If You Won’t Quit Smoking, At Least Watch for These Lung Cancer Symptoms

Medically Reviewed by Vinod K. Jona, MD

Let’s be honest: Smoking causes lung cancer.

About 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking. The more cigarettes you smoke a day and the younger you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. In South Carolina, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths – accounting for more victims each year than breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined.

Smoking pipes and cigars also causes cancer.  In fact, cigars contain more cancer-causing substances, tar and toxins than cigarettes.

“The best way to reduce your risk lung cancer is to quit smoking,” says McLeod Pulmonologist Dr. Vinod Jona. “For some people, it’s easy; they’ve claimed to have quit smoking dozens of times. But seriously, for many people, it’s very difficult to break the addictive habit.  If you know someone like that – or if that’s you – here are symptoms to watch for. ”

When lung cancer first develops, there may be no pain or visible symptoms.  As the cancer worsens, the following signs may appear:

• A cough that won’t go away – even after 2 or 3 weeks
• Wheezing, hoarseness or shortness of breath
• Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia
• Chest pain that gets worse with coughing, laughing or deep breathing
• Coughing up blood or rust-colored spit

Signs of more advanced lung cancer include:

• Swallowing difficulty
• Eyelid drooping
• Facial paralysis

None of the symptoms by itself guarantees that you have lung cancer. But, if you have a symptom, you need to see your personal physician.  When you do, here’s what will happen.

Imaging Tests
Chest X-rays may be taken right in your doctor’s office. If the doctor sees something suspicious, you may need more tests.

CT (or CAT) Scans are more likely than an X-ray to show lung tumors, in addition to revealing the exact location, size and position of the tumors. The CT can also show if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (metastasized).

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans may also be used to map the spread of any cancer.

Tissue Tests
Sputum Samples.  The doctor may take a sample of the mucous you cough up from your lungs.

Bronchoscopy uses a lighted fiber optic tube to examine the throat and windpipe.

A Needle Biopsy uses a syringe, cells and small fragments of tissue are withdrawn from the mass being examined.

These are the most common tests. However, other studies may use ultrasound, sample liquid near the lung or require minor incisions to collect larger tissue samples.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
If you are going to smoke, you are risking lung cancer. So, keep an eye out for the obvious symptoms.  See your doctor right way if you sense something is wrong.

Based on a study of 53,000 former or active smokers, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening for lung cancer using a low-dose CT in a specific group of patients.

For more information on the McLeod Lung Cancer Screening Program, click here or call 843-777-5640.

Sources include: McLeod Health, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Health Service UK, American Cancer Society, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control

BecomeAnEX and the General Data Protection Regulation

BecomeAnEX and the General Data Protection Regulation

BecomeAnEX is committed to helping tobacco users in the US achieve their vision of a tobacco-free future. In light of a new international data protection law enacted by the European Union (EU), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we are updating site accessibility for BecomeAnEX.

About GDPR

By now, you may have heard of the GDPR, a new EU data privacy law that goes into effect on May 25, 2018 and that may have widespread impact on businesses around the world. The regulation applies only to the treatment of personal data furnished to a business from data subjects who are situated in the EU. The GDPR imposes numerous requirements on those businesses that are obligated to comply with the regulation.

What Does GDPR Mean for You?

BecomeAnEX is not subject to the GDPR and has determined that it will not take the substantial steps necessary to comply with the regulation’s requirements. Accordingly, if you are visiting BecomeAnEX.org from any EU-member country, unfortunately you will no longer be able to access BecomeAnEX.org or the EX Community, nor will you receive emails from BecomeAnEX or the EX Community. We will not log your visit to this page in an identifiable way.

If you are seeing this page, it is because your IP address is registering as originating within an EU-member country. If you believe this is in error, we invite you to try visiting again from another computer or emailing us at info@becomeanex. org.

How Can I Quit Tobacco Without BecomeAnEX?

We hope that you continue your journey to become tobacco-free! There are numerous other proven online programs available to help tobacco users quit, hosted in the United States and around the world.

While we cannot guarantee their availability to EU-based users, alternative evidence-based programs include:

Why Does My Chest Hurt After I Smoke Weed?

In recent years, cannabis has grown in popularity, with claims about its medicinal benefits well-publicized. Because it is often used as a medicine, many people consider cannabis as relatively safe, especially compared with drugs of abuse such as opioids.

However, like any medicine, cannabis can cause some unpleasant side effects. The infamous herb is probably best known for its effects on the brain, which range from mildly impaired coordination and memory to full-blown paranoia in some people. Cannabis can also cause some physical side effects. The most common of these include dry mouth, dry eyes, and dizziness. One of the more unusual but potentially serious side effects is chest pain.

Of course, millions of people across the globe disregard the respiratory health concerns associated with marijuana consumption because of its recreational (and/or medical) benefits. But on an actual physiological level, why do some people find that their chest hurts after smoking cannabis? Let’s take a closer look…

The Anatomy of the Chest – and Why Smoking Weed Might Hurt It

To understand why cannabis may cause chest pain, first, we need to be familiar with the anatomy of the chest. And since some people may not recall much from their high school anatomy days, let’s take a little bit of a refresher.

The chest contains some of the most crucial organs, the heart, and lungs. These are housed by the rib cage, which protects them from external damage and trauma. Small muscles intersperse the ribs themselves, called the intercostal muscles. These allow the ribcage to move in and out as a person breathes.

The lungs are connected to the nose and mouth by a tube called the trachea. At its base, this divides into two smaller tubes called the bronchi. In the lungs, the bronchi divide further into smaller tubes called bronchioles, and at the end of each one is a tiny air sac called an alveolus. Although these air sacs are very small, there are so many of them that they have a vast surface area, around 70 square meters!

This massive surface area allows oxygen to effectively diffuse into the bloodstream, where it is transported to the heart.

Blood enters the heart through a vein called the pulmonary vein. It travels through the chambers of the heart and exits through the aorta, which transports oxygenated blood through the arteries and around the body. Once the oxygen has reached its target tissues and organs, blood is returned to the heart via the veins. It is then returned to the lungs for another dose of oxygen, and the whole process starts again.

Potential Causes of Non-Marijuana Related Chest Pain

It can be hard to know whether chest pain is a sign of something serious that requires medical attention. As a general rule, it is advisable to contact a physician urgently or call 911 if chest pain:

• Is severe
• Comes on suddenly
• Lasts longer than 15 minutes
• Happens during exercise
• Spreads to the left arm, jaw, or upper back
• Is accompanied by palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, or sweating

If someone has chest pain that does not fit the above criteria, it is still worth getting it checked out, especially if they have a family history of heart disease.

If a person is suffering from chest pain, their first instinct may be to panic. However, there are many different reasons for chest pain, and most are no major cause for concern. Although chest pain could be due to a serious problem such as a heart attack, it could just as easily be something as trivial as indigestion.

Lung infections, pulled muscles, and panic attacks can all cause chest pain too, and the symptoms can be very similar.

There are several different reasons why cannabis can cause chest pain. It may seem obvious that smoking anything can cause problems in the lungs, but did you know that cannabis can cause heart problems too? Let’s take a look at some of the things that might be going on.

Smoking Weed May Affect the Heart

In low doses, cannabis activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing heart rate and blood pressure to increase. This reduces the amount of oxygen able to reach the heart muscle, which could cause adverse effects in those with heart disease.

