Lungs and Smoking

Lung Damage of Smoking

So what does smoking actually do to your lungs? I've chosen specifically to look at the lungs as these organs face the full brunt and effect of tobacco smoke. They are the organ that is in direct contact with concentrated smoke every time the smoker draws on a cigarette. Other parts of the body are also in direct contact such as the mouth, nasal cavity and throat. But the lungs are unique for two reasons. Firstly, the surface area of the lung is vast. It is estimated that the surface area of the average lung is about 160 square meters. This is equivalent to the area of a single tennis court. The large surface area of the lung is a consequence of millions of small sacs, called alveoli. Therefore, cigarette smoke can wreak direct damage to a large area of the body during a single inhale. The large surface area is designed to enable the efficient intake of oxygen, which is essential for life and for the exhalation of the waste product of metabolism, carbon dioxide. These moisture rich alveoli are designed to allow efficient gas exchange.

Tar in Lungs is Not Good

Secondly, by virture of their design, they are also efficient at absorbing the myriad of toxins, chemicals and of course nicotine directly into the blood stream. From there, these chemicals are pumped directly to every organ and tissue in the body where they can wreak cellular damage. A third consideration relates to the nature of tobacco smoke itself. Not all chemicals are absorbed through the lungs and continue elsewhere, some coalesce and stay put. Tar coats lung tissues and tar contains nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are potent cancer causing chemicals and have been directly linked to lung cancer. The sticky nature of tar means that it is hard to remove and therefore it stays put with its associated cocktail of nasty chemicals directly in contact with delicate lung tissue. This layer increases with time as the smoker continues to smoke and adds, by accretion, to this sticky poisonous sludge.

Cilia Black

And lastly, tobacco smoke destroys cilia. Cilia are fine hair like projections that line the upper respiratory tract. Normally they are responsible for wafting out mucous containing contaminants from the respiratory system. They act as the lungs 'house cleaners'. Of course smoking prevents this cleaning process resulting in the accumulation of stuff, not only stuff produced by smoking, but also naturally occurring contaminants such as pollen and dust particles; this gunk slowly accumulates. Not only is the risk of lung cancer increased, but the toxins present trigger other respiratory conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Wonderful Lungs

The lungs are marvellous organs and are remarkably resilient to environmental assault. There are designed that way. They are exposed to a wide range of naturally occurring particles that enter the lung every day. Under normal conditions they cope and expel these contaminants very efficiently. However, the additional assault caused by smoking, over a long period, is a recipe for lung disease and death.