Respiratory diseases caused by smoking can negatively affect the lungs and their ability to exchange oxygen. Smoking can also negatively affect your blood and other vital organs. Smoking can dramatically increase your risk of developing conditions that make it difficult to breathe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that cigarette smoking causes about 90 percent of all deaths in people who develop chronic, obstructive lung diseases. Smoking can cause respiratory diseases, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.
Emphysema
Emphysema is a smoking-related disease that causes the air sacs in the lungs to become porous and deteriorate. When you smoke, the chemicals found in cigarette smoke penetrate the air sacs in the lungs, causing their elasticity to weaken, making it increasingly difficult to breathe, explains the Mayo Clinic. If you develop emphysema, you may experience some of the following symptoms: shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing. Emphysema is one of the smoking-related diseases that make up chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Treating emphysema involves reducing symptoms and preventing further damage to the air sacs. Quitting cigarette smoking is the most effective way to neutralize any further progression of emphysema.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is another disease caused by smoking. The bronchial tubes are responsible for transferring air to and from the lungs. When these bronchial tubes and the lining inside of them become inflamed, symptoms of chronic bronchitis begin to surface. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include persistent coughing, fatigue, mucus in your cough, repeat infections with a cold or flu, and tightness in the chest. The most significant complication of chronic bronchitis is the development of lung cancer. Typically, when you are diagnosed with COPD, emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main conditions that accompany it. Treatment for chronic bronchitis is similar to emphysema and includes immediate cessation of smoking to help reduce symptoms and prevent further damage. To prevent bronchitis, the Mayo Clinic advises to stay away from smokers and secondhand smoke and avoid areas with considerable amounts of pollution.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a known disease caused by smoking and the progression of smoking-related diseases, such as COPD. The CDC states that smoking cigarettes is a major risk factor for lung cancer. In the U.S., an estimated 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and almost 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men are due to smoking. Smokers are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer or die from lung cancer than those people who do not smoke. The longer someone smokes over time and the more cigarettes they smoke each day, the higher the risk. Frequent symptoms that are caused by lung cancer include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, coughing up blood, pain, fever and weight loss. Treatment may include chemotherapy, medication and, if possible, surgery.
