Smoking Lung Cancer
Cancer is referred to abnormal growth of cells. Cell is the basic unit of life. Whenever there is increased growth of cells more than required, it causes cluster formation of the cells. This is known as tumors. If the tumor is further proliferating and multiplying it is referred to as cancer.
Similarly, smoking lung cancer is formed by the increased multiplication and proliferation of the cells of lungs. Cancer is not only aggressively proliferating but it also travels from one part of the body to another. It can enter the blood stream as well the lymphatic system thus having generalized systemic affect on the body. The thing which makes lung cancer severely life threatening is that its spreads in the body, starts at very early stages.
There are various causes that can cause lung cancer like, smoking, tobacco use, passive smoking, air pollution caused by factories and vehicles, asbestos inhalation, tuberculosis or other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
The main reasons are smoking and tobacco use. Nearly 90% cases are reported due to smoking. Not one but about 4000 chemicals included in the cigarette smoke are responsible for causing lung cancer. There are chances of reducing the risk of lung cancer after one quit smoking. It is believed that after 15 years of quitting active smoking, one can have less risk of lung cancer equivalent to the person who never smoked.
Passive smoking is a process in which a person is on continuous exposure of cigarette smoke as someone else is smoking in the nearby. It is also believed equally life threatening because all the toxins, that the smoker is releasing, are inhaled by the person sitting nearby. It also causes smoking lung cancer.
Our lungs contain cilia which remove the dirt from our lungs and keep it clean and free from infection. Cigarette smokes contain tar which usually sticks to the cilia and disturbs its normal functioning. Hence there is deposition of dirt and other infective material in the lungs hence making lungs susceptible to infection. This is why second-hand smoking is equally harmful because even in the second-hand smoking we are inhaling the tar.
Lung cancer symptoms include all the respiratory manifestations including cough, dyspnoea, pain in chest, hemoptysis. There are more severe symptoms due to impact on the nerves causing hoarseness of voice due to edema or laryngitis followed by dysphagia causing general weakening and malaise and cachexia. All these are indicative of smoking lung cancer.
There are plenty of other effects of smoking on the body other than lungs, this includes effect on heart. The nicotine contained in cigarette causes constriction of blood vessels thus causes increased blood pressure and hypertension. Another deadly affect of smoking on body is due to its carbon monoxide content. It causes hypoxia hence can cause massive necrosis involving the whole organ or part. Smoking lung cancer therefore calls for heart attacks.
You must consult an expert if you are having chronic cough, spitting blood in the cough or sputum, if you are feeling that you are easily getting affected by the respiratory infections along with the chest pain, if you think you are becoming thin and fatigued day by day and are seen most of the time missing your breath or found wheezing.
