Smoking and COPD

COPD stands for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which is an umbrella term for a group of medical conditions that involve the blocking of the air in the lungs. This makes it very difficult to breathe, and is highly common in smokers aged over 35. In fact over 80% of cases are smokers and it is predicted that most regular to heavy smokers will contract the disease in their later life.

One of the more popular conditions included within this disease is emphysema, which comes about by damage to the air sacs in the lungs. Another common condition is bronchitis which is basically a severe, continuous cough.

Unfortunately any damage caused to your lungs as a result of COPD is permanent and irreversible, but anyone can quit and find the symptoms become dramatically easier to cope with and this can even, in some cases, prolong life expectancy. Life expectancy for a smoker is reduced by around eight years.

The worst symptom about COPD is the breathlessness which many smokers find difficult to cope with. Some patients need to be put on oxygen so that the body can receive the minimum amount required to function. COPD literally cuts off the ability to be able to get the required amount of air into the system. It is very difficult to live with because it impairs the ability to move properly and often leaves people bed-bound, in the worst of cases.

There are many quit smoking campaigns out there to help people cut down on their habits and reduce their chances of contracting such an awful disease. One of the newest options out there is the e cigarette, or electronic cigarette. Electronic cigarettes are inhalers which allow the smoker to get a hit of nicotine but not the other thousands of chemicals or tar which ordinary cigarettes contain.