Is variant asthma the same as emphysema?
Disease description:
I've been feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath for the past couple of days. I already have variant asthma, and a friend mentioned it might be emphysema. So, is variant asthma the same as emphysema?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xiao Ning
Variant asthma is generally not emphysema. Variant asthma is a special type of asthma, and patients usually have normal lung function. In contrast, emphysema typically indicates pathological changes in the lungs, which are usually irreversible. Therefore, variant asthma and emphysema are two distinct diseases, and variant asthma is generally not associated with emphysema.
