Women more prone to smoking

Women are more likely to suffer a smoker's lung

04/18/2012

Women are more prone to a smoker's lung. The smoker's lung referred to in the jargon as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a widespread disease in Germany today, which affects about eight to ten percent of the population, said physicians at this year's Internists Congress (118th Annual Congress of the German Society of Internal Medicine) in Wiesbaden.

The colloquially referred to as smoker's cough or smoker's lung chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is, according to the experts today the fourth leading cause of death in Germany. Women are much more vulnerable than men. With the same consumption of cigarettes they suffer a much more rapid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, explained Professor Adrian Gillesen, director of the Clinic for Lung and Bronchial Medicine at the Klinikum Kassel, at the conclusion of the Internistenkongresses on Tuesday.

Cough and shortness of breath typical signs of a smoker's lung
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by constant coughing, increased secretion and respiratory distress. The cough occurs in the early stages of COPD usually only in the morning after getting up or under stress, but increases over time more and more. At the beginning, shortness of breath is also limited to situations of physical stress, but in the further course of the disease, it can also occur in everyday activities such as climbing stairs. Those affected are quickly out of breath and exhausted. In the long-term, COPD can cause irreversible damage to the lungs, which in the worst case can lead to the death of the patient. The most common cause of COPD is smoking. Around as many as ten of COPD patients are smokers, which is why the disease is also referred to as a smoker's or smoker's lung. The disease is typically determined by the interplay of three different respiratory diseases: chronic bronchitis, chronic bronchiolitis, and emphysema.

Women develop a smoker's lung faster
As the experts at the internist congress reported, women with the same cigarette consumption as men tend to smoke smoker much earlier. Professor Adrian Gillesen explained that women are apparently the "more sensitive smoker". The statistics show that, mathematically speaking, a woman consumes a pack of cigarettes every day after 20 years at the same risk of smoker's lungs as men after thirty years. "They suffer the same disease, but need less to smoke every day," explained Prof. Gillissen. The Director of the Clinic for Lung and Bronchial Medicine in Kassel said that despite the tightened legislation, the common disease COPD is likely to increase in the coming years, with women tending to be more affected than men. Although German legislation has helped to significantly reduce the proportion of smokers in recent years, this only has long-term effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Due to the long lead, no drop in the number of cases is to be expected for the time being, but for women, for the time being, a further increase in the number of illnesses is to be expected, emphasized Prof. Gillissen.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in principle preventable
According to the expert, the spread of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is particularly annoying, as this is a disease "that is basically preventable." That COPD is now one of the leading causes of death in Germany is unacceptable. Tighter legislation could only be the first step in stopping COPD. The persons concerned advise Prof. Gillissen to visit a doctor as soon as possible. "If a smoker has shortness of breath, then he should go to the doctor," warned the director of the Clinic for Lung and Bronchial Medicine at Kassel Hospital. Increased caution should be exercised with increasing age as most smokers do not develop COPD until they are over 40 years old. Especially women should, according to the expert, because of their susceptibility to smoker's lung, before the age of 40 pay special attention to the symptoms. (Fp)

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