Bronchitis is a common disease among heavy smokers. However, the dependence on nicotine is so strong that it is very difficult for a person to give up a bad habit even with a real threat to his health. What are the consequences of smoking if bronchitis is diagnosed?
Can I smoke with bronchitis
Bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, which is why viscous mucous sputum is released into their lumen. It gradually accumulates in the respiratory tract, and is withdrawn with difficulty together with a cough. Breathing becomes heavy, often a person feels a lack of oxygen.
On the background of bronchitis, local immunity decreases, and sputum creates a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, in the future, the development of pneumonia.
If a person suffering from bronchitis continues to smoke, he will aggravate the course of the disease. This harmful habit worsens the immune system and causes poisoning of the whole organism. It will take more time and drugs to recover.
In addition, it is smoking along with polluted urban air often leads to the appearance of chronic bronchitis. People following this bad habit, get sick 4 times more often. At the same time, both active and passive smokers are exposed to danger, who constantly have to inhale toxic cigarette smoke against their will.
Statistics show that almost every person develops chronic bronchitis, who smokes about 20 cigarettes a day for the last 5 years. With daily intoxication with nicotine, the lungs simply can not be cleaned.
Scientists conducted clinical studies that confirmed that passive smoking is one of the factors that provoke most of the lung diseases. Intoxications and allergic reactions in response to tobacco smoke components are most often found in children.
According to the results of the research, children, who from early years breathe tobacco smoke, often get bronchitis. If parents continue to smoke in such families, the disease becomes chronic, and later the child develops bronchial asthma.
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Effects of nicotine and smoke
Many people who smoke are complaining of a cough that gradually becomes more intrusive. Only a small percentage of them go to the hospital or make attempts to abandon a bad habit. However, it is the smoker's cough - the first alarm signal indicating the developing bronchitis.
With chronic bronchitis
Tobacco smoke burns the tender mucous membranes of the bronchi and lungs. Also on them settle formaldehyde, benzopyrene and other harmful carcinogens. As a result, the elastic tissue is replaced by a connective, which causes the smoker to have bronchitis.
If the patient does not stop smoking, he continues to inhale tobacco smoke and combustion products. This aggravates the irritation of the mucous membranes, and more mucus accumulates in the bronchi itself, which clogs the airways.
Bronchial spasms cause a cough - so they try to clear themselves of mucus. However, its excretion from the body is hampered by the continuing poisoning with toxic smoke.
As a result,
- develops chest pain;
- high temperature;
- depletion of the body;
- Migraine.
Because of spasms, the bronchi narrow, and the person does not receive the required amount of air. Breathing becomes difficult, shortness of breath develops. There are also attacks of suffocation.
Gradually, coughing with hard-to-recover sputum is becoming more exhausting. They often appear after physical exertion, inhalation of cold or polluted air, and also at night.
Strengthening of cough in chronic bronchitis is facilitated by:
- frequent and intensive puffs;
- holding the cigarette in your mouth when no tightening is performed;
- cigarette smoking without filter.
Under the influence of these factors, more tobacco smoke and carcinogens contained in it penetrate the body. Connections of heavy metals settle on the bronchial mucosa and cause obstruction of the paired organ.
With acute bronchitis
Smoking causes a decrease in local immunity, which creates the ground for penetration of bronchial bacterial infections. As a result, chronic bronchitis is often exacerbated.
This condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- increased cough and dyspnea;
- sputum thickening;
- Department of purulent sputum of yellow or green hue;
- high temperature;
- increased sweating;
- chills.
The appearance of these symptoms indicates the development of pathological processes, which often become irreversible and lead to disability. Requires immediate quitting and qualified medical treatment. The patient is prescribed bed rest, copious drinking and taking prescribed medicines - corticosteroids and antibiotics.
Consequences of
It is impossible to predict the consequences of smoking in bronchitis. It depends on the characteristics of a particular organism. However, each cigarette smoked lowers immunity and can become the last straw that will trigger the transition of the disease to a more severe stage.
According to statistics, mortality among smokers with bronchitis is three times higher than among men without bad habits. As a result of prolonged smoking, the human lungs darken and fill with mucous sputum, and the small bronchi become clogged and can not work at full strength. They form a small air cushion, which does not allow a person to make a full breath.
The last stage of chronic bronchitis is characterized by an exhausting cough that lasts from three months, causing chest pain and migraines.
When a large number of pathogens accumulate in the bronchi, acute bronchitis develops, which can develop into:
- pneumonia;Purulent purulent
- :
- asthma.
Smoking a large number of cigarettes at a certain time will provoke a sharp decrease in immunity. As a result, there is an increased threat of lung, stomach or laryngeal cancer.
Constant bronchial spasms cause muscle overstrain, which triggers a degenerative process in the muscle tissue. The air is not completely exhaled, its part remains in the lungs, forming a pillow. Dead cells are replaced by scar tissue, while the bronchi decrease in size, their insufficiency develops.
All these processes are exacerbated by intoxication with tobacco smoke, colds and viral infections. A weakened immune system is not able to deal with such a burden, so treatment of even a mild form of SARS is much more difficult.
When the patient finds the strength to quit smoking, then after about 1.5 months it becomes easier for him to breathe.
When a person refuses to smoke and begins to be treated in the early stages of bronchitis, lung function is almost completely restored. If the disease is started, then the recovery is slow, but as nicotine poisoning stops, an exhausting cough gradually disappears. This is the only way to prevent such a dangerous disease as cancer.
Conclusions
Can I smoke during bronchitis - absolutely not. This bad habit very often causes a disease that reduces life expectancy. If you do not give up tobacco after the appearance of a characteristic cough with hardly detachable sputum, chronic bronchitis will quickly develop, and then there will be a risk of asthma, pneumonia and even cancer.
The acquired bronchitis of a smoker develops in just 5 years of smoking, and getting rid of it is almost impossible. You can cure the disease at the initial stage or partially restore the bronchial function in the presence of complications. However, if a person after that starts to smoke again, he will provoke another exacerbation of the disease.
Quitting smoking is the only way to prevent serious consequences that bronchitis can lead to. However, nicotinic breakage can be very strong. If you can not quit smoking abruptly, you can gradually reduce the number of cigarettes.
To facilitate the process of weaning from tobacco, experts advise:
- Refuse coffee and alcohol.
- Properly eat.
- To distract yourself with chewing gum, candy.
- Take vitamins.
- Drink soothing teas.
- Perform respiratory gymnastics.
- Sleep 8 hours a day.
- Walking in the air and playing sports.
- For a while protect yourself from smoking companies.
Doctors unequivocally declare, that only under condition of full refusal of a bad habit it is possible to get rid completely of symptoms of a chronic bronchitis. Otherwise, treatment will be significantly delayed or ineffective.