Smoking causes the preventable deaths of over 443,000 people in the Unites States each year. Second-hand smoke kills over 50,000 people each year.
Smoking cigarettes allows you to be exposed to over 49 different carcinogens including formaldehide and ammonia. Every puff you take forces your lungs to work harder to oxygenate other cells in the body. In addition to this, it also depletes Elastin, an enzyme in the lungs which allows them to be more flexible. With depletion in elastin, you become more susceptible to emphysema.
When a cigarette is inhaled, tar coats the lungs damaging them and the heart. 160,000 deaths in the United States are smoking/heart related deaths each year. In addition, smoking creates a rise in blood pressure and increase clotting time which then leads to stroke.
Effects on the lungs:
The lungs contain tiny air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and gases through a thin layer of epithelial cells. The surface of alveoli are covered with a thin layer of pulmonary surfactant that keeps the alveoli from collapsing on exhalation. Smoking causes damage to the alveoli, preventing their ability to receive oxygen from the blood. Smoking causes 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% in women.
Lung Cancer:
You don't necessarily have to smoke to get lung cancer. There are reported cases of people who have died from lung cancer who have never smoked in their lives. Of 20,000 new cases, ten to fifteen percent of these new cases are people who never smoked. Other causes of lung cancer include:
Second-hand smoke Arsenic Asbestos Chromium Radon gas - the number one cause of lung cancer in those who don't smoke. Excessive exposure to radiation
How lung cancer develops:
Lung cancer presents due to the exposure to carcinogens in the air, often in the places where we live and work, resulting in lesions or tumor growth. Tumors are an uncontrolled overgrowth of cells. These mutated cells form growths that can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). They begin to grow and cause obstructions, later pressing on other nearby organs causing extreme pain. Most lung cancers aren't found until they are in their later stages.
Treatment for lung cancer?
Treatment for lung cancer is dependent upon the severity and type of the cancer. In general, there are three types of treatment which include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Sometimes a combination of all three may be used. In addition, there are always new clinical trials becoming available. Your healthcare provider can help you determine if your case is a match for any of these trials.
Smoking cigarettes allows you to be exposed to over 49 different carcinogens including formaldehide and ammonia. Every puff you take forces your lungs to work harder to oxygenate other cells in the body. In addition to this, it also depletes Elastin, an enzyme in the lungs which allows them to be more flexible. With depletion in elastin, you become more susceptible to emphysema.
When a cigarette is inhaled, tar coats the lungs damaging them and the heart. 160,000 deaths in the United States are smoking/heart related deaths each year. In addition, smoking creates a rise in blood pressure and increase clotting time which then leads to stroke.
Effects on the lungs:
The lungs contain tiny air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and gases through a thin layer of epithelial cells. The surface of alveoli are covered with a thin layer of pulmonary surfactant that keeps the alveoli from collapsing on exhalation. Smoking causes damage to the alveoli, preventing their ability to receive oxygen from the blood. Smoking causes 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% in women.
Lung Cancer:
You don't necessarily have to smoke to get lung cancer. There are reported cases of people who have died from lung cancer who have never smoked in their lives. Of 20,000 new cases, ten to fifteen percent of these new cases are people who never smoked. Other causes of lung cancer include:
Second-hand smoke Arsenic Asbestos Chromium Radon gas - the number one cause of lung cancer in those who don't smoke. Excessive exposure to radiation
How lung cancer develops:
Lung cancer presents due to the exposure to carcinogens in the air, often in the places where we live and work, resulting in lesions or tumor growth. Tumors are an uncontrolled overgrowth of cells. These mutated cells form growths that can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). They begin to grow and cause obstructions, later pressing on other nearby organs causing extreme pain. Most lung cancers aren't found until they are in their later stages.
Treatment for lung cancer?
Treatment for lung cancer is dependent upon the severity and type of the cancer. In general, there are three types of treatment which include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Sometimes a combination of all three may be used. In addition, there are always new clinical trials becoming available. Your healthcare provider can help you determine if your case is a match for any of these trials.
About the Author:
A licensed registered nurse and passionate writer, Barb Hicks loves to share her knowledge about Smoking Health Effects and Quit Smoking Injection Shot with others on Clivir.com.
