In 1945, when Allied forces liberated the concentration camps at Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz and elsewhere, the world was shocked at the sight of images of dead bodies alongside half-dead people in these camps.
Emphysema results when the delicate linings of the air sacs in the lungs become damaged beyond repair. Most commonly, the toxins in cigarette smoke create the damage. The lung changes of emphysema evolve slowly over years: 1  As the fragile tissues between air sacs are destroyed, air pockets in the lungs develop. 2  Air becomes trapped in these spaces of damaged lung tissue. 3  The lungs slowly enlarge, and breathing requires more effort.
Here is a list of the changes that happen in your lungs and airways when you smoke: 1  The cells that produce mucus in your lungs and airways grow in size and number. As a result, the amount of mucus increases. The mucus is also thicker.  The cleaning system in your lungs does not work well.