Every May 31st, World No Tobacco and Lung Health Day is celebrated, a date that invites us to reflect on the harmful effects that cigarettes leave on those who are active smokers, as well as passive smokers, those who are constantly exposed to tobacco smoke. .
“Smoking is the addiction to tobacco consumption. It causes psycho-emotional alterations related to nicotine dependence, in addition to the effects on different organs of the body”, mentions the pulmonologist at our Clinic Augusto Rodríguez Flórez, who explains that it is an evil that leaves effects both in the organism and in the mental sphere. .
“The effects on the body are the most evident. In the lungs it can cause acute irritation up to cancer; it can also worsen asthma, chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema, as well as trigger pulmonary fibrosis or worsen it in case of suffering from it ”, lists the specialist in pneumology.
Added to these conditions is deterioration due to decreased oxygen levels in the blood, it also causes or aggravates vascular and inflammatory diseases and can trigger cancer of the bladder, mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. “In the mental part, it causes addiction dependent on the brain receptors for nicotine, each time they feel the need for a higher dose and greater frequency of consumption,” says Dr. Rodríguez.
Symptoms of people with smoking
- Nicotine dependence generates anxiety in the smoker.
- Chronic cough.
- Progressive drowning.
- Constant expectoration.
- Pain or angina in the chest.
- Impairment in brain functions.
Who does it affect?
All smokers are affected, but there are also populations with higher risks such as pregnant women and adolescents, in addition to so-called passive smokers, who are those who are exposed to smoke and here children should be paid attention, who receive the smoke directly or through the substances left by the cigarette on the skin, hair and clothing of the smoker.
recommendations
- Prevention is the priority to reduce tobacco use.
- Make a plan that includes habit changes at times when cravings about smoking occur.
- Do activities that give you well-being.
- Seek medical help and lean on your family.
At our Clinic we have specialists in Pneumology, a specialty that is responsible for the study and management of diseases of the respiratory system.
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