Smoker's lung

Chronic cough and morning sputum - every smoker should be alarmed by this sign at the latest. After all, there can be a Smoker's lung hide. But what is this disease all about?

What is a smoker's lung?

Alveoli (alveoli) affected by lung cancer marked in the detail. Click to enlarge.

Doctors call it chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), better known as Smoker's lung.

There are now five million sick people in Germany, and the trend is rising. The small cilia in the bronchi are destroyed in a smoker's lung. Mucus can no longer be removed properly.

As a result, bacteria settle and the bronchi are permanently inflamed. The gas exchange between blood and air no longer works. A smoker's lung is noticeable by a morning cough.

Many people belittle it as a smoker's cough. This cough is accompanied by a mostly yellow-brownish discoloration of mucus. At first only physical activity is troublesome. Later on, breathing problems arise even with the smallest step. These bouts of shortness of breath occur in episodes. If the three symptoms cough, discolored sputum and shortness of breath come together, there is a high probability that a smoker's lung is present. Professionals refer to these as AHA symptoms.

causes

One thing is certain: one Smoker's lung does not develop overnight. For a long time, smoking was the sole cause of the smoker's lungs.

After all, nine out of ten patients with smoker's lungs are also active smokers. The dangerous thing about it: Even the first cigarette can cause inflammation of the sensitive bronchi. If this inflammation becomes chronic, it leads to the dreaded smoker's lung. Scientists have now recognized that increasing environmental pollution can also cause a smoker's lung.

This includes breathing air polluted by dust particles and sulfur dioxide as well as the vapors from biofuels. All of this puts a lot of strain on the airways and can trigger chronic obstructive bronchitis. It is not for nothing that respiratory diseases are the number four cause of death worldwide.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

A smoker's lung is associated with several symptoms, all of which impair the functioning of the lungs. The so-called smoker's cough, which occurs mainly in the morning, is characteristic. There is expectoration from the lungs. The sputum can come out in different forms - depending on the cause of the smoker's lung.

Most of the time the sputum is grayish or brownish. After the morning expectoration, the person concerned usually does not have to cough up expectoration for many hours. If the sputum is completely absent, the smoker's lung has usually already caused damage to the alveoli.

Chronic coughing and increased shortness of breath occur in a smoker's lung. Shortness of breath occurs at the beginning mainly during exertion and can occur later for no reason. Colds or bronchitis are also more common. Those affected by a smoker's lung also suffer more often from pneumonia.

The symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing and sputum are referred to as AHA symptoms. Sleep apnea also occasionally occurs with prolonged COPD. This favors the development of heart failure. The persistent lack of oxygen can also lead to cyanosis: the lips become bluish and skin and nail changes occur. Drumstick fingers develop. In the most severe stage of the smoker's lungs, the alveoli eventually decay and thus pulmonary emphysema develops.

Diagnosis & course

Schematic representation of a healthy lung and a smoker's lung. Click to enlarge.

The diagnosis Smoker's lung provides a pulmonologist. He also has the necessary technology to clearly diagnose the smoker's lungs with the help of breath and blood tests.

After the initially seemingly harmless cough, the bronchi increasingly narrow in a smoker's lung. The bouts of shortness of breath occur in seizures and in episodes. The condition worsens with each attack.

If left untreated, a smoker's lung will result in death of the patient. The disease is not limited to the lungs. Later on, it also affects the heart, blood vessels, muscles and bones. If it then comes to death, it feels like suffocation.

Complications

The most common complication of a smoker's lung is a bacterial infection and pneumonia, as a result of which the patient has to be ventilated or dies of lack of oxygen. The deteriorated oxygen supply is associated with complications such as muscle weakness, stress reactions and, as a result, high blood pressure, fat deposits and moods. A chronic lung disease also damages the heart in the long run - the heart's pumping capacity decreases and right heart failure occurs.

With such a severe course, the affected person often becomes immobile. The lack of exercise ultimately leads to obesity, digestive problems and the intensification of the original complaints. Accompanying the smoker's lungs, bronchitis, breathing pauses and, in the worst case, sleep apnea and suffocation of the patient occur. With timely therapy, adverse events are unlikely.

However, the administered cortisone preparations can cause various side effects. For example, there is often water retention, other cardiovascular problems or infections. In addition, the risk of developing osteoporosis is increased. Nicotine replacement therapy can be associated with weight gain. In addition, those affected suffer from enormous stress, moods and other withdrawal symptoms in the acute weaning phase, which almost always represent a great psychological burden.

