'Smoker's Cough' Disease Is Very Dangerous

 Coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. Although it can be annoying, coughing helps your body heal or protect itself. Coughs can be either acute or chronic. Acute coughs begin suddenly and usually last no more than 2 to 3 weeks. Acute coughs are the kind you most often get with a cold or flu. Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.

The "Smoker's cough"  

 Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that irritate the air passages and lungs. When a smoker inhales these substances, the body tries to protect itself by coughing. This kind of cough is usually the result of chronic high levels of abnormally thick mucus in the lower bronchial airways.

The well-known "early morning" cough of smokers happens for a different reason. Normally, cilia (tiny hair-like formations lining the airways) beat outward and sweep harmful material out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke, however, decreases the sweeping action, so some of the poisons in the smoke remain in the lungs. When a smoker sleeps, some cilia recover and begin working again. After waking up, the smoker coughs because the lungs are trying to clear away the poisons that built up the previous day.

Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to smoke completely destroys the cilia's ability to function. Then the smoker's lungs are even more exposed and susceptible than before, especially to bacteria and viruses in the air.

Why do smokers have "smoker's cough?"

 Cigarette smoke has chemicals that irritate the air passages and lungs. When a smoker inhales these substances, the body tries to protect itself by making mucus and coughing. The early morning smoker's cough happens for many reasons. Normally, tiny hair-like formations (called cilia) beat outward and sweep harmful material out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke slows the sweeping action, so some of the poisons in the smoke stay in the lungs and mucus stays in the airways. While a smoker sleeps, some cilia recover and begin working again. After waking up, the smoker coughs because the lungs are trying to clear away the irritants and mucus that built up the day before. The cilia will completely stop working after they have been exposed to smoke for a long time. Then the smoker's lungs are even more exposed and prone to infection and irritation.

 "Smoker's cough" - much more serious  

The same noxious chemicals that cause the simple smoker's cough can lead to far more serious conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, and lung cancer.  

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi causing excessive mucous production and swelling of the bronchial walls. When the so-called smoker's cough is constant rather than occasional, the likelihood exists that the mucus-producing layer of the bronchial lining has thickened, narrowing the airways to the point where breathing becomes increasingly difficult. With the immobilization of the cilia that sweep the air clean of foreign irritants, the bronchial passages become more vulnerable to further infection and the spread of tissue damage. 

Emphysema begins with the destruction of air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. The walls of the air sacs are thin and fragile. Damage to the air sacs is irreversible and results in permanent "holes" in the tissues of the lower lungs. As air sacs are destroyed, the lungs are able to transfer less and less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing shortness of breath. The lungs also lose their elasticity. The patient experiences great difficulty exhaling.

Pneumonia: Left untreated, a bronchial infection cause further damage to the respiratory tract, and are more likely to develop complications such as pneumonia or respiratory failure. 

Lung cancer: Starting with the "smoker's cough", eventually the mucus can become infected and the smoker suffers from acute illness with fever and the coughing of phlegm discolored by pus. Finally the air sacs are destroyed, leaving the sufferer with permanent breathing difficulties. 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: More than 7 million current and former smokers suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name used to describe both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America. More women die from COPD than men. Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD. More than 75% of COPD deaths are caused by smoking. The late stage of chronic lung disease is one of the most miserable of all medical problems. It creates a feeling of gasping for breath all the time -- much like the feeling of drowning.

In addition, smoker's cough may lead to earlier development of stress urinary incontinence in women. A smoker’s chronic cough may damage structures that support the urethra and vagina and there may also be an association between nicotine and increased bladder contractions, which causes both urinary incontinence and overactive bladder.

 Conclusion 

Smokers' cough is a sign that the lungs are trying to clean themselves. Quitting smoking is the only way to get rid of it. Within three months of quitting, the smokers' cough disappears in most people.

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