One report published in the Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock describes the cases of two men who were admitted to hospital following chest pain that came on shortly after smoking marijuana. Neither man was found to have any other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but both had dangerous blood clots in one of the arteries that supply the heart muscles. One of the men went on to have a heart attack, but thankfully he was saved by his medical team.

Another report from the French Addictovigilance Network found that between 2006 and 2010, 1.8% of people who experienced adverse effects from marijuana had some form of cardiovascular disease. During this timeframe, there were 22 cardiac complications, 9 of which led to death. Almost half of these people had a family history of heart disease.

So it seems that cannabis use can contribute to heart problems, especially if they are written into a person’s genes. But how about lung problems?

Chest Pain From Smoking Weed – Is It a Real Thing?

These days it is a well-known fact that smoking is bad for your lungs, but surprisingly it seems that cannabis could be even worse than tobacco on this front! Most people do not realize that cannabis contains many of the same harmful chemicals that are in tobacco. And because in many places it is still illegal, cannabis quality is not subject to rigorous regulatory testing.

This unfortunate situation means that pesticides, bacteria, or mold could very well contaminate cannabis.

One particularly common contaminant is the aspergillus mold, which can cause severe lung infections when inhaled. These infections can cause chest pain and may lead to pneumonia or even death if left untreated.

Another reason why smoking cannabis may be worse than cigarettes is the way in which it is smoked. It is thought that when smoking cannabis, people inhale 66% longer and 33% deeper than tobacco smokers, and also hold their smoke in up to four times longer!

Because of this, it is estimated that a single joint could cause as much damage as 2.5–5 cigarettes! Smoking cannabis causes irritation and inflammation in the airways and increases the risk of bronchitis. Heavy users could even end up with lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the risk of developing emphysema is lower with weed than tobacco, and the link between cannabis and lung cancer remains uncertain.

Smoking weed has also been associated with an increased risk of pneumothorax (collapsed lung). This risk is higher in people under the age of 45. Cannabis can also cause chest pain due to coughing fits, which could strain the intercostal muscles between the ribs.

Chest Pain from Smoking Marijuana… Not Your Only Cannabis-Related Health Concern

One of the most common downsides of cannabis use is anxiety. For most people, this is quite mild, but for others, it could lead to a full-on panic attack. The classic symptoms of a panic attack can be very similar to those of a heart attack – difficulty breathing, clammy skin, a sense of impending doom, and of course, chest pain.

Anyone who regularly suffers from panic attacks will probably be able to recognize the signs immediately. However, when this happens for the first time, it can be incredibly frightening, especially if it happens while high.

Fortunately, panic attacks usually don’t last too long. They will generally pass within a few minutes, perhaps aided by some deep breathing and calming thoughts. Anyone in any doubt as to what is causing their symptoms should contact a doctor immediately.

Final Thoughts on Why Your Chest Might Hurt After Smoking Weed

Smoking cannabis is generally considered safe, but marijuana can exacerbate diseases of the heart and lungs. It also has the potential to cause panic attacks.  All of these conditions can cause chest pain, which can be scary – especially if it is happening for the first time.

It is always worth getting any chest pain investigated, although in most cases, a routine appointment will suffice.

Be sure to be honest with the doctor about cannabis use and any family history of heart disease so that they can make an accurate diagnosis.

Anyone with an ongoing problem with chest pain after smoking might also want to consider switching to another method of consuming marijuana, such as topical creams or edibles. Doing this might not necessarily prevent anxiety or protect the heart, but at least it will give the lungs a much-needed break!

Also, remember, if you experience any problems, always consult with your primary physician.

Article Sources:

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Published on: 20 Jun, 2019

Smoker’s Cough: Overview and More

Smoker’s cough is a persistent cough that results from damage to the airways caused by toxins in cigarette smoke. Over time, smoker’s cough can lead to hoarseness and chest pain. It can also be among the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.

One study of young military recruits found that 40% of the 525 subjects who smoked regularly experienced a chronic cough with sputum production; only 12% of the 408 non-smoking participants did. Since a smoker’s cough is more common in long-term smokers, the percentage is likely much higher in older populations or those with a greater smoking history.

Smoker’s Cough Symptoms

As with any type of cough, a smoker’s cough is essentially a forceful pushing out of air to clear an irritant from the airways (the bronchi and bronchioles).

However, there are certain characteristics that can make smoker’s cough unique. A smoker’s cough may:

• Be persistent and nagging, lasting more than two or three weeks
• Cause a wheezing or crackling sound
• Be wet and productive, meaning phlegm or sputum (a mucousy substance) is present. Note, however, that the cough may be dry in the early stages of smoker’s cough or in people who haven’t been smoking long.
• Be worse upon awakening, with a tendency to lessen over the course of the day

Complications

There are few complications associated with smoker’s cough itself. That said, repeated hard coughing can strain chest muscles and even lead to broken ribs.

Women with a persistent smoker’s cough may leak urine due to pressure put on the bladder from coughing.

Causes

Cilia are tiny hair-like cells that line the airways. They catch toxins in inhaled air and move them toward the mouth to prevent them from reaching the lungs.

Certain chemicals in tobacco smoke, such as formaldehyde, paralyze these delicate structures and make them unable to capture toxins. As a result, the toxins are able to enter the lungs, where they settle and spur inflammation.

Because they are not being exposed to smoke while you sleep, cilia can begin to repair themselves (however briefly and to a limited extent). The work they do to catch and remove accumulated toxins at night means increased coughing to clear it all out once you wake.

Smoking’s affect on the airways means toxins and chemicals in cigarettes linger in the body. This gives them time to cause damage to sensitive lung tissue, including the DNA damage that can lead to lung cancer.

Diagnosis

A smoker’s cough can be identified based on symptoms and a history of smoking. However, it’s virtually impossible to differentiate a smoker’s cough from a lung cancer cough with this information alone.

Certain signs and symptoms may prompt your doctor to consider the possibility of lung cancer and explore testing that can help make (or rule out) this diagnosis. That said, sometimes a cough is the only symptom of the disease.

Hemotypsis (coughing up blood) is the strongest predictor of lung cancer, although only a fifth of people with this disease have this symptom.

Even a little blood is reason for an immediate evaluation. Coughing up a teaspoon or two of blood is considered a medical emergency because it can be breathed into your lungs.

Other symptoms that can indicate lung cancer include:

If you smoke/have smoked and have a chronic cough, it’s important to see your doctor to be evaluated. Thereafter, bring any changes in your cough to their attention (e.g., it becomes more frequent, is uncomfortable, or starts to sound different).

A 2016 study found people who smoke are less likely than non-smokers to seek medical attention for what researchers describe as “alarm” symptoms of lung cancer. This includes cough and hoarseness.

Treatment

The best treatment for smoker’s cough is to quit smoking altogether. As you work toward that goal, you can use lifestyle strategies and, if necessary, medications to help improve your cough.

Verywell/Emily Roberts

Quitting Smoking

There are many ways to quit smoking. If you’re struggling to quit, have a talk with your healthcare provider about support options, such as smoking cessation aids. These include nicotine replacement therapy and medications like Chantix (varenicline) or Zyban (buproprion).

Some who quit are alarmed that their smoker’s cough increases immediately afterward. Known as smoking cessation cough, this is actually normal.

