Smoker's Lung (COPD) - Symptoms, Causes, Therapy

What is a smoker's lung?

Shortness of breath, morning coughing fits, low resilience, shortness of breath - many smokers experience the consequences of long-term tobacco consumption first-hand. The lungs suffers most from the toxic smoke inhalations. It is not unlikely that a smoker's lung forms through smoking. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) estimates that about six percent of the population in Germany are affected. Medically, smoker's lungs are referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and factors other than tobacco use can lead to the symptoms. Here are the most important things in brief:

• definition: COPD is a chronic obstructive bronchitis that occurs either with or without pulmonary hyperinflation (pulmonary emphysema). Chronic bronchitis is said to occur when symptoms persist for more than three months a year.
• symptoms: Fits like cough with expectoration of mucus (increased in the morning), shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing during exercise (later also at rest).
• frequency: COPD is a common disease from middle age. There is a high number of unreported cases among those affected. According to RKI projections 5.8 percent of the German population are affected.
• causesToxic substances in the lungs, mostly tobacco smoke, are increasingly damaging the natural defense mechanisms of the lungs over many years. Certain childhood diseases, genetic factors and air pollution are also suspected to promote COPD development.
• therapy: In the advanced stage, damage to the lung is considered irreversible. However bronchial dilating drugs and cortisone as well as cessation of smoking can improve the situation of those affected.

contents

• What is a smoker's lung?
• Three stages of smoker lung
• causes
• symptoms
• Follow a smoker's lung
• diagnostics
• therapy
• smoking cessation
• swell

Three stages of smoker lung

The World Health Organization WHO divides the smoker's lung resp. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) into three stages:

• Stage I: The first stage is characterized by predominant bronchitis, but without further physical limitations.
• Stage II: At this stage, in addition to bronchitis restriction of performance.
• Stage IIIIn the third stage, the symptoms are widened by further adverse effects on the gas exchange. Pulmonary emphysema can develop, which has massive negative consequences on lung function and respiration.

Over the years, the lungs change with regular exposure to pollutants to the smoker's lung. (Image: Henrie / fotolia.com)

causes

In the respiratory tract are the finest cilia and in between so-called goblet cells, which are responsible for the mucus production. The cilia move back and forth on the wet mucous membrane and transport with these movements dust and dirt towards the nasopharynx. The ciliated epithelium (epithelium = covering tissue) is responsible for the cleaning of the inhaled air and its moistening.

Tasks of the bronchial mucosa

An intact bronchial mucous membrane has different tasks. It forms protection against foreign invaders and is involved in the production of various substances. These include immune messengers, growth factors and substances that can cause a narrowing of the blood vessels.

Smoke destroys the mucous membranes

Constant smoking increasingly destroys the mucous membrane, including the cilia, whereby more and more goblet cells develop from the ciliated epithelium, producing more mucus. As a result, mucus production increases throughout the bronchial tract. The amount of mucus can no longer be properly coughed off, and the backwater facilitates the colonization of germs.

Causes and symptoms of a smoker's lung. (Image: Bilderzwerg / fotolia.com)

Inflammations arise

In the bronchial walls, the constant penetration of pathogens, dust or dirt, increased mucus production and the absence of an intact mucous membrane causes recurrent inflammation, causing the mucous membrane to swell. The bronchial walls are getting thicker, which in the long term leads to an obstruction (narrowing) of the respiratory tract. Breathing is made more difficult, the gas exchange between blood and respiratory air is increasingly impaired, and the oxygen content of the blood decreases.

Other causes

Although smoking causes 80 to 90 percent of COPD cases, there are other factors that increase COPD risk:

• Childhood diseases: Childhood diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or pneumonia (pneumonia) are considered a risk factor.
• Smoking parents: Smoking by parents has an influence on the development of later smoker cough in their children.
• Genetic predisposition: The genes also play a role. In particular, individuals with the hereditary disease alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency have an increased risk of developing COPD.
• air pollution: Even fine dust is suspected to cause COPD. Certain professional groups such as coal mining workers are particularly vulnerable.

symptoms

Since there are no more cilia in a smoker's lung and mucous production increases more and more, a chronic cough occurs, which occurs most violently in the morning. The sputum usually has a brownish color due to the toxins in the lungs. Every now and then the blood also contains traces of blood.

