You’ve probably heard of this disclaimer on multiple occasions – ‘smoking is injurious to health’. What you may not immediately realise is the extent of the damage smoking can cause to your health and, most directly, your lungs.
Smoking is known to be the leading cause of preventable diseases and deaths globally. Nearly all forms of lung cancer—the top cause of cancer death in both men and women can be attributed to smoking. Tobacco and tobacco-related products can damage the lungs’ ability to supply oxygen to the body. Other substances commonly found in cigarette smoke can cause permanent lung damage, even in small amounts.
A single puff of cigarette smoke contains upwards of 7,000 chemicals. Tobacco smoke contains over 70 known cancer-causing chemicals. When you breathe these in, these toxins go deep into your lungs and can cause swelling, resulting in a host of other respiratory diseases.
Both tobacco and chemical substances found in cigarettes can change the cellular structure of the lungs. They can cause the elastic walls within the airways to break down – resulting in less functioning surface area in the lungs. Cigarettes can damage lung tissue, preventing them from functioning correctly. This can increase the risk of diseases caused by smoking, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, respiratory diseases, asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
Nicotine in tobacco can also damage the ability of the respiratory system to filter out dust and dirt. This can lead to toxic substances passing through, resulting in lung congestion and the ‘smoker’s cough’.
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A person who smokes throughout life is at high risk of developing a range of potentially fatal diseases owing to impaired lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus build-up. They are also prone to weakening the lungs’ clearance system, leading to the accumulation of toxic substances and causing lung irritation and damage. Further, they are also at an increased risk of lung infection, chronic bronchitis and heightened risk of asthma, along with permanent damage to air sacs.
In the longer term, smoking is known to induce heart disease and stroke, in certain cases, it can cause ulcers of the digestive system and put smokers at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Most smokers are also likely to develop emphysema. The number of cigarettes you smoke and other lifestyle factors may impact the extent of the damage. If you’re diagnosed with either of these respiratory diseases – emphysema or chronic bronchitis, you run the risk of being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Smoking can affect a person’s health in other ways, too, harming almost every organ in the body. In most cases, it can result in a compromised immune system function, making you susceptible to many other illnesses. It can also lead to lower bone density (brittle bones), which increases the risk of broken bones and fractures. Smoking also leaves you at a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and stroke, along with an increased risk for cataracts (clouding of the eye lenses).
Apart from respiratory diseases, other visible disorders include an increased risk of oral cancers, gum disease and tooth loss, premature ageing of the skin, bad breath and stained teeth and an increased risk for age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness. Moreover, even your wounds may take longer to heal!
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It’s never too late to quit smoking. Within days of quitting smoking, lungs begin to repair themselves. In fact, just 12 hours after you quit, the amount of carbon monoxide in your blood drops to a much healthier level. More oxygen flows to your vital organs and you will be able to breathe better. In about 10 to 15 years, your risk of developing lung cancer reduces and may even become the same as a non-smoker.
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Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
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COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is the name used to describe a number of conditions including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema affects the air sacs in your lungs (alveoli), and chronic bronchitis affects your airways (bronchi). COPD is a condition where the airways become inflamed and the air sacs in your lungs are damaged. This causes your airways to become narrower, which makes it harder to breathe in and out. Therefore, people with COPD have breathing difficulties, and this can affect many aspects of your day-to-day life. Unfortunately, there is no cure for COPD, but there are lots of treatments available to help you to manage your condition, improve your symptoms and live an active life.
Unfortunately, you may not notice symptoms or tell-tale signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) until it is in the advanced stages. However, you need to pay attention to signs such as:
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you should consult your doctor.
To treat COPD, just relying on treatment won’t work. There are lifestyle changes you need to adhere to as well. They are:
If you are addicted to smoking, then the single most important treatment for COPD is to quit it. Giving up will stop the ongoing damage to your airways caused by cigarette smoke. It is the most important treatment to reduce the chance of your condition becoming worse.
The main treatment of COPD involves inhalers which include a long or short-acting bronchodilator. If you experience sudden episodes of breathlessness or chest tightness your doctor might prescribe a short-acting bronchodilator inhaler. This relaxes the muscles in your airways to keep them as open as possible and relieves breathlessness. If your symptoms occur every day, you will be given a long-acting bronchodilator inhaler. This works in the same way as a short-acting inhaler, but the effects of the medication last for at least 12 hours. You may have to take inhaler medications daily for months as advised by the doctor which will help to keep your disease under control. Always adhere to the medication prescribed by your Doctor.
When you have a chronic breathing disease, it is important to eat well to prevent infections and keep your lungs healthy. It is also essential to make sure you are the correct weight.
When you have a lung condition, it is important to be as active as you can and to exercise safely. In some areas, you can attend pulmonary rehabilitation – a programme of exercise that helps with breathlessness by improving your muscle strength and lung fitness. This makes it easier for you to carry out everyday activities.
Make sure you get vaccinations against flu and pneumonia to avoid getting infections in winter.
If the level of oxygen in your blood is too low when you are resting, or if the level drops when you are active, you might need oxygen treatment. This is used to increase the amount of oxygen that flows into your lungs and bloodstream.
If an infection is making your breathing too difficult, you might need the support of a breathing machine. This is usually provided in the hospital. It can also be given at home if your condition is very severe. It also takes some of the efforts out of breathing because your chest muscles don’t have to work as hard, so it helps to ease the feeling of breathlessness.
If you are struggling emotionally, talking to your family or a health care professional can help. It is very important to stay active and sociable and to learn more about COPD.
Disclaimer: The above information has been prepared by a qualified medical professional and may not represent the practices followed universally. The suggestions listed in this article constitute relatively common advice given to patients, and since every patient is different, you are advised to consult your physician, if in doubt, before acting upon this information. Lupin Limited has only facilitated the distribution of this information to you in the interest of patient education and welfare.
All these factors involving mucus production, inflammation and bronchospasm can lead to an asthma attack where an individual faces difficulty in breathing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty in performing everyday activities.Other symptoms include chest tightness, difficulty in talking, extreme coughing, feeling anxious and panicking, blue fingernails or lips, etc. If the symptoms continue to increase even when you are religiously taking your medicines, it means that the asthma attack could be harmful. A lot of people have mild asthma attacks and after a few minutes or a few hours the airways open up with treatment. Severe asthma attacks are very uncommon but they require immediate medical attention and treatment. Knowing the common asthma attack facts would help people deal with them better.For a mild attack to stay under control, you can consider keeping these asthma attack facts in mind:Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