After quitting, cilia are given more opportunity than they ever had while you were smoking to repair themselves. Their increasing ability to remove foreign material from the throat, trachea, and airways means more coughing to remove it.

This worsening of smoker’s cough after quitting is temporary. Most can look forward to it beginning to diminish within three months of kicking the habit.

Easing Your Cough

The following strategies may help calm your cough and make it easier to cope with:

• Stay well-hydrated: Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day can help thin secretions in the respiratory tract.
• Gargle: Warm salt water is best.
• Suck on cough drops or lozenges to soothe your throat.
• Drink tea: In one study, just half a teaspoon of honey was found to be more effective in reducing cough symptoms than many over-the-counter cough preparations.
• Inhale mint or eucalyptus: One way to do this is to place fresh leaves of either herb into a bowl and pour boiling water them. Drape a towel over your head to contain the vapors and lean over the bowl just close enough to breathe them in.
• Elevate your head during sleep: This will prevent mucus from pooling in your throat.
• Exercise: Physical activity can allow you to breath more deeply and quickly, which helps loosen phlegm.
• Eat a healthy diet: Although unproven, some researchers believe including lots of fruits and cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli and cauliflower—can help the body to detoxify some of the chemicals in inhaled tobacco smoke, which may help improve chronic respiratory symptoms and reduce lung cancer risk.

Talk to your doctor before you use any cough suppressants. These medications are generally reserved for short-term use if your cough is causing significant discomfort or affecting your sleep.

Coughing has a function beyond clearing out whatever cigarettes or cigars have introduced to your airways. It also removes other materials in the environment that can get breathed in, such as household mold, exhaust from a wood stove or fireplace, or exposure to chemicals in the workplace.

Easing, rather than suppressing the cough reflex entirely, is recommended for this reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can lungs be repaired after quitting smoking?

Yes. Lungs are self-repairing, and smoking cessation immediately begins the process. In addition to diminished smoker’s cough, lung function can dramatically improve in only a few months. After one year, the risk of heart attack and stroke drop by half, and that risk continues to drop each year thereafter.

However, it is important to know that even if smoking is stopped, the risk of lung cancer can persist and remains higher than that of a non-smoker for a lifetime. This is particularly the case in former heavy smokers.

If what appears to be smoker’s cough turns out to be lung cancer, what are the survival rates?

The five-year relative survival rates for lung cancer depend on how far it spreads. Localized lung cancer that has not spread outside the lungs has a five-year survival rate of 63%. Lung cancer with regional spread, meaning it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or structures, has a five-year survival rate of 35%. Lung cancer with distant metastasis, or cancer that spread to distant parts of the body like the brain or liver, has a 7% five-year survival rate.

A Word From Verywell

If you’re a smoker and you have a cough that persists—even if you believe it’s just a nagging smoker’s cough—talk to your doctor. A persistent cough is one of the most common symptoms of lung cancer.

That said, certain people who smoke are advised to have a yearly low-dose computerized tomography (CT) scan of the lungs regardless of whether or not they have a chronic cough. This is the best way to detect lung cancer in the earliest possible stage, when it is most treatable.

Screening is recommended for those who:

• Are between ages 50 and 80
• Have a 20 pack-year or more history of smoking
• Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years

Asthma and Secondhand Smoke | Overviews of Diseases/Conditions | Tips From Former Smokers

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways of the lungs. During an asthma attack, airways (tubes that carry air to your lungs) become swollen, making it hard to breathe.^1,2 As the walls of the airways swell, they narrow, and less air gets in and out of the lungs. Cells in the airways can make more mucus (a sticky, thick liquid) than usual, which can make breathing even harder.²

Symptoms of an asthma attack include:¹

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Wheezing
• Tightness or pain in the chest

Asthma attacks can be mild, moderate, or serious—and even life threatening.¹

Top of Page

How Is Smoking Related to Asthma?

If you have asthma, an asthma attack can occur when something irritates your airways and “triggers” an attack. Your triggers might be different from other people’s triggers.³

Tobacco smoke is a common trigger for asthma. Tobacco smoke—including secondhand smoke—is unhealthy for everyone, especially people with asthma.^3,6 Secondhand smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles that includes:^4,5

• Smoke from burning tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes
• Smoke that has been exhaled (breathed out) by someone who smokes

Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and about 70 that can cause cancer.⁶

If you have asthma, it’s important that you avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.³

If you are among the 21% of U.S. adults who have asthma and smoke, get help to quit smoking; talk to your doctor about treatments that can help you, or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. ⁷

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How Can Asthma Attacks Be Prevented?

If you or a family member has asthma, you can manage it with the help of your health care provider (for example, by taking your medicines exactly as your doctor tells you) and by avoiding your  triggers. Try to avoid asthma attacks by staying far away from tobacco smoke. Some other helpful tips are:

Warning Signs of Lung Disease

A nagging cough or slight wheeze may barely register in the course of our busy days, but it’s critically important to pay attention to even mild symptoms. Sometimes people think having trouble breathing is just something that comes with getting older. It is important to pay attention to these symptoms as they could be the first signs of lung disease, including COPD, asthma and lung cancer. Knowing the early warning signs of lung disease can help you receive treatment before the disease becomes serious or even life threatening. If you experience any of the following warning signs, make an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Early detection could save your life.

Warning Signs

Chronic cough: A cough that you have had for eight weeks or longer is considered chronic. This is an important early symptom that tells you something is wrong with your respiratory system.

Shortness of breath: It’s not normal to experience shortness of breath that doesn’t go away after exercising, or that you have after little or no exertion. Labored or difficult breathing—the feeling that it is hard to breathe in out—is also a warning sign.

Chronic mucus production: Mucus, also called sputum or phlegm, is produced by the airways as a defense against infections or irritants. If your mucus production has lasted a month or longer, this could indicate lung disease.

Wheezing: Noisy breathing or wheezing is a sign that something unusual is blocking your lungs’ airways or making them too narrow.

Coughing up blood: If you are coughing up blood, it may be coming from your lungs or upper respiratory tract. Wherever it’s coming from, it signals a health problem.

Chronic chest pain: Unexplained chest pain that lasts for a month or more—especially if it gets worse when you breathe in or cough—also is a warning sign.

Talking to Your Doctor

Prepare for a visit to your healthcare provider by following these steps:

1. Take a copy of your medical records with you. Or, see if your previous healthcare provider can send a copy. If you are unable to obtain your medical records, you can also write a short note about your health problems, when they occurred and the healthcare provider(s) that took care of you.
2. Make a list of all the medicines that you are using now. This means prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, as well as herbs and supplements and any non-traditional methods you use to treat your condition.
3. Make a list of all the healthcare providers you see and why you see them.
4. Make a list of the symptoms you are having and note which ones bother you the most. Write down when they started and what you have done (if anything) to make them better.

How the Lungs Heal After Quitting Smoking

Smoking is the top cause of preventable death globally, causing more than 450,000 deaths every year from firsthand and secondhand smoke.

We all understand the dangers of smoking to lung health, but we don’t often discuss how exactly the lungs heal after someone quits smoking.

No matter how long you’ve smoked, quitting at any time can have positive effects for your lungs and your overall health. About tried to quit in 2015, and millions of Americans make the same attempt every year. If you’re one of them, here’s how quitting will help your lung health.

