How Does Smoking Trigger COPD?

In this blog, we’ll explore what COPD is, the symptoms and risk factors linked with it, if vaping is better than cigarettes, and whether or not passive smoking develops COPD. Finally, we’ll go over the answer to the most commonly asked question: Can quitting smoking improve COPD?

What is COPD? 

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is usually caused by a shortage of oxygen supply to the body’s muscles, which results in breathing troubles, chest tightness, and wheezing sounds produced by repeated coughs. COPD has chronic bronchitis and emphysema as the two major diseases that commonly arise in people who smoke.

This disease influences the lives of millions of people all over the world, with many of them remaining undiagnosed and untreated. However, COPD is not always caused by smoking; in fact, it is possible to develop the disease while being exposed to cigarette smoke.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might interfere with your regular activities, resulting in decreased productivity. However, in today’s progressive culture, there are numerous options for dealing with addiction and treating those who are affected by it.

Symptoms of COPD:

Breathing gets extremely difficult once you develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The early symptoms of COPD are non-existent for a broad length of time. They may be confused for a common cold, which causes coughing. However, over time, as the habit and symptoms grow, it becomes important for the individuals to clear the lungs by spitting out the phlegm first thing in the morning, avoid physical tasks that can lead to shortness of breath, recurrent cough, noisy wheezing sound during exhalation that sound like allergic asthma.

People with COPD are more likely to have flare ups, which are periods when their symptoms become worse than usual, and last for several days. Swelling, weight loss, tiredness, and chest tightness are some of the later signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Risk Factors

The leading cause of COPD in advanced countries is tobacco smoking. However, people from underdeveloped countries are more at risk of developing COPD due to pollutants from cooking and poor ventilations at home. The spirometry breathing test is one of the most effective and simple procedures to diagnose Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Exposure to smoke:

The more you smoke, the more symptoms you develop. In the vast majority of people, lung damage is caused by long term smoking. Furthermore, being in polluted air also increases the chances of developing the symptoms.

Asthma:

Allergic asthma can prove to be a risk factor for COPD if not treated on time in some individuals. Furthermore the combination of asthma and smoking can also lead to COPD, since the chances of COPD are higher if the individual is an asthma patient who smokes. For many suffering from this condition, Asthma Clinical Trials in the US  can help you and countless others with solutions that may help reduce your symptoms.

Genetics: 

Deficiency of the gene alpha-1-antitrypsin can serve as another cause of COPD.

There are many more factors which are the leading causes of COPD like a long term exposure to air pollution, inhaling dust, allergic asthma and smoke developed by burning fuel.

Does Vaping cause COPD?

Vaping is not the same as smoking, though it’s quite similar. It is an electronic device that turns the temperatures of a liquid tobacco into smoke, resulting in less poisons and providing the user with the contentment similar to nicotine.

Cigarettes on the other hand work by burning the tobacco into smoke, which is harmful for the body. Individuals who are adamant about quitting smoking prefer vaping. It’s a less dangerous alternative to smoking, and it’s targeted towards chronic smokers.

Though it is very early to present the connection between vaping and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; since COPD takes years to develop, and vaping has only recently been introduced. There are, however, numerous clinical trials being undertaken for individuals to see if vaping is one of the reasons for COPD.

Can Second-hand Smoking cause COPD?

Second Hand smoking is also referred to as passive smoking. Smoke free laws are enabled at all the outdoor places to ensure the safety and protection of individuals who inhale the smoke, exhaled by the smokers. Non-smokers can still develop lung and heart diseases when they are introduced to a smoking atmosphere.

Passive smoking is very dangerous for pregnant women and automatically for the fetus, as it results in weak lungs, infections or ectopic pregnacies of infants in the womb. Similarly, many babies die unexpectedly of sudden deaths due to the inhalation of harmful air that they are exposed to.

Risk of COPD increases as an adult when you lived with a smoker as a kid. As a child, long term exposure to smoke can result in sudden death from ischemic heart diseases as you grow up. Non-smokers frequently misdiagnose the symptoms of COPD as common colds, which only exacerbates the condition in the long run.

There are no such preventive measures which can ensure the safety from passive smoking. However, the ultimate way to avoid smoke is to stay away from passive smoking and maintain a distance from the smoking environment.

Will Quitting Smoking Help Manage COPD?

The decision to quit smoking is not easy but there are many health benefits associated with it. Smoking cessation is the most effective way to decrease the progression of COPD and prevent the lungs from further damage. Individuals who stop smoking experience improvement in coughing, breathing and general lifestyle.

The symptoms of COPD can worsen with time causing severe flare ups, leading to more coughing, mucus or even hospitalization. Although smoking cessation cannot reverse the harm caused to the lungs over many years of smoking, individuals can improve their health by quitting cigarettes for good.

The best results for COPD are usually achieved by a combination of lifestyle changes and smoking cessation, which includes getting medical advice, exercise and eating the correct foods.

Also Read : Face Mask ㅡ A Must Have Fashion Accessory After Covid 19 Impact

Conclusion

COPD is a complication of smoking which results in numerous health problems in individuals of all age groups. COPD can affect smokers as well as non-smokers through passive smoking. It is not, however, untreatable, there are countable lifestyle and dietary modifications which can help individuals in improving their health