Smoking and just being around tobacco smoke can lead to many health problems. The lung problems it causes are widely known. Although lung cancer may be the most feared disease by smokers and their loved ones, other breathing difficulties caused by smoking can be just as debilitating. These lung diseases often lead to lingering illness, long-term care and early death.
Emphysema
Emphysema limits airflow out of the lungs to make breathing difficult. The condition gets worse over time. The lung tissue weakens. Air sacs that delivery air into the bloodstream are destroyed. Less oxygen coming out of the lungs or passing into the blood results in shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Detection of emphysema is difficult in its early stages so it is often not known that the disease is there until major symptoms begin to appear.
Bronchitis
When the bronchial tubes are inflamed, bronchitis can result. Excessive smoking during times of stress can cause acute bronchitis. It may be a sign that more serious conditions can occur if smoking continues. When the bronchial tubes are scarred and lining becomes thickened from the growth of mucus, restricted airflow to and from the lungs develops. This leads to chronic obstructive bronchitis, which involves constant coughing. Bronchitis and emphysema are related in that they fall into the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) category. Smoking is the cause in nearly 90 percent of COPD cases according to the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC). COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
Pneumonia
Smoking is a known cause of pneumonia according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). It is another illness that is in the COPD category. Smoking also makes pneumonia and asthmatic conditions worse. People who repeatedly develop pneumonia can eventually suffer from bronchitis or emphysema.
Lung Cancer
Smoking causes 87 percent of all lung cancer cases according to the NWHIC. Smoking causes 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent of all lung cancer deaths in women notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The often-fatal disease occurs when abnormal cells in the lungs divide and become cancerous. They can quickly invade other parts of the body.Treatment may be too late if lung cancer isn't caught early. The most important thing you can do to avoid lung disease or lung cancer is to quit smoking according to the ACS and NWHIC. Nonsmokers and ex-smokers should stay away from tobacco smoke as much as possible.
