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The damages of "smoking" on the "respiratory system", Increased infection and mucus, air flow, Reducing lung cilia, smoking, respiratory system

The damages of smoking on the respiratory system

The task of transporting oxygen-rich blood from the air that enters the body through breathing to all parts of the body and expelling carbon dioxide gas as waste products by exhaling is the main function of the lung , and although all tobacco products are generally unsafe, smoking can have an effect and damage the lung. And its work in particular by using flammable products or those that are ignited with fire such as cigarettes, where smoking tobacco affects the respiratory system as follows:

Irritation of the larynx , voice box, trachea, or airway.
Reducing lung function and causing shortness of breath due to narrowing and swelling of the air passages and increased mucus in the lung passages.
A defect in the purification or filtering system of the lung, which results in the accumulation of toxic substances and thus irritation and lung damage.
Permanent damage or damage to the air sacs in the lungs.
Increased risk of lung infection and symptoms such as wheezing and coughing .

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Changes to the lungs and airways

Smoking causes some changes to the airways and lungs. Here is a mention of her:

Increased infection and mucus: smoking leads to a faster aging of the lungs in addition to that it impedes the ability of the defense systems in them to protect against infection, and to understand the mechanism of this, it should be noted that smoking leads to an increase in the size and number of cells that secrete mucus in the lungs and airways, so that this leads to Excess mucus and its thickness in such a way that the lungs are not able to clean it effectively and thus remain in the airways, which leads to clogging and the smoker's suffering from coughing, and this excess mucus is vulnerable to infection.
Reducing air flow: Smoking affects the airflow and reduces the area of air flow and blood vessels in the lungs, which results in reducing the amount of oxygen reaching critical parts of the body; This is as a result of causing damage to the lungs and their tissues, and smoking leads to lung irritation and coughing even if you smoke one or two cigarettes.
Reducing lung cilia: After a few seconds after lighting a cigarette, the movement of cilia in the lung slows down. These are hair-like components that are arranged in the lungs in a broom-like shape and clean them. Where smoking one cigarette leads to reduce the movement of these cilia for several hours, and in general smoking leads to reduce the number of these cilia so that there are few of them to clean the lung as required.
Scarring of the lungs: Smokers may experience chest tightness, wheezing , and shortness of breath . This is because the small airways and tissues in the lungs are exposed to inflammation, and the continuation of this inflammation leads to the accumulation of scar tissue; This, in turn, leads to changes in the airways and lungs that cause difficulty in breathing, and irritation of the lungs for several years due to smoking can lead to chronic coughing and mucus suffering.
Destruction of the alveoli: smoking leads to the destruction of the alveoli or the tiny air sacs that allow the exchange of oxygen gas in the lungs, and the destruction of these alveoli represents the permanent loss or destruction of a part of the lung because it does not grow again.

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lung diseases

Smoking exposes the lung to many diseases, and both cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and for short (COPD) are considered; They are the most common diseases affecting the respiratory system due to smoking, and lung diseases such as cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and tuberculosis represent the underlying cause of more than 40% of deaths related to tobacco smoking; According to the World Health Organization, it should be noted that the doctor should be consulted immediately in the event of symptoms indicating lung disease, and it should be noted that the symptoms of lung diseases associated with smoking may be similar to heart problems and lung conditions. The risks of the lung smoking process vary, and can be explained in some detail as follows:

