HOW DOES SMOKING AFFECT THE LUNGS?

It’s tempting to think that if you smoke and can breathe without difficulty, your lungs are as healthy as ever. But, unfortunately, this is frequently a mirage. Nature has endowed the majority of us with a set of lungs that is much more capable than what we really need for daily activities.

A person’s breathing capacity may be reduced by 30 percent without compromising their ability to function. As a benefit and a curse, it allows your lungs to steadily degenerate without your knowledge.

Even simple tasks like walking up a flight of stairs become exhausting when your lungs function falls below 60%. But it’s too late: Once lungs function has been lost, it seldom returns.

Cigarette smoking is connected to over 90% of lungs cancer incidences.

Smoking is harmful to your lungs for the following reasons:

● Carcinogens are found in cigarette smoke.

More than 7000 compounds are released when a cigarette is lighted, with over 70 of those chemicals being classified as carcinogens. Included among the most infamous are:

-Nicotine

-Cyanide

-Benzene

-Formaldehyde

-Methanol

-Acetylene

-Ammonia

-Tar

Even harmful chemicals including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, nitrosamines, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, etc., are found in cigarette smoke.

Smoke enters your lungs after passing through your windpipe. When the hazardous compounds in smoke come into touch with the lungs tissue, it irritates it. Lungs cancer develops as a result of precancerous alterations brought on by smoking over an extended period of time.

● Recurring chest infections are caused by smoking.

When smoke from cigarettes enters your lungs, it causes havoc along the way. It is because of the smoke that the cilia in the airways, which filter dust and trap germs, get coated. Smoke also irritates the lungs, causing them to produce a lot of mucus.

Chest congestion is caused by cilia dysfunction and abundant mucus. As a result, smokers have an increased risk of developing chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and the “smoker’s cough.”

● Smoking has a negative impact on others around you as well.

Cigarette smoking is not only harmful to one’s health, but it is also a thoughtless habit. Second-hand smoke inhalation is just as dangerous as smoking. Asthma, allergies, and ear, nose, and throat infections may all be caused by second-hand smoke exposure in youngsters. Secondhand smoking has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in children.

● Emphysema is caused by smoking.

It is the long-term exposure to cigarette smoke chemicals that results in “emphysema” in chronic smokers. A lack of air-sac elasticity causes an inefficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases during respiration in this case.

Smoking causes decreased blood oxygenation, which in turn leads to respiratory problems. Emphysema causes irreparable damage to lungs tissue, and stopping smoking is the only way to avoid it.

● COPD is caused by smoking.

COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can be caused by smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and even second-hand smoke. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are common in patients with COPD, which results in impaired lungs function. A smoker over the age of 40 has a greater risk of acquiring COPD. Dr Vipul Sharma is one of the ICU specialists and a pulmonologist at Pushpanjali hospital. He has More than 20 years of experience in Respiratory medicine and Critical care including COPD.

Is secondhand smoking harmful to one’s health?

Secondhand exposure to your smoking may cause many of the same health issues that smokers experience. Heart disease and lungs cancer are included in this category. Ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and worsened asthma are all more common in children who have been exposed to secondhand smoking. Mothers who breathe secondhand smoke while pregnant are more likely to experience premature labour and kids with low birth weight.

Is smoking e-cigarettes, cigars, and pipes equally harmful?

There are many different types of tobacco than cigarettes. Cigars and water pipes may be used to smoke tobacco (hookahs). Additionally, these kinds of tobacco include toxic compounds and nicotine. The amount of tobacco in a pack of cigarettes may be as much as in a single cigar.

Electronic cigarettes (or “e-cigs”) generally resemble traditional cigarettes in appearance, but they do not burn tobacco like traditional cigarettes. Battery-powered cigarettes are on the market. Vaping is the act of inhaling from an e-cigarette. Many questions remain concerning the long-term effects of utilising them. We do know that they contain nicotine, which is the same addictive chemical found in cigarette smoking. There are hazardous substances in the secondhand aerosol that non-smokers are exposed to when they use e-cigarettes.

Chewing tobacco and snuff are similarly harmful to your health since they are smokeless tobacco products. Oral cancer may be caused by the use of smokeless tobacco. You’re more likely to get heart disease, gum disease, and oral lesions as a result of smoking.

Always keep in mind that it is never too late to quit the habit of smoking. Everyone can kick the habit for good with the right support and a well-thought-out strategy. You’ll begin to reap the rewards within a few days after achieving this goal. The risk of getting tobacco-related illnesses decreases with time for ex-smokers to the same level as non-smokers. Get your life back on track and stop smoking now!

Smoking may also have the following negative effects on your health:

●  Smell and taste are among the senses that might be affected.

● It impairs your physical fitness and saps your vitality.

● It negatively affects your look (yellow teeth, prematurely aged skin, unpleasant odour, and so on)

● You’re doomed to a life of self-soothing and self-sacrifice, because of it.

● Depression and anxiety are more likely to develop as a result

● Family, friends and coworkers are affected by it.

● Both the individual and the health care system face significant financial burdens as a result of smoking.

As a reminder, there is no safe amount of cigarette use. Even one cigarette a day may lead to smoking-related malignancies and early mortality throughout the course of a person’s lifetime. Smoking cessation may lower your chance of developing health issues. The sooner you give up, the more you’ll reap.

The following are some of the instant advantages of quitting:

● Heart rate and blood pressure are lowered

● The blood’s capacity to transport oxygen is quite significantly increased.

● Increased movement around the body

● A reduction in the amount of time spent coughing and wheezing.

Your life expectancy decreases by 5 to 8 minutes for every cigarette you consume. It’s time to give up smoking now that you’ve learned about all of the health risks it poses to your lungs. Your lungs will begin to heal as soon as you stop smoking. Men who give up smoking before the age of 35 have been shown to live an extra decade. Quit smoking now for a healthier future!