When should you go to the doctor?

A doctor should be consulted if breathing is impaired. If there is a shortness of breath, a lack of oxygen in the organism or cardiac arrhythmia, a doctor must be consulted. People who smoke actively or are regularly in smoking environments should pay particular attention to signs and irregularities in their breathing. If impairments occur, a doctor must be consulted immediately. If you have a cough, sputum or bluish discolored lips, you should see a doctor for a check-up. Sleep disturbances, a decrease in physical performance and a low level of resilience are signs of a health irregularity. If the symptoms persist over a long period of time or if they increase in scope or intensity, a doctor is required.

Drumstick fingers are a characteristic sign of the presence of a smoker's lung. Consult a doctor immediately if this symptom occurs. If there are deformations of the nails or other irregularities in the limbs, this is an advanced stage. Rapid fatigue, an increased need for rest phases or a decrease in athletic performance are to be understood as warning signals of the organism. If there is an increased incidence of colds, internal weakness or a loss of quality of life, the observations should be discussed with a doctor.

Treatment & Therapy

If COPD patients learn of their illness, they should stop smoking immediately. Thus, there is a possibility that the progression of the Smoker's lung can at least be delayed.

In rare cases, deterioration can even be stopped. Nevertheless, the treatment extends to the end of the patient's life. The reason: a smoker's lung cannot be healed. Regular medication becomes a must. Initially, the pulmonologist will prescribe briefly effective inhalers. Then steroids are added later. The cortisone is usually inhaled and is supposed to help reduce the inflammation of the bronchi.

So stays in the lung clinic are always necessary. In addition to medication, it is important to regularly integrate exercise into your daily routine. Many patients with smoker's lungs shy away from physical activity because they fear another attack of shortness of breath. However, this avoidance leads to the exact opposite. At some point the body is too weak for every step. Therefore: start the training slowly and carefully, discuss it with your doctor if necessary.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for smoking cessation

prevention

Prevention of a Smoker's lung It couldn't be easier: Smokers should stop smoking. Immediately and without hesitation. Because every inhaled tobacco smoke damages the mucous membranes in the lungs more and more. Of course, it would be even better not to even start smoking. Since passive smoking is also dangerous, smokers should consciously keep their distance from other people. In general, a healthy lifestyle with plenty of drinking should be preferred. Regular exercise is also essential.

Aftercare

Patients diagnosed with smoking lungs should have regular follow-up exams. Special lung function and x-ray examinations must be performed by the family doctor or a specialist in pulmonology at regular intervals. Follow-up exams follow a set schedule of visits to the doctor.

Follow-up examinations should detect progression of the smoker's lung in good time so that further therapies can be started at an early stage. The treating physicians and specialists generally strive to achieve this goal and to implement it as optimally as possible through appropriate measures. However, the prerequisite and basis is the patient's general abstinence from smoking.

This important measure is not only for the primary prevention of the smoker's lung, but is also supportive and helpful for other existing diseases. It's never too late to quit smoking. If smoking is strictly and sustainably stopped, the patient clearly regains his lung function.

An essential therapeutic aftercare measure is sporting activities, especially sport, which is especially useful for patients with lung diseases. Lung exercises, breathing exercises and rehabilitation measures can significantly improve the function of the patient's lungs. An important part of aftercare is also maintaining a balanced diet rich in vitamins, which in connection with sporting activities will lead to a significant improvement in lung function and the patient's quality of life.

You can do that yourself

The smoker's lung is also called COPD. Recent studies have shown that those affected usually assess their clinical picture more optimistically than would be appropriate and therefore show too little initiative in the treatment.

Quitting smoking is essential in this disease. However, since it can also be triggered by fine dust and other air pollution, these sources of danger must also be avoided. This may mean that the patient should find another job or move to the countryside.

Quitting smoking may lead to obesity and stress in those affected. Dietary measures and relaxation techniques of all kinds are recommended here. An extremely effective and at the same time very easy to learn technique is progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson. Yoga mediations with simultaneous breathing exercises are also highly recommended.

Pneumonia is a dreaded complication of a smoker's lung. It usually arises from a previous bacterial infection. To avoid them, the patient should avoid sources of infection and at the same time strengthen his immune system. That means he should strive for and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It comprises several components: little to no alcohol consumption, as much exercise and fresh air as possible, plus a low-fat and low-sugar diet. The patient should also ensure adequate rest and sleep.