Cigarettes: the warning label will not tell.

Almost everyone knows that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you know that smoking causes a number of other serious lung diseases? These include chronic bronchitis and emphysema, known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is the fourth largest killer of Australians and smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD. When you inhale cigarette smoke, it bypasses the filtering action of the nose and damage lung tissue, leading to overproduction of mucus, among others. Chronic bronchitis occurs when airways in the lungs become narrow and partly clogged with mucus. People who suffer from chronic cough, bronchitis and more experience shortness of breath over several months or even years. They are also more prone to risk of breast infections and pneumonia. Tobacco smoke also destroys air sacs in the lungs. Over time this leads to progressive loss of lung function and a condition known as emphysema. One of the signs of emphysema is shortness of breath. As the disease progresses, breathing becomes considerable effort and may require supplemental oxygen. Most people who smoke about 20 cigarettes a day have some degree of emphysema. There are about 124,000 Australians living with emphysema and 567,000 Australians have chronic bronchitis, a total of 665,000 Australians with emphysema and / or chronic bronchitis (COPD). Compared with nonsmokers who never smoked more than five times lasix 4 mg more likely to develop emphysema / chronic bronchitis, and smoking more than six times more likely to suffer from emphysema / chronic bronchitis. Smoking causes 82% of emphysema / chronic bronchitis in men and 76% among women. However, a recent report of U.S. Surgeon General attributes smoking as a cause of more than 90% of deaths from COPD. Damage from emphysema is not reversible. However, the rejection of smoking will slow the rate of loss of lung capacity in chronic airways disease. Decided to quit smoking? For more help, see a doctor, pharmacist or call the Quitline 131 848 or visit the website at Quitline. Sources of Australian fund lung COPD - chronic bronchitis, emphysema, newsletter, 2002. COPD - X Plan: Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2005. Australian fund lungs. American Council on Science and Health. Cigarettes: What warning label does not say. The second edition. New York, American Council on Science and Health, 2003. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Health consequences of smoking: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Report of the Chief Physician. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health, Office of Smoking and Health, 1984. ABS National Health Examination 2001 (AIZS analysis). Holman Armstrong et al. (1990). Quantitative evaluation of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia 1988. Canberra: AGPS. English Holman et al. (1995). Quantitative evaluation of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia edition 1992. Canberra. AGPS. Health effects of smoking: Report of the U.S. Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004 .. .