Emphysema - The long-term effects of smoking explained Results of emphysema in long-term effects of smoking. There are many other effects on respiratory health caused by cigarette addiction, but emphysema is the end result of all the lung damage caused by the inhalation of smoke and other chemicals that cigarettes contain. It is the cumulative effects of smoking over a long period of time as emphysema because if the condition is usually seen in older adults.
Even if you've given your addiction to cigarettes can still be permanent changes in the lungs that may predispose to the development of emphysema at some point in the future. Nobody is immune to the effects of smoking.
The explanation of how your addiction to cigarettes can cause emphysema.
Anatomy of the normal lung
Lung anatomy includes the presence of tiny structures called cilia in the airways. Cilia words actually comes from the Latin term for eyelashes and even the fringes of the lungs are fine hair like structures. These are anatomical structures that occur in the body and their main function is the motility of the motion. Cilia are primarily responsible for waving around and get things done through microscopic narrow tubes. In respiratory cilia are responsible for literally sweeping the airways clean. Without the cilia, debris and other mucous will build up and clog the airways.
Effects of Smoking
A principal effect of smoking is the paralysis and destruction of cilia and so begins emphysema.
As the cilia become less and less effective respiratory mucosa increases. Because the cilia are destroyed, the tar and debris from other chemicals that cigarettes contain can not be eliminated by the lungs. Debris and more mucus accumulates in the lungs, opening the way for infection.
The air passages are filled with mucus an ideal environment for bacteria because they love dark, warm, moist places to breed and grow. Over time these effects of smoking continue and you become more susceptible to infections. Following the infectious process and ongoing inflammation in the lungs, certain destructive enzymes are released causing more damage delicate lung tissue and loss of your new lashes important.
At the same time this happens your small airways are blocked gradually with mucus and debris of all the chemicals that cigarettes contain. The nature of your normal elastic tissue of the lungs and airways is lost. Air entering your lungs can not be expelled. Over time, this trapped air has more pressure on small air sacs in the lung (called alveoli) until they become stretched and lose their elasticity. Where you have had thousands of these tiny air sacs now there will be only a few hundred more.
The effects of your consumption of cigarettes continues and more and more pressure builds up in your lung tissue. Damage increasingly on the results in time loss of elasticity of the air passages as well. Now, instead of extending the inhalation and contracting back to normal size of expiry of your air passages simply collapse trapping air in the air sacs.
The air in the air sacs is full of carbon dioxide and under normal circumstances would be expelled with each breath, making the oxygen-rich air to be inhaled. But if your airways are collapsed because they have lost their elasticity, then the air filled with carbon dioxide can be expelled from the lungs. It is by making more and more pressure and holding the precious thing necessary for the oxygen-rich air.
You can see that the ultimate effects of smoking on the lungs.
Posted on March 3, 2010.
