The etiology of emphysema is unclear and is generally believed to result from the synergistic effect of a number of factors. Among the many risk factors, smoking is the most important one. Emphysema is not a bronchial disease. The pathological changes of emphysema are mainly the destruction of the alveolar walls leading to permanent enlargement of the alveoli and alveolar ducts, which are currently irreversible and can only slow down the rate of progression. The main symptoms of emphysema are cough, sputum and dyspnea. Treatment measures for emphysema include smoking cessation and infection prevention. When symptoms such as wheezing and dyspnea occur, some bronchodilators can be used to improve the symptoms, such as salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and theophylline. Long-term home oxygen therapy helps to improve the hypoxic state of patients, improve the quality of survival and prolong the survival period. A small number of patients can also be improved by surgical means, such as pneumonectomy in patients with concomitant pneumothorax or pulmonary herniation. Lung transplantation is an effective means to improve the quality of life of patients with end-stage emphysema, but the surgical technique is more demanding, the related cost is relatively high, and the donor is very limited, so patients with the condition can consider it. Patients suffering from emphysema are advised to visit a hospital as early as possible and ask their professional doctors to formulate a treatment and long-term management plan to slow down the progression of the disease as much as possible, improve the related symptoms and prolong the survival period.