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

The risk of getting lung cancer is significantly reduced the longer someone goes without a cigarette. Someone who has spent a decade smoke-free is 50 percent less likely to get lung cancer compared to someone who continues to smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). However, a former smoker still has a greater risk of getting lung cancer than someone who has never smoked.

On average, about 4.5 percent of Americans quit smoking annually, but as of 2015 smoking cessation rates increased to 5.6 percent, indicating more people are trying to make a positive change for their health.

Quitting is so beneficial because cigarettes contain more than 4,800 toxic chemicals, most of which produce harmful effects in the lungs and airways.

When you stop smoking, the lungs begin to heal immediately. Carbon monoxide gradually leaves the bloodstream, which helps to alleviate symptoms like shortness of breath. Smoking also inflames the lining of the airways, but when you quit, you no longer inhale all the toxic substances that irritate the airways, which allows them to begin healing.

Quitting also reactivates the lung’s cilia, small hair-like structures on the cell’s surface that move mucus and bacteria to the back of the throat, where these substances are swallowed. This helps the body get rid of mucus and clears the lungs.

Within the first month after you quit smoking, your lung function will improve, and this will increase circulation, too. Within nine months, the cilia begin to function normally and symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath become less frequent. Within a decade of being smoke-free, your risk of bladder, kidney, lung, mouth and throat cancer is significantly lower, indicating that the longer someone goes without a cigarette, the better it is for their long-term health.

However, smoking has serious health consequences, some of which aren’t reversible even after you quit. For example, emphysema, a condition that causes inflammation, narrowing and swelling of the airways, can lead to lasting changes to the airways that permanently affect lung function.

Preparing to Quit

If you plan to quit smoking, take steps now to adequately detox your lungs. Drink more water to help the body rid itself of toxins and other carcinogens. Change your diet, consume less salt and sugar and increase your intake of nutrient-rich foods that will help your body grow new, healthy tissues. Also consider increasing your level of physical activity. Yoga, in particular, is a good option because you’ll learn breathing techniques that open up the lungs.

Even if you’ve tried several times before to stop smoking, it’s never, ever too late to quit. Even within a day of quitting, your lung health and blood pressure will improve. Continuing to stay smoke-free will help you avoid symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing and conditions like emphysema and lung cancer that dramatically reduce your quality of life or could lead to early death.

Your lungs are a vital organ, and every puff of a cigarette affects their function. Quitting will noticeably improve your lung health, so get help today and find out about smoking cessation programs and resources in your local area. Stopping this habit takes time, so extra support could help you quit and remain smoke-free permanently.

Are you interested in learning more about Orlando Health’s Lung Cancer Screening?

When caught early, lung cancer may respond well to treatment. We offer a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and palliative care, depending on the type and progression of your lung cancer.

Learn More Here

90,000 Smoking and lung disease. – Clinical Hospital No. 6 named after G.A. Zakharyina

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Published: 29 May 2019

Views: 22661

Smoking and lung diseases.

Smoking is not the only factor in the development of lung disease; there is also environmental pollution, constant contact with toxic chemicals, hereditary predisposition … But all this is only a small share in the contribution to lung disease.For all other cases, smoking is responsible. So, it is known and finally proven that the cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 86-90% of cases is smoking, as well as in 80-85% of cases of lung cancer. This means that by quitting smoking, you reduce the risk of developing these diseases to a minimum.

Smoking and lung diseases. The main weapon of cigarettes against our health is not only toxic substances (tar, nicotine, hot smoke), but also the constant nature of their effect on the body.Consistency works wonders: everyone knows that in order to build muscles, you need to pump them constantly, every day, for a long time. It’s the same with smoking. Do you want to get chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a whole bunch of other diseases of the respiratory system? Poison your lungs every single day for a year, two, ten. Voila!

The list of diseases common to experienced smokers is not limited to lung diseases. This list also includes malignant tumors of the throat, oral cavity, larynx, genitals, skin, bladder; cardiovascular diseases – from chronic hypertension to acute heart attack; a wide range of skin pathologies – from psoriasis to leukoplakia and early aging; disorders of the digestive tract; destruction of teeth and gums; increased risk of diabetes mellitus.But lung diseases in this series stand apart, because the risk of developing the corresponding diseases – bronchitis, OBL, lung cancer – is extremely high; these are “branded” diseases of smokers, which could have been prevented if a person had changed his mind in time. In addition, it should be noted that these lung diseases are either incurable at all, or amenable only to control and minor neutralization of symptoms.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a complex disease that in more than 90% of cases develops due to smoking and leads to significant breathing difficulties, moreover, progressive, and subsequently – to the cessation of the respiratory function of the lungs.This is an incurable disease that develops rather slowly, over 10-20 years, and at different stages, under different circumstances, manifests itself in certain symptoms and painful conditions.

With the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, your respiratory system is oppressed in several ways at once. Firstly, smoking provokes chronic inflammation of the airways, the gaps in which gradually narrow, and the volume of mucus secreted increases. You start to breathe harder and also cough.At first, the cough does not last long, but then it becomes constant and intensifies over time. This is how chronic bronchitis develops. “Smoker’s cough” sounds dry and hysterical, along the way a lot of phlegm and mucus are formed. Chronic bronchitis does not respond to treatment: if a person continues to smoke, the cough will torment him, no matter what. All you can do is ease the symptoms and sore throat.

Secondly, smoking causes the formation of emphysema of the lungs. The destructive effect on the airways inside the lungs leads to damage to the alveoli, which increase in size, collapse and merge into one cavity.So the elasticity of the lungs is lost, the ability to perform their functions. In addition, with the development of obstructive pulmonary disease, gas exchange is impaired, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary heart disease develops.

Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are hard to miss, these are:

Cough.

Excretion of sputum (purulent – with exacerbations).

Difficulty breathing (with the development of the disease, the difficulty is more and more pronounced, it is more and more difficult for a person to breathe).

Fatigue, frequent colds, chest pain.

Obstructive pulmonary disease, as mentioned earlier, cannot be cured. In its course, acute stages (exacerbations) and periods of remission are distinguished. Treatment is essentially about improving a person’s quality of life; all measures are aimed at reducing the likelihood of exacerbations, reducing their intensity, increasing a person’s performance and, of course, prolonging a person’s life as long as possible.

Lung cancer

Smoking and lung cancer Lung cancer is currently the most common cancer in the world; it is characterized by a high mortality rate – and smoking is rightfully considered the main reason for the development of this malignant tumor.Long-term smokers who continue to smoke at the time of diagnosis are most likely to develop lung cancer. If a person quits smoking, the risk of lung cancer for him begins to fall and decreases with each day he goes without cigarettes. The chances of getting lung cancer in a person who quit a long time ago and smoked for a short time is not much higher than that of someone who has never smoked. Also recently, scientists have released many disturbing research results, according to which secondhand smoke is a serious risk factor for lung cancer.

Symptoms of lung cancer overlap with symptoms of other respiratory diseases common to smokers. Cough, often with phlegm, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, chest pain. In the early stages and if the tumor is localized in the small bronchi, there may be no symptoms at all. Since lung cancer is characterized by a course in accordance with the stages (as well as for other forms of cancer), the earlier a malignant tumor is diagnosed, the more likely it is to recover.Unfortunately, lung cancer is a disease with a high mortality rate.

