Which term describes hyperinflation of air sacs with destruction of alveolar walls?

• A. Wheeze
• B. Olfaction
• C. Emphysema
• D. Hypercapnia

Answer: (C)

Emphysema is the term for this process. It involves destruction of the walls between the alveoli, causing the air sacs to enlarge and the lungs to become hyperinflated. Loss of elastic recoil from the destroyed walls leads to air trapping during expiration, which is why the lungs stay overly inflated. The other options don’t describe this structural change: a wheeze is a sound heard with airway narrowing, olfaction is the sense of smell, and hypercapnia refers to high carbon dioxide levels in the blood rather than the structural destruction and hyperinflation of the air spaces.