Smoking and lung cancer
Credit: medanta

Smoking is one of the worst habits a human can have because it damages the body in all possible ways. there are many health hazards of smoking and cancer is one of them. Here, we will know if cancer is certain to Smokers and what are the other health risks.

What is Lung Cancer?

Lung Cancer is the excessive proliferation of the lung tissues, where the normal growth of the issues is altered, and cells multiply rapidly. As a result, the normal morphology of the lung cell is altered. Lung Cancer is one of the most common cancers.

The lung is the cleanest organ of the body, it can protect itself from microorganisms as well as cancer cells. But, when the cells of the lungs are mutated due to different reasons, the lung loses its ability to fight against the diseases. Lung Cancer usually starts from bronchi, bronchioles, or alveoli.

When the lung cells become cancerous, they start to form numerous tumors as a result of uncontrolled growth. the tumors soon become invasive, spreading all over the lung and causing problems in respiration. Soon, the breathing system of the body collapses and people die.

Is Lung Cancer Inevitable to Smokers?

No, it isn’t certain that if you are a smoker, you have a 100% chance of lung cancer. Smoking is the major cause of this disease. But that doesn’t mean all smokers suffer from lung cancer at a later age.

Tobacco smoking is very hurtful to the lungs. Most of the cigarettes contain many carcinogens. you will often find the caution saying ‘Smoking Causes Cancer’. It is because the cigarette companies themselves know that their product is health hazardous.

Smoking Causes Cancer
Credit: Cancer Council

The carcinogens are directly inhaled due to tobacco smoking with the cigarettes. These carcinogens attack the immune system of our lungs. In most cases, the strong immune system of the lung can defeat the carcinogens, but, when they can’t, the lung is affected with cancer.

There have been many researches on the relation of smoking with lung cancer, where it is shown that smoking doesn’t always cause cancer. but, it will certainly cause other health issues, that will reduce the quality of your life at a greater rate.

What are the health issues of Smoking?

Respiratory Diseases:

A smoker may not suffer from cancer due to smoking but, you will suffer from bronchitis for 100%. There are many other diseases like COPD and asthma, that a smoker suffers from. This hampers normal breathing, you may not be able to breathe properly after a short physical work.

Cardiovascular Disease:

Smoking damages your heart in a great way. It is one of the major reasons behind heart attacks. Smoking is responsible for increasing the cholesterol level, and a major reason behind the development of atherosclerosis. This may cause heart attack at any age, and can even take your life.

Respiratory infections:

Respiratory infections like Influenza or pneumonia can often occur due to this habit. These diseases can be life-threatening too.

Reduced Immune function:

Smoking reduces the effectiveness of our immune system in a great way. As a result, your body becomes prone to many diseases.

Reproductive system:

Smoking damages the reproductive system. The amount of sperm decreases in male semen, which eventually causes many reproductive diseases.

Pregnancy Complication:

Smoking should be completely avoided during pregnancy, as there is a high chance of miscarriage, as well as the development of many congenital diseases in babies whose mothers smoke. It also affects the baby’s respiratory system.

Oral Cancer:

Smoking is one of the major causes of oral cancer. It causes many precancerous diseases and ulcers in the mouth, which have a high chance of converting into malignant ulcers.

How to Quit Smoking?

This is a million-dollar question for smokers, how to stop smoking? Many of you promise to yourself, that you won’t smoke. But the next day, you can’t resist the habit. Knowing of the health issues, people often can’t leave these life-threatening diseases. here, we will discuss some of the effective ways how to stop smoking:

Quit Smoking
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Set a Quit Date:

Set a date to quit the smoke. Take some time to prepare yourself mentally for quitting the habit. When you are ready, stop the habit for a better lifestyle.

Seek Support:

inform your family and the people you love. they can help inquire about the habit. With the proper support of the people around you, you can quit the habit.

Use Nicotine Replacement Therapy:

This is a very effective way of quitting this bad habit. You can use patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray to save yourself from cavities.

Medications:

Consult a health care expert. there are certain medications like bupropion or varenicline that can help in quitting smoking.

Behavioral Therapy:

Behavior therapy is one of the most important aids in quitting smoking. Proper counseling from an experienced psychologist can be very helpful.

Celebrate Milestones:

Set some milestones to stop or reduce smoking by yourself. Whenever you are able to pass the milestone, celebrate it. This will set a positive approach and help you in quitting smoking.

Keep Yourself Busy:

When ever you have the cravings to smoke, keep yourself busy with other work. When you become busy, the craving may go and you don’t need to smoke.

What to Do After You Quit Smoking for a healthy lung?

If you are successful in quitting one of the disgusting habits of your life, you should focus on improving the damage to your lungs. here are the things you should follow to keep your lungs healthy after you have quit smoking:

Stay Hydrated:

Always stay hydrated. Take 6-7 glasses of water. The more you take water, the more your body will recover from the effects.

Medications:

You can follow some medications to keep your body as well as lungs healthy. Certain medications are effective for the betterment of the lungs.

Exercise to heal lung
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Exercise regularly:

Maintain a routine of exercise in your day-to-day lie. It is very effective in keeping your body healthy and increasing the capacity of your lungs.

Eat Healthy foods:

Add more fruits and protein-rich foods to your diet. Avoid taking red meat and foods containing fat.

Deep Breathing Exercise:

there are some breathing exercises that your health care expert will suggest to you to improve the breathing capability of your lungs.

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