To avoid the aforementioned diseases and other complications of the respiratory system, there is not much you need to do: do not smoke. And if you already smoke, quit immediately, as the risk of getting sick for people who quit smoking, after the cessation of the effect of nicotine and tar on the body, gradually decreases.

90,000 After smoking, the chest hurts: what does it say

Many smokers have a question about what to do if the chest hurts after smoking.This symptom is not good. When it occurs, you should think about your health and give up the bad habit. If it hurts in the chest area after smoking, then this may indicate damage to the lung tissue. This organ is no longer able to cope with the tar and other substances that enter the body due to smoking. When they are in the lungs, there is a process of destruction of the lung tissue and their separation. Sometimes the chest can hurt even after quitting smoking. This indicates the presence of pathological processes in the respiratory organs.Why does the chest hurts from smoking?

What does chest pain say

Pain syndrome in this area may indicate the following phenomena:

1. Presence of inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs. Pain syndrome in this case has the form of acute pain that appears in the form of seizures. It occurs most often on the right side of the chest. In addition to pain, shortness of breath and cough may also be present. Inflammatory processes often develop into bronchial asthma, pleurisy, tuberculosis, pneumonia or bronchitis.
2. Chest sciatica. Pain syndrome appears in the spine, but radiates to the front or side of the chest.
3. Gastritis or stomach ulcer. With gastritis, the pain may be aching. It occurs most often after eating. The ulcer is characterized by acute pain that occurs in the upper abdomen. But since this symptom is a nerve impulse, it is difficult to determine from where it comes. In addition, stomach pains can also radiate to the chest. This happens if the person has heart problems, pneumonia, or spinal damage.
4. Breast cancer. Pain syndrome may indicate the presence of this serious disease in both women and men.
5. Diseases of the spine resulting from a violation of its position. Discomfort occurs without a clear periodicity and is difficult to localize. It usually appears when changing body position.
6. Intercostal neuralgia. This disease is viral and can be caused by herpes. In addition to pain in the chest area, there may also be a burning sensation, which will intensify if you touch the patient’s skin.
7. Heart disease. Angina pectoris and cardiac ischemia are most often the culprits of this phenomenon. Pain syndrome can occur regularly and worsen with physical exertion or in stressful situations. In addition, arrhythmias and shortness of breath may also occur.

This symptom can appear for various reasons, but why does it occur in those who are susceptible to the habit of smoking?

Why after smoking the chest can hurt

Pain syndrome can occur due to the above reasons, and because of the most bad habit.This phenomenon can be a symptom of a cold, spinal overload or osteochondrosis. Smoking does not play any role here.

But nevertheless, cigarette smoke can also play a cruel joke. Heavy smokers may experience chest discomfort for the following reasons:

• cancerous tumors;
• stomach ulcer;
• bronchitis of a smoker;
• gastritis;
• ischemia of the heart;
• pneumonia;
• bronchial asthma;
• angina pectoris.

Pain syndrome may occur intermittently, or may not disappear at all. If severe pain appears once, then this may indicate the occurrence of an injury. The rest of the phenomena indicate that it will appear again and with the development of the disease it will become permanent.

Nicotine negatively affects all organs and systems in the body. It causes the greatest harm to the respiratory and digestive systems. Even secondhand smoke, when a person involuntarily swallows cigarette smoke, can have a negative effect on them.

Toxins and carcinogens, which are in it, damage the esophagus and stomach, irritating their mucous membranes. This, in turn, leads to the development of peptic ulcer disease.

The negative effect of nicotine extends to the liver. Particles of its decay accumulate in this organ, preventing it from functioning normally, and lead to cell mutation.

In addition, the load on the heart increases, which begins to work more actively. This can lead to wear and tear on the heart muscle.In conditions of insufficient oxygen supply, which provide nicotine, and a large amount of toxins, angina pectoris and coronary heart disease can occur.

Why does the sternum hurt after quitting smoking

Every smoker trying to quit addiction is faced with withdrawal withdrawal symptoms. It is difficult to deal with it, but it will disappear on its own after a while. In addition, a person needs to experience a number of unpleasant phenomena that are the result of the fact that the body has launched a cleansing process.

The occurrence of a pain syndrome after giving up a bad habit may indicate that:

• lungs and bronchi began to actively cleanse;
• during oxygen starvation with smoking, heart failure began to develop;
• there was an exacerbation of gastritis or ulcers.

If over time this symptom does not disappear, then you should seek the advice of a doctor. He will conduct all the necessary research and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

How to restore respiratory organs

The first step in lung recovery is to quit the bad habit. First of all, it is necessary to clear the lower respiratory tract, because it is there that resins and toxins have accumulated. To help your body cleanse, you need:

• Drink plenty of water, as it helps to eliminate toxins;
• to do inhalations, herbs such as mint, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender and fir are suitable for this, they contribute to the discharge of phlegm;
• to do breathing exercises – it is especially useful in case of pain in the chest area;
• add more onions and garlic to the diet, as they have antibacterial properties;
• before going to bed, drink a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey;
• take more walks, especially in the park and coniferous forest;
• sign up for the pool and do jogging in the morning;
• Avoid places where smokers congregate.

The appearance of pain in the lungs indicates that the body is suffering from constant exposure to nicotine and toxins, as a result of which health problems have arisen. For this reason, you need to immediately give up the bad habit, while there is still an opportunity to correct the situation.

Breast treatment

We treat various diseases of the breast, including:

The Breast Center offers only safe methods of treating breast diseases.

Diseases of the mammary gland are today a problem of a global scale, which is urgently posed in all medical institutions of the world. The situation has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. There is a trend towards an increase in the number of patients with mammological problems. Moreover, 50% of this number turned to specialists already at the stage of development of pathologies, which makes the treatment more complex and rich, and possibly even operational, that is, surgical.

Breast treatment for each patient and patient should be individually designed.This is a fundamentally important aspect of your future treatment. The fact is that the basis of treatment is hormone therapy. Many breast diseases occur on the background of hormonal imbalance. If you do not prevent a violation of the hormonal environment, the disease will continue to develop. Timely diagnosis is the key to successful recovery and the impossibility of recurrence, that is, re-spread of the problem.

The most common breast diseases (if we consider them according to the good quality of nature) are mastopathy, cyst, fibroadenoma, mastalgia.Such diseases are usually hormone-dependent. Therefore, hormonal therapy is indispensable in order to normalize the body’s environment, which will extinguish the focus of the development of pathology.

In some cases, patients are forced to agree to surgery, but after a while pathological processes in the mammary glands may begin again. The Breast Center prevents this situation. We use antihomotoxic medicines in the treatment. It is completely harmless, but very powerful.Such medicine tends to activate internal receptors and mechanisms, which, when revitalized, begin to work to “expel” harmful infections and viruses from the body.

Diseases of the breast are multifactorial. One of their reasons is a woman’s reproductive behavior, which is characterized by a decrease in the number of births, late childbirth, a large number of abortions, and a shortening of the period of breastfeeding. Also, a risk factor for the development of pathology is a genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental factors, passive and active smoking, stress and daytime overload of the body.But the leading place in the occurrence of breast diseases is given to endocrine disorders.

