Any kind of lung disorder will deteriorate your quality of life over time. At first you will notice shortness of breath when exerting yourself (such as climbing stairs), wheezing, chronic coughing that just won't go away, and less energy in general. As these conditions progress, your lifestyle may be more severely altered. It can affect your mobility, your ability to do things you once took for granted, and you may need to rely on medications and oxygen therapy. The most important thing to understand is why this is happening to you. When you know about the disease and what is going on inside your body, you can better visualize your symptoms and know what you need to do to treat them. Below are some illustrations of the respiratory system under duress due to emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.