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.
How COPD Affects Breathing. When your lungs are healthy and work properly, the air you breathe moves freely in and out. Inside your lungs are airways, which are called bronchial (BRONK-ee-ol) tubes. The airways branch into clusters of air sacs called alveoli (AL-vee-OL-ee). When you breathe in fresh air, it moves into the air sacs, where oxygen is absorbed into the blood stream and carried to all parts of your body. The air sacs also remove carbon dioxide from the blood. When you breathe out, stale air with carbon dioxide passes out of your airways and lungs.