The lungs function by transferring oxygen into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide out of the body with every breath taken. Tobacco use upsets this mechanism on many levels.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking damages the lungs by attacking the pulmonary, cardiovascular and immune systems of the human body. Health problems arise from inhaling heated biomass and being subjected to toxic compounds and over 60 known carcinogens in every cigarette.
Function
The lungs depend on healthy bronchial airways and pulmonary blood vessels to perform effective and efficient respiration. Smoking, however, degrades all of these parts of the respiratory system.
The CDC reports that cigarette smoking causes atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the blood vessels used for oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer. Persistent tobacco use disables the bronchial cilia, which keep the airways to the lungs clear. It also suppresses immune system response needed to fight off the cancer-causing chemicals that attack cells.
Significance
When the cilia no longer protect the lungs by sweeping away poisons and debris, the lungs become scarred and vulnerable to infection. The U.S. Surgeon General's 2004 report notes that acute bronchitis and pneumonia are more common among smokers, infections that further damage the lungs.
The American Lung Association (ALA) explains that as the alveoli, or lung air sacs, lose their elasticity, they begin to form holes and become less efficient. The levels of blood oxygen decrease. Blood vessels clogged by atherosclerosis further reduce gas exchange. Immune disorders may allow carcinogenesis to occur.
Effects
Initially, health problems arise as acute symptoms. If tobacco use continues, respiratory irritation becomes chronic. The ALA reports that chronic bronchitis and emphysema, two stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), affect lung capacity. Pulmonary hypertension created by atherosclerosis affects lung and cardiovascular health. Cancer can develop in the lungs.
Identification
The ALA counsels that medical treatment for symptoms of COPD should be sought as early as possible. A frequent "smoker's cough" indicates chronic bronchitis, a health problem that can obstruct breathing and shut down lung function.
Long-term cigarette smoking that results in emphysema is diagnosed by an inability to exhale fully, causing shortness of breath. Hypertension is often asymptomatic, while cancer may have nonspecific symptoms, such as coughing or frequent respiratory infections.
Time Frame
General respiratory symptoms from cigarette smoking, such as coughing and wheezing, can come on after only a few cigarettes in young smokers, whose bodies are still developing. The ALA notes that chronic bronchitis can affect smokers of all ages, while emphysema health problems usually develop after years of tobacco use. The CDC reports that lung cancer risk grows with every year of smoking.
