What is Emphysema?
Emphysema is a chronic disease where the air sacs or alveoli become damaged and lose their elasticity so that the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is limited. The body requires the oxygen to survive.
Smoking Damages This Lung Tissue
The duration of a smokers’ habit, directly affects the damage caused by smoking, not only to the lungs but also to other organs. This damage from cigarette smoking may become irreversible.
It is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs which causes a person to have shortness of breath due to the over inflation of the alveoli or the air sacs inside the lungs. In people with emphysema, the lung tissues that are involved in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide are destroyed.
Smoking is in fact the major cause for someone developing emphysema
Sadly it is also the most preventable cause. Emphysema is triggered by smoking in two ways:-
- It destroys lung tissue and
- It causes inflammation and irritation of the airways.
Both of these result in obstruction of airflow within the lungs. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for developing emphysema. This fact is of such importance it cannot be amplified enough and it can develop at any age.
What Causes the Coughing When Smoking?
Lung tissue is destroyed by smoking cigarettes in many different ways. The cells in ones airway responsible for clearing mucus and other secretions are directly affected by cigarettes. The sweeping action of tiny hairs called cilia lining the airways are on occasion disturbed. Long-term smoking leads to more damage of the cilia. They could also disappear from the cells lining the air passages. This sweeping motion of the cilia is important, without it occurring consistently, mucous secretions cannot be cleared from the lower respiratory tract. Now that the mucous is unable to clear itself, smoke then causes mucous secretion to be increased and the coughing that follows. This is a deadly situation where infection is most likely going to happen, because of the build-up of bacteria and other organisms with a rich source of food.
Is Pneumonia More Prevalent with Smokers?
Infection is prevented and fought by the immune cells within the lungs and they are also affected by cigarettes. These cells cannot fight bacteria as effectively or clear the lungs of particles in cigarettes, such as tar. This is a perfect combination for lung infections small and deadly. The Immune system is therefore always working and attacking bacteria, this releases destructive enzymes from the immune cells and causes inflammation.
Is Long Term Smoking Dangerous?
Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke leads to the slow destruction of lung function. Enzymes released during this persistent inflammation leads to the loss of proteins responsible for keeping the lungs elastic. Also, the tissues separating the air cells (alveoli) from one another are also destroyed.
Emphysema is caused in many different ways, such as air pollution and breathing hazardous chemicals consistently. However smoking is still the most common and deadly cause of emphysema. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stopping today could prevent this deadly disease from attacking you or more importantly from increasing.
Are you Ready to Quit Smoking
You may be a smoker or maybe you know someone who is. Sharing this information is really important to protect those we love. Life Coach to Quit Smoking is an extremely reputable provider for hypnosis including the Quit Cigarettes at 60 Minutes program in Brisbane. So is it time to take that big step and give up smoking. If this is not you, then perhaps share with someone you love. Share this link with them. They may not be ready to quit however having this information may lead them to a time when they do want to quit smoking. When you or they are ready you can make an appointment here online.