1. Smoking harms your lungs
- Smoking causes inflammation of the airways.
- Cilia, i.e. tiny hairs found in the respiratory tract, which, while moving, “sweep away” dirt particles, stop working normally.
- The airways, which are very large in surface area, produce more mucus, which can cause a chronic cough. This is called chronic bronchitis and is one of the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This results in a constant cough and the production of large amounts of mucus.
- Epidemiological studies show a higher incidence of bronchial asthma, especially among women smokers compared to non-smokers, the incidence of asthma is 2 to 3 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers.
2. Smoking worsens the quality of life
Coughing: If you are a tobacco smoker, you will experience a smoker’s cough over time as your body tries to get rid of the toxins you inhale when smoking.
- The airways become narrower, which makes it difficult for air to flow in both directions.
- You have breathing problems and you often lose breath, which is an important symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- The alveoli are gradually destroyed.
- Oxygen inhaled with air is transferred from the alveoli to the circulatory system, thus the destruction of some alveoli deprives the lungs of the ability to supply the body with this vital ingredient. This is called emphysema and is another symptom of COPD.
- Carrying out activities where breathing is important – such as playing sports, dancing or singing – becomes increasingly difficult.
- Continuing to smoke can lead to serious breathing problems, even when you’re resting.
- Oxygen deficiency in the brain: The low amount of oxygen in the blood also causes the brain to not get enough oxygen to function properly. This can cause a deterioration in the ability to concentrate as well as dizziness.