Or rather, steroid hormones – estrogen and progesterone. Estrogens are responsible for the division and multiplication of epithelial cells in the first half of the cycle; progesterone in the second half of the cycle, is responsible for the growth of the lobules of the mammary glands, leading to the development of glandular transformation, and has an inhibitory effect on the division processes in the mammary glands. Violation of the ratio and interaction between estrogen and progesterone causes a change in the glandular component, as a result, cysts, fibroadenomas, fibrous cords, proliferation of intraductal tissue are formed.

Another reason for the development of breast disease is the hormone prolactin. It stimulates the growth of breast cells, increases the number of estrogen receptors, thereby accelerating the division of epithelial cells.

The next important element in the chain of development of breast diseases is the activity of the liver. With liver pathologies, a slow utilization of estrogens occurs, which leads to hyperestrogenism and the development of hyperplastic processes in the mammary glands.

The result of your breast treatment depends on a competent examination.

The examination should be comprehensive, that is, all organs and mechanisms of the body that can provoke completely undesirable breast diseases should be considered. The first step in the treatment of breast diseases is the restoration of the estrogen-progesterone balance, the normalization of the endocrine system. The Breast Center does everything to ensure that the patient does not have to lie down on the operating table. Our mammologists-oncologists have vast experience in dealing with the most severe breast pathologies.They have already saved dozens of lives and successful treatment regimens on their account. Be mindful of your health: regular self-examination and a comprehensive clinical research program – make it a habit, and you will be healthy and flawless for many years!

90,000 Consequences of smoking for the human body. Help

Smoking has a negative effect on most organs of the human body.

Brain

Smoking dramatically increases the risk of stroke – a disorder of the brain functions caused by a violation of its blood supply.

A stroke is caused by a clogged blood vessel that delivers oxygen to the brain, a blood clot or other particles.

Cerebral thrombosis is the most common cause of stroke. It means the formation of a clot (thrombus) from the blood and disruption of the blood supply to the brain.

Another cause of stroke in smokers can be damage to the cerebral artery, leading to its rupture and cerebral hemorrhage.

Cardiovascular system

Oxygen delivery to the heart muscle is dramatically impaired due to the blocking of blood hemoglobin by carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke.This leads to serious damage to the heart and blood vessels.

Smoking raises blood pressure: the blood vessels constrict, forcing the heart to work harder. As a result, the heart expands and becomes damaged.

Smoking increases blood cholesterol levels. Fats are deposited in the arteries that feed the heart, and there is a blockage. As a result, myocardial infarction.

Smokers have a 4-5 times higher risk of myocardial infarction than non-smokers. If, at the same time, a smoker has high blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, the risk of developing a heart attack increases 8 times.

Average age of deaths from heart attacks – 67 years, smokers – 47.

Light

Lung cancer – a tumor that occurs in the superficial tissues of the lungs – in about 90% of cases is caused by prolonged smoking. People who smoke two or more packs of cigarettes a day for 20 years have a 60–70% higher risk of lung cancer compared with nonsmokers.

The risk of lung cancer depends on the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the amount of tobacco smoke inhaled, and the concentration of carcinogenic tar and nicotine in cigarettes.The main etiological factors are considered to be radon, benzpyrene and nitrosamines contained in tobacco tar. The characteristic symptoms of lung cancer are: persistent, excruciating cough, hemoptysis, recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, or chest pain.

Lung cancer now kills more people than any other type of cancer. The average decrease in life expectancy in smokers is 10 years.

Also, long-term smoking can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases – pulmonary bronchitis (an inflammatory disease of the branches of the windpipe (bronchi) with a predominant lesion of the mucous membrane) and pulmonary emphysema (degeneration of the lung tissue), which are characterized by the destruction of the bronchial tree and the end parts of the lung – the alveoli.

In emphysema, the tissue around the alveoli changes, they become dilated and look like holes in the lungs on x-rays. The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, as well as cough, but less pronounced than in chronic bronchitis. The ribcage becomes barrel-shaped.

Stomach

One of the effects of long-term smoking is the stimulation of the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which corrodes the protective layer in its cavity and contributes to the occurrence of gastric ulcers.The most common ulcerative symptom is aching or burning pain between the sternum and the navel, which occurs after eating and early in the morning. The pain can last from a few minutes to several hours. Also, the ulcer is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss. Smoking slows the healing of ulcers and promotes their recurrence.

Peptic ulcer disease can lead to stomach cancer. At the same time, the risk of cancer in the gastric cavity is higher in smokers than in non-smokers.

Eyes

Smoking inhibits the exchange of trace elements in plant foods that protect the organ of vision.The eyes of a person who smokes for a long time have a tendency to redness and tearfulness, the edges of the eyelids swell. Nicotine acts on the optic nerve and motor muscles of the eyes, with vasoconstriction, the retina of the eyes changes, visual acuity is lost, and vision deviations begin. Smoking is especially dangerous in glaucoma because smoking increases intraocular pressure.

Extremities

Every seventh smoker sooner or later falls ill with obliterating endarteritis – a chronic vascular disease with a predominant lesion of the arteries of the legs, during which there is a gradual narrowing of the vessels until their lumen is completely closed with the necrosis of the tissues deprived of blood supply.Endarteritis often leads to gangrene and amputation of the smoker’s lower extremities.

Bladder

Smokers over the age of 40 are much more likely to be at risk of bladder cancer than non-smokers. In men, the risk is 4 times higher than in women. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pelvic pain, and difficulty urinating.

Larynx

Smoking can cause cancer of the esophagus by damaging its inner cells.Symptoms are difficulty swallowing, chest pain or discomfort, weight loss.

Oral cavity

Oral cancers are most often found on the sides or on the lower surface of the tongue, as well as in the floor of the mouth. Symptoms are a small, pale swelling or an unusual color thickening on the tongue, mouth, cheek, gums, or palate.

Reproductive system

Nicotine destroys the nervous system, including those parts of it that are responsible for human sexual behavior and his ability to reproduce offspring.With age, the fertility of smokers progressively decreases. Reducing the level of sex hormones and essential vitamin E for the body, tobacco poisons destroy the maturing and full-fledged cells intended for the formation of the fetus. According to medical statistics, more than 10% of cases of sexual impotence in men are associated with excessive tobacco use. As a result, the rate of infertility among smoking boys and young people is almost twice the average.

Offspring

The number of conceived and born children among heavy smokers is only 72% relative to non-smokers.Tobacco, like a number of other psychoactive substances, causes abortion, premature birth, and stillbirth. According to American scientists, even less than one pack of cigarettes smoked a day increases the risk of death of an infant in the womb by 20%. More than a pack – by 35%. The mortality rate of children during childbirth among mothers who smoke is, on average, one third higher than among non-smokers.

In women who regularly smoke one or more packs of cigarettes a day during pregnancy, newborn babies are less weight than non-smoking mothers.Sudden infant death syndrome is more common in children born to mothers who smoked during and after pregnancy.

Scientists believe that under the influence of tobacco smoke breaks occur in the DNA molecule. Reacting with heavy metals (lead, etc.), which are abundant in tobacco smoke, DNA changes its structure. Defective genes appear in the germ cells. Transferred to offspring, they are capable of causing various neuropsychiatric disorders and external deformities. So, the descendants of smoking fathers have 5 times more anomalies than children of nonsmoking men.

In children exposed to intrauterine exposure to tobacco, intellectual potential decreases, the development of speech and the auditory area of ​​the brain, the ability to regulate emotions, focus and maintain attention are impaired. Lagging behind in physical and mental development (reading, writing, speaking), the child copes worse with the school curriculum.