Smoker's Cough - the first alarm sign

The smoker's cough does not arise overnight, but is a creeping process for years. Most of the complaints of a smoker are played down by himself, while smoking increasingly destroys his lungs. The first alarm sign is the chronic cough with the morning ejection.

Shortness of breath and reduced resilience

Over the years sufferers suffer increasingly from shortness of breath during physical exertion. This can be the case, for example, when climbing stairs easily. Overall, the overall resilience of the smoker lung continues to decline.

Smoker's cough is considered an important alarm sign and points to the development of COPD. (Image: Stefan / fotolia.com)

Blue lips and finger ailments

Due to the progressive oxygen deficiency, the lips turn blue. Furthermore arise so-called drumstick fingers (Aufbreiz the fingertips) and Uhrglasnägel (large, arched nails).

Follow a smoker's lung

Since a smoker's lung has already been damaged, very common colds are usually much more difficult for those affected. Due to the lack of cilia and the enormous production of mucus, the pathogens can not be easily banned or coughed up from the body. As a result, increased pneumonia occur.

Increased risk of heart failure

The increased performance of the lung also increases the pressure in the pulmonary circulation (cor pulmonale), which in the long term favors the development of heart failure.

Chronic inflammation

Constant exposure to nicotine and other pollutants results in death of the cilia. Thus, the smallest, inhaled dust particles and dirt remain in the body. This constant irritation increasingly causes chronic inflammation. The production of mucus increases, the bronchial walls swell and, over the years, breathing difficulties and even shortness of breath occur.

hyperinflation

In the advanced stage, the alveoli lose their stability and collapse on exhalation. The normal physiological structure of the lung is increasingly destroyed and pulmonary emphysema can develop.

In the course of the disease, breathing difficulties, shortness of breath and coughing fits continue to increase. (Picture: pathdoc / fotolia.com)

mortality

A smoker's lung should not be taken lightly. According to the white paper Lunge, published by the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine and the German Lung Foundation, around 15,000 men and 11,000 women in Germany died as a result of COPD in 2011. On average, the life expectancy of a smoker's lung is reduced by eight years.

diagnostics

Easier courses, without symptoms, are detected by a lung function measurement. Heavier forms are manifested by shortness of breath, even at the slightest load. The diagnosis of COPD is usually made only in the fourth or fifth decade of life. In order to be able to assess exactly how far the disease has progressed, X-ray examinations and / or computed tomography are carried out. Pulmonary function test, ECG, blood count and sputum control (examination of the sputum) are also common methods of examination.

therapy

Of course, plays as the setting of smoking or the prevention of pollution a prominent role. A reduction of cigarette consumption is not enough. Lung function may return to normal, but in advanced cases, chronic bronchitis persists. With bronchodilator drugs is trying to avoid further damage. In addition, cortisone is often used in conventional medicine to treat chronic bronchial inflammation. If people continue to smoke, the disease can not be cured despite all medication.

The body benefits in many ways from smoking cessation. (Image: heilpraxis.de)

smoking cessation

The best preventive measure against a smoker's lung is: stop smoking. A smoking cessation leads to many health benefits. The regeneration starts already a few minutes after the last cigarette:

• 20 minutes later: heart rate and blood pressure levels normalize.
• 12 hours later: The oxygen supply of all organs increases. The general efficiency improves.
• 2 weeks to 3 months later: The entire circulation and the lung function show improvements.
• 1 to 9 months later: Typical symptoms such as coughing fits, shortness of breath and congested paranasal sinuses decrease progressively. The fixed mucus in the lung is gradually degraded. The increased risk of infection begins to decline.
• 1 year later: The risk of developing coronary heart disease is halved compared to the risk of smokers.
• 5 years later: The risk of cancer in the oral cavity, throat, esophagus and urinary bladder is halved. The risk of developing cervical cancer is at the same level as a non-smoker.
• ten years later: The risk of dying from lung cancer has been halved. Other cancer risks to the larynx and pancreas also decline.
• 15 years later: The risk of developing coronary heart disease reaches the level of a non-smoker.

(sw, updated on April 10, 2018 vb)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)

swell

• Pulmonologists in the net - Website
• Robert Koch Institute - 12-month prevalence of COPD in Germany
• Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD
• as well as articles linked in the text