Which of the following are symptoms of emphysema?

The symptoms of emphysema primarily include a barrel chest and tripod breathing position. In emphysema, the destruction of alveoli leads to the loss of elastic recoil of the lungs, which causes patients to breathe more vigorously to expel air. This results in the classic "barrel chest" appearance due to the over-inflation of the lungs.

Patients often adopt a tripod position—sitting upright and leaning forward with their hands on their knees or a surface—because this posture helps them use their accessory muscles to breathe more effectively. This positioning can alleviate the work of breathing and improve ventilation, which is particularly important for those experiencing respiratory distress as seen in emphysema.

While other options present various respiratory and systemic symptoms, they are more indicative of different conditions or may represent overlapping symptoms of other lung diseases rather than the hallmark features associated specifically with emphysema.