When one or both parents smoke at home, the child is more likely to develop colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, gastritis, colitis, stomach and duodenal ulcers.Children of parents who smoke are prone to respiratory infections, allergies, atherosclerosis, seizures and tooth decay.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Does the heart suffer from a cigarette?

Despite all the harm of smoking, this addiction has become so prevalent that a person who is addicted to cigarettes no longer adequately perceives the whole danger of this addiction. But smoking has negative consequences not only for the lungs of the smoker, but also for his heart – the main organ of any person.Few people know that smoking creates an additional, and quite significant, load on the heart, burdening its work, which can lead to chronic heart failure.

Smokers are much more likely than non-smokers to develop vascular atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and often myocardial infarction. All these diseases are a direct path to heart failure.

Already in the very phrase “chronic insufficiency” there is an explanation of this pathology.The heart, which has aged prematurely under the burden of intensive work, eventually ceases to cope with its direct responsibilities – pumping blood throughout the body, providing nutrition to every cell of the body. As a result, the tissues of the body (including the heart muscles) receive less oxygen and do not have time to get rid of metabolic products, which leads to their premature aging – myocardial infarction.

Heart failure – do we continue to smoke?

Smoking is always harmful, but there are conditions in the body in which smoking is categorically contraindicated.One of these pathological conditions is precisely heart failure. Smoking with heart failure can even trigger sudden cardiac arrest.

In heart failure, the heart muscle itself is primarily affected. She is forced to work at her limit and still suffers from oxygen starvation. Erythrocytes capable of transporting oxygen in heavy smokers are becoming less and less, and this leads to more intense oxygen deprivation, from which the smoker’s heart suffers even more.

Is it possible to restore the heart after smoking?

If chronic heart failure is already a fait accompli, the optimal solution for a person, of course, is to quit smoking. Moreover, a positive effect in the work of the cardiovascular system will be observed already three weeks after stopping smoking. Quitting smoking improves heart function and reduces the likelihood of developing all diseases of the cardiovascular system by three times.Already a couple of weeks after quitting smoking, the amount of harmful protein in the blood, which is responsible for the appearance of malignant tumors and atherosclerosis, is significantly reduced.

Undoubtedly, a healthy lifestyle will help the heart to recover faster, which means not only sports, but also a healthy diet. Frequent walks in the fresh air will allow you to saturate the blood with oxygen, which is so important for your heart. If we calculate how much time a smoker spends daily with a cigarette, then we can safely say that this will be quite enough to set aside a few hours for a quiet walk.

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Dear citizens! For questions about cessation of tobacco, contact the polyclinics at your place of residence, in the offices of medical assistance for smoking cessation.

90,000 Doctors talk about a twin of covid with dyspnea

If you smoke vape, and you have shortness of breath, chest pain, a rise in temperature, this may not be COVID-19 at all. Scientists-radiologists are sounding the alarm about a new disease spreading across the planet, associated precisely with the smoking of electronic cigarettes.We talked about his symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment with the head of the department of quality development of radiology at the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, candidate of medical sciences Viktor Gombolevsky.

The first reports of a new disease began to appear at the end of 2019, long before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has named the disease EVALI – (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury – lung disease provoked by electronic cigarettes or vaping).

95% with EVALI initially complain of shortness of breath, severe cough, chest pain, in 85% of cases, fever, chills, weight loss were added to the above symptoms, in 77% of cases: diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

As you can see, an almost ideal picture is obtained associated with the symptoms of bilateral pneumonia caused by COVID-19. However, all this may not be a coronavirus at all, but if a person indulges in vaping or electronic cigarettes, EVALI disease.

Reference “MK”.

Since the spring of 2019, more than 2,600 cases of lung disease from vaping have been reported in the United States, of which 60 have been fatal. At the same time, in 96% of episodes, emergency hospitalization was required with a connection to a ventilator.

-Viktor, is there a problem of spreading EVALI in Russia?

– The USA is still in the lead in this disease, that’s why they have the first scientific articles on this topic. There are no studies of a similar scale in authoritative scientific journals in Russia.This can be explained, first of all, by the lesser spread of vaping in Russia. We should not forget about the legalization of cannabinoids in some US states, which, according to some reports, has led to an avalanche increase in EVALI cases in the US, as many consumers have switched to low-quality cannabis-based vaping solutions.

– It turns out, with such a similarity of symptoms with viral covid – with EVALI even the effect of “frosted glass” is repeated, this disease is caused by completely different factors.Tell us how it is developing.

– Yes, the reasons for the development of the disease are different. COVID-19 is an infectious disease associated with microthrombosis and vascular damage. In the case of electronic cigarettes, we are dealing with the settling of light small drops of vapor on the walls of the alveoli, which are created due to the evaporation of a special liquid from the surface of the heating element. Suggested reason # 1 is the oils tetrahydrocannabinol (a psychoactive agent in marijuana) and cannabidiol (a non-psychogenic agent in marijuana), which damage lung tissue.

Reason # 2: inflammation caused by aromatics in the cartridges. There are also increasing reports of illegal contamination of cartridges with vitamin E acetate thinner oil. Vitamin E oil, which is otherwise harmless when applied topically, causes a severe inflammatory reaction in the parenchyma (epithelial cells) of the lungs when inhaled.

Another, fourth potential factor contributing to the development of the disease is the transfer of metal ions from heated coils of devices into a solution for vapors, and then into inhaled aerosols.

– Can a CT specialist confuse frosted glass in EVALI with frosted glass in covid?

– Such cases are quite possible. Despite the fact that, in principle, we know how in most cases this symptom differs on CT scans (with COVID-19, “frosted glasses” are common in the peripheral parts of the lungs, and with EVALI they are more often found in the roots of the (“central”) parts of the lungs ), there are cases very similar to each other. For example, “frosted glass” that can be detected at an early stage of COVID-19 disease can be detected in the same places where we would expect to see “frosted glass” in EVALI.

At a later stage of the development of the disease, more significant differences can be noted. So “frosted glasses” with COVID-19 are different in density: from “delicate frosted glasses” to seals (consolidations), against which it is no longer possible to distinguish the pulmonary vessels. As for the smokers of electronic cigarettes, they most often talk about “delicate” and at the same time homogeneous frosted glasses.

The main word still remains with the attending physician, who takes into account the complete picture of the development of the disease.Lung damage associated with an electronic cigarette or vaping is determined by the presence of pulmonary infiltrates – the accumulation of cellular elements, fluids, and other components in tissues that are not inherent in a healthy person – on CT images. And also – on the established fact of using electronic systems for smoking within the previous 90 days and the absence of other possible causes, such as infectious, cardiovascular or rheumatological.

– Somewhere in April-May, the statements of some doctors that smokers are, in principle, less likely to be infected with coronavirus, were actively discussed.What about vapers?

– On the contrary, the accumulated literature data indicate that vaping contributes to an increase in the incidence of COVID-19 due to damage to the membranes of the alveoli. An additional argument against vaping during a pandemic is the similarity of clinical and CT manifestations of EVALI and COVID-19, which can lead to a delay in establishing the correct diagnosis.

– Are vaping patients also treated with mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal oxygenation, as with covid?