Increase the severity of colds: Smoking affects the body’s ability to fight colds because it destroys the cells of the lungs, and the fact that smokers get these common colds more than non-smokers, and the symptoms appearing on them are more severe and persist for a longer period, so it is advised for those with colds Not to smoke and stay away from smokers during the injury.
Chronic bronchitis : which is a chronic or long-term inflammation that affects the large airways or bronchi and causes mucous cough and shortness of breath for a period that may last for weeks or months, and this inflammation is a form of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Emphysema: This disease affects the air sacs in the lung and causes fatigue , coughing and shortness of breath, as it may lead to depression , weight loss, heart and sleep problems as well, and like its predecessor, this disease is also a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Lung cancer: Smoking in general or secondhand smoke is one of the main causes of lung cancer, which represents an abnormal growth of cells. And it leads to the growth of masses or tumors in the lungs; It may begin with the lining of the airways or it may start in other areas of the lung. This disease may be accompanied by symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, recurrent lung infection, swelling of the neck and face, pain and weakness in the muscles , arms and hands, hoarseness, and phlegm. Bloody or rusty, and an unexplained fever; However, most of the time these symptoms do not appear until the disease progresses.
Other types of cancer: Smoking increases the risk of cancer of the throat, larynx, sinuses, nose and voice box, and it may also raise the risk of many other types of cancer such as cancer of the reproductive system in women, in addition to bowel and urinary system cancer; Therefore, you should see a doctor immediately if you have any symptoms of lung disease.
Tuberculosis infection: Smoking increases the risk of developing TB disease, which leads to lung damage and reduces its function. According to the World Health Organization, a quarter of the world's population suffers from latent tuberculosis which puts them at risk of developing the active form of it, and the risk of developing disease increases TB in smokers twice as compared to non-smokers, and active TB disease increases the risk of disability and death due to respiratory failure in addition to the health effects that lung damage affects on the body. Therefore, smokers with active TB disease are recommended to quit smoking immediately in order for a special treatment regimen. With this disease it is effective.

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Other risks that smoking affects the lungs

Smoking is harmful to people with asthma in particular, in addition to being an unhealthy habit for all people. People with asthma suffer from difficulty breathing as a result of the swelling and narrowing of the airways and their filling with sticky phlegm. They are the same symptoms that result from smoking. Therefore, smokers and asthmatics suffer from frequent and severe attacks. Children who suffer from asthma and live in homes where there are smokers face the following:

More prone to asthma attacks compared to others.
Increased likelihood of going to the emergency room due to severe asthma attacks.
Increased likelihood of missing school due to asthma.
Difficulty controlling and managing asthma with medication compared to others who are not exposed to smoking.

Although children with asthma are exposed to many health problems as a result of secondhand smoke, it is harmful to children without it as well, and is likely to increase their risk of disease. As they are likely to have middle ear and upper respiratory infection and pneumonia as well, and these children can also develop asthma even if they do not suffer from respiratory problems if they are exposed to ten cigarettes per day, as infants suffer from a decrease in lung growth and its activity in the case of smoking The mother during pregnancy or exposure to secondhand smoke; Therefore, it must be ensured that smoking is avoided in the presence of children and infants.

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The effect of smoking cessation on the lung

The lung is one of the body's purification systems. As it takes air from the atmosphere and supplies the blood with oxygen to spread through the blood circulation throughout the body, it also gets rid of carbon dioxide from it, and thus smoking intersects or interferes with this delicate balance in the body; Therefore, smoking cessation has a positive effect on the body and its general health. As the level of carbon monoxide decreases and reaches its normal levels after only 12 hours of quitting smoking, which allows more oxygen to circulate to the organs of the body, and the risk of lung cancer decreases in the years after quitting smoking as well, Although the best protection from exposure to lung cancer is not smoking at all, the faster smokers quit smoking, the lungs will begin to recover and reduce the risk of cancer. Quitting smoking positively affects the body in several ways as follows:

Reducing the risk of cancer: Quitting smoking reduces the risk of cancer as follows:

Reducing the risk of developing throat cancer immediately.
Reducing the risk of lung cancer by half 10 years after quitting it.
Reducing the risk of developing throat and mouth cancers by half 5 years after quitting.

Stopping lung damage: It is recommended to quit smoking before permanent lung damage occurs; Whereas, the scarring effect cannot be reversed, and it is noteworthy that it is possible to notice ease of climbing the stairs due to a decrease in the suffering of shortness of breath after only two weeks of giving up smoking.
Preventing emphysema: Quitting smoking early protects from exposing the tiny air sacs to damage for years, which helps protect a smoker person who develops emphysema at a later time, but in general there is no cure for this disease.
Lung cilia: Lung cilia are the first parts of the body to recover after quitting smoking. As it grows again and returns to its normal activity quickly after quitting cigarettes, smokers may notice at times exposure to coughing more than usual after quitting smoking, and this is a sign of the regrowth of the cilia, and in return, the good work of the cilia will contribute to resisting infection and colds more.

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