Tall people tend to have a greater total lung capacity than shorter people. Heavy smokers generally have a drastically lower total lung capacity than non-smokers. To find out if your lung capacity is "good" or "bad", you should talk to your doctor - preferably a pulmonologist.
Whether you will need to be on oxygen or not, also depends on many factors, such as the progression of your emphysema and how well you care for yourself. You have already taken several steps towards caring for yourself. You:
1) Quit smoking
2) Exercise and walk everyday
3) See a doctor about your condition
4) Educate yourself about your condition so that you can make informed decisions about your health
All of the above are very important for good health. Here are a few other things you can do to improve your health:
Be sure to keep exercising and walking everyday (as long as your doctor agrees, of course.) If you would like more information about walking for your health, visit Walking at About.com. You can find a lot of helpful information about walking.
It is also important to establish and maintain a healthy diet. If you need some guidance on good nutrition, be sure to visit Nutrition at About.com. The Nutrition Guide provides tons of information about nutritional supplements, disease prevention, and shopping for healthy food.
I wish you the all the best with your emphysema and aorta surgery. Continue to take good care of yourself. May you live a long, healthy, happy life!
Updated: 01/07/06