–Today it is known that the tactics of treating patients with these diseases are different.In COVID-19, along with antiviral agents, antibiotics are used to prevent bacterial infection, substances that suppress blood clotting factors, to reduce microthrombotic damage.

The well-known mechanical ventilation and extraporal oxygenation are used in especially severe cases of the disease. As for EVALI, mechanical ventilation is necessary for almost a third of hospitalized patients. However, they do not require antibiotics or suppression of clotting factors.The cornerstones of treatment are corticosteroids, maintenance therapy, and continued vaping avoidance.

– What advice do you have for vapers experiencing covid symptoms?

–When visiting a doctor, do not hide the fact of smoking or vaping electronic cigarettes. I know that the word “smoking” is not popular in vaper groups. Your life may depend on how correctly the doctor diagnoses and prescribes the correct treatment. I think that due to the increased attention of doctors to the problem of smoking vapes, the number of EVALI diseases should decrease.

See also: Owners with coronavirus talked about the strange behavior of cats

90,000 Red wine and useless vitamins. Cardiologist dispels myths about heart

On World Heart Day, which is celebrated on September 29, “Omsk Here” discussed with the doctor of medical sciences, professor, cardiologist, deputy chief physician of the clinic of the Clinical Cardiological Dispensary Olga Korennova myths associated with the main muscle in the human body.

Olga Korennova

Here you need to learn to distinguish between pains, and everyone needs to know this. Most often, pain in the chest, arm, shoulder is associated with nerves. But heart pain also happens behind the sternum, it can be given to the hand, elbow, fingers. More often left hand, but maybe right. It can also give to the lower jaw and stomach. These are typical areas. However, heart pain is exercise-related. For example, a person walked quickly or ran.The heart needs more oxygen, nutrients, it starts to work hard. And some vessel of the heart does not cope due to, for example, narrowing due to atherosclerosis, and then ischemia occurs. That is, the heart needs a lot of blood, and the vessel cannot provide this part of the heart with a sufficient amount of oxygen. Then ischemia occurs, and it can manifest itself as pain. As soon as a person stops, stops exercising, evens breathing – the pain goes away. She will be gone in one and a half to two minutes.If pain occurs after physical exertion and quickly passes at rest, you definitely need to run to a doctor – a therapist, a cardiologist. This is serious. And everything that hurts for more than 15 minutes depends on the position of the body, breathing – this is not the heart.

Most often, a cough is a symptom of a throat or lung disease. With heart disease, coughing can also be. For example, pulmonary edema. This may actually be a pre-infarction condition, or it is a heart defect, and this is due to blood congestion in the lungs – then there may be a cough.But it differs from what we are used to and most often depends on the position of the body. A “heart” cough appears when a person is lying down. At the same time, he does not have enough air, it becomes difficult to breathe. The cough is relieved by standing upright and sitting down. If you notice such a cough in yourself, then immediately consult a doctor – you cannot figure it out yourself.

This is definitely a myth! You need to sleep as it is comfortable. The heart is located inside the chest, protected by the lungs, ribs, muscles.But, if you have severe heart failure, when there is congestion of blood in the lungs, it may be harder to lie on your left side. Again, a characteristic sign: if you lay down on your left side, crushed, and then sat down, and everything went away – this is a sign of heart failure, and it is better to go to the doctor. If you have a healthy heart, then it doesn’t matter which side you sleep on.

Myth. At least where it can hurt. Even in ancient times, medicine has found pain reflection zones. For example, we said, my heart hurts, but it gives to the jaw.These are the so-called zones of irradiation. In medicine, they are called by the name of the author – the Zakharyin-Ged zone. The pain can be given even to the leg, and it does not matter which of the two.

There is no such feeling in the heart. The heart itself is a muscle. It can hurt when damaged, just like any other muscle. And if there is ischemia associated with a lack of oxygen, destruction of the muscle (heart), pain occurs. But not stabbing, but completely different – burning, pressing, tearing, bursting.Most often this is severe pain, it can be a harbinger of myocardial infarction. Living muscle is being destroyed. If you do not seek medical care in time and do not provide it correctly, then it will be impossible to restore the dead part of the heart. And help with a heart attack is the restoration of blood flow by any means.

Potassium in moderation is good for all organs. What we eat with food is quite enough: fruits, vegetables, meat, protein products. Potassium is good for you. But if we talk about tablets from advertising, then we eat them, they pass through our digestive organs and are safely excreted from the body, without bringing any benefit.

What really has preventive things is prescribed only after determining the individual, personal risk of cardiovascular disease and their complications. There are special scales for this, depending on whether a person has a disease (heart or others), and accordingly, a competent doctor will conduct a so-called stratification for each patient – he will determine the individual cardiovascular risk: the risk of heart attack, stroke, death from cardiovascular disease …If it is high, then yes, there are drugs that improve the prognosis of life. These are statins that prevent or stop the progression of atherosclerosis. These are drugs that normalize blood pressure, prevent the formation of blood clots in some of the patients for whom this is indicated. And the advertised ordinary vitamins do not have anywhere in the world, including in Russia, any evidence base on the impact on the prognosis of life. If a person has hypovitaminosis (however, it is necessary to find such a person today who eats so that he has no vitamins in his food at all), only then vitamins are shown to him.And there is no point in accepting them just like that. You need to eat right, rest, temper, lead an active lifestyle.

This is definitely a myth. Excess weight is a risk factor for developing not only heart problems, but also other diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, damage to joints, liver, etc. Overweight people also have fatty organs. The heart is covered and saturated with fat. Heart rhythm disturbances can be associated with obesity in the heart. Fat inside the muscle causes electrical instability in the cardiac conduction system.Arrhythmia occurs up to atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation.

This is not really a myth. Let’s start with how much wine can be consumed. Here it is worth talking about “good consumption” of alcohol. It is not so bad if the person takes it in small doses. For a woman it is one, for a man two ounces a day. An ounce is 30 ml of alcohol. In terms of wine, this is up to 200 ml for women and about 300 ml for men. And we’re talking about good, quality drinks.There is total cholesterol, which is made up of bad and good cholesterol. If such a drinking culture is present, then cholesterol does not decrease, but the level of good cholesterol increases. Unfortunately, today it cannot be raised by anything other than alcohol, but only in such minimal doses. In countries where there is a correct drinking culture and quality drinks, there are many long-livers. If you drink more, then this is definitely harm to the body. And the harmful cholesterol is reduced from statins and other special drugs that are prescribed by the doctor.I’m not encouraging everyone to drink alcohol every day. And most importantly, all ounces of a week are not collected on Fridays.

Myth! On the contrary, it is the cessation of smoking that saves from a heart attack. Today it has been proven that a complete cessation of smoking, and it is better not to start smoking anything at all and never, prevents cardiovascular diseases, including strokes, heart attacks and death. Moreover, in a person who has never smoked, this risk is 48% lower than in a smoker. The contribution of smoking to the risk of cardiovascular disease is greater than that of arterial hypertension.Every second person will not get a heart attack or stroke if they do not smoke. Passive smoking is no different from active smoking. And the worst thing is when parents smoke at home, and their child breathes the smoke. It turns out that the child is also a smoker, but he is a victim of these people. If a person smoked and then quit, then it takes about 12 years for his risk to approximate the risk of a person who has never smoked. Nicotine addiction is a very serious problem. The best thing that Russia has done in recent years in terms of primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases is to ban smoking in public places.