Does Smoking Cause Emphysema?

Smoking causes a number of serious lung diseases such as lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema. Emphysema! What is emphysema and how is smoking related to it? Discover it here!

What is Emphysema?

Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a condition where over-inflation of the alveoli or the air sacs (structures in the lungs) occurs. Over-inflation of the alveoli occurs when its walls breakdown. Hence, the respiratory function gets reduced, resulting in breathlessness.

Fresh air which is highly required for adequate ventilation is not filled in the air sacs because they can not completely shrink. So, the lungs loose elasticity; i.e. they become unable to fully expand and contract.

It becomes really difficult to breath out when a person suffers from emphysema; though he may not face difficulty in breathing in.

Emphysema Symptoms:

Following are the early emphysema symptoms:

Causes of Emphysema

Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema. Toxic substances are discharged from tobacco smoke which enters the air sacs of the lungs. These toxic substances damage the walls of the air sacs.

Smoking also causes the chemical imbalance. When the chemicals from tobacco smoke are released to the air sacs of the lungs, a chemical imbalance occurs.

Air pollutants, irritating fumes, and dusts can also cause the chemical imbalance.

Emphysema which does not develop suddenly occurs over years of exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, and irritating fumes.

Emphysema Treatment:

During emphysema treatment, the most crucial step is to stop smoking. Here are some of the emphysema treatments available:

Smoking and Emphysema

Smoking is the most important risk factor for emphysema. When a person inhales tobacco smoke, it damages the air sacs in the lungs. Eventually, the lungs loose their functioning resulting in emphysema.

People who smoke 20 or more cigarettes per day suffer from emphysema.

Current smokers are 6 times more likely to develop emphysema than non-smokers.

Smoking causes 82% of emphysema among males and 76% among females.

Damage from emphysema is irreversible. So it can not be cured. Nevertheless giving up smoking is quite beneficial. It helps to slow down the rate of loss of lung capacity in emphysema.

3 Responses to “Does Smoking Cause Emphysema?”

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