Smoking Damages Lungs In Many Ways: Dr. Saima Siraj

Assistant Professor of Department of Pulmonology of ISRA University Hospital Dr. Saima Siraj said cigarette smoking damages the lungs in many ways as the irritating effect of cigarette smoke affects cells of the lungs that promote inflammation

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Nov, 2017 ) :Assistant Professor of Department of Pulmonology of ISRA University Hospital Dr. Saima Siraj said cigarette smoking damages the lungs in many ways as the irritating effect of cigarette smoke affects cells of the lungs that promote inflammation.

Talking to APP, she said that cigarette smoke also stimulates the inflammatory cells to release elastics, an enzyme that breaks down the elastic fibers in lung tissue Dr. Saima said Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is also a pulmonary disease which hinders the flow of air out of the lungs, but unlike chronic bronchitis and emphysema, the obstruction in asthma usually is reversible.

Significant societal and quality of life benefits could be achieved if greater steps were taken to prevent the condition, such as greater access to smoking cessation programmes, earlier diagnosis and appropriate management strategies to control the condition and slow down the spread of the disease, explained Dr.Saima Siraj .

Dr.Saima Siraj further said that the most important early symptom of this disease was a persistent cough, accompanied by sputum. As the disease advances the person starts to experience shortness of breath even after the slightest exertion.

If COPD is detected early, treatments are available to prevent further deterioration of this condition, she added. About the symptoms of the COPD, Dr.Saima said that typically, after smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day for more than twenty years, patients with COPD develop a chronic cough, shortness of breath and frequent respiratory infections.

She said that smokers with COPD have higher death rates than nonsmokers with COPD and patients also have more frequent respiratory symptoms (coughing, shortness of breath, etc.

) and more deterioration in lung function than non-smokers.

She said that effects of passive smoking or "second-hand smoke" on the lungs were not well-known, however, evidence suggests that respiratory infections, asthma, and symptoms were more common in children who live in households where adults smoke.

She said that some patients with asthma can develop permanent airway obstruction if chronic inflammation of the airways leads to scarring and narrowing of the airways and this process is referred to as lung remodeling These asthma patients with a fixed component of airway obstruction are also considered to have COPD, she added.

Pulmonologist further explained that during exhalation, the chest muscles relax to their resting positions, shrinking the chest and creating positive pressure within the airways and as a result, air is expelled from the lungs.

She said that COPD is suspected in chronic smokers who develop shortness of breath with or without exertion, have chronic persistent cough with sputum production, and frequent episodes of infections of the lungs such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

She further said that in advanced COPD, small blood vessels in the lungs are destroyed, and this blocks the flow of blood through the lungs. She said �Treatment for COPD is available, and it is most effective when the disease is diagnosed early,� added that in addition to seeing their doctors, friends and family can help patients by making sure that COPD patients get balanced foods to eat, take walk or other gentle exercises, and helping them with everyday tasks at home.

She urged the government to take measures not only for the implementation of anti-smoking laws but also for controlling the atmospheric pollution.