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There is no doubt that long-term smoking brings health harm, especially to the lungs.
Many old smokers often think that coughing, chest tightness and other discomforts are just the "normal" of smoking, but these seemingly ordinary symptoms may have a huge risk of lung cancer lurking behind them.
People who smoke for a long time are most afraid of these 4 abnormalities! If these early warnings are ignored and opportunities for early intervention are missed, they may face irreversible consequences. Next, this article will explain in detail some issues in combination with case studies.
The cautionary tale of the old smoking gun
Daniel Zhang (not his real name) is a 48-year-old project manager for a small construction company. He has a hectic pace of life, and every day he is greeted with tedious tasks such as project progress, site management, and customer communication.
In his busy life, the only thing that makes him feel "relaxed" is smoking. This habit has been with him for nearly thirty years.
Daniel Zhang's first exposure to cigarettes was in high school. At that time, he followed a group of friends to secretly light a cigarette in the back alley of the school, as if a symbol of "maturity".
At that time, many people thought that smoking was a sign of adulthood, and not many people were aware of the dangers.
In the first few years, Daniel Zhang felt that tobacco was a good helper to refresh people, especially when working overtime at night, a cigarette seemed to dispel all fatigue.
After graduating, he successfully found a job, and cigarettes gradually became an integral part of his life.
A few years later, Daniel Zhang entered the construction industry and gradually rose to a management position. This industry is destined for him to run between the construction site and the office all year round, and as soon as there are many things, the mental pressure increases, and the cigarettes are smoked more frequently.
Every time he stood on the construction site, Daniel Zhang would habitually take out a lighter and a cigarette from his trouser pocket, light it and slowly smoke it while supervising the construction of the workers.
As time went on, he gradually stopped smoking and lit one almost every hour.
But for Daniel Zhang, the "benefits" of smoking are becoming more and more obvious. Especially during stressful times, a cigarette can help him concentrate and calm down in a short period of time.
However, this life of dependence on cigarettes has finally buried hidden dangers for his health.
One day, Daniel Zhang, as usual, took a few employees to check the progress on the construction site.
Workers were busy pouring the foundation, and the smell of concrete mixed with dust wafted into the air.
Daniel Zhang stood on the edge of the construction site, holding a freshly lit cigarette in his hand. He took a deep breath, and the smoke slowly exhaled from his nose and drifted through the air.
However, at this moment, he suddenly felt a slight tightness in his chest.
The sensation came suddenly, as if an invisible hand was pressed against his chest. He frowned, thinking that it might be due to being too busy at work and not resting enough lately.
He didn't think much of it, just extinguished the cigarette in his hand on the brick under his feet, and went on with the task at hand.
After a few days, Daniel Zhang noticed that the feeling of tightness in his chest became more frequent, especially when he got up in the morning, and there was always a heavy feeling of pressure in his chest.
Whenever he tried to breathe heavily, there was a dull pain in his chest. Along with this discomfort comes a dry cough.
At first, he thought it was caused by dust from the construction site or poor air quality, after all, working in such a dusty environment, it is inevitable that there will be some problems with the respiratory system.
So he just drank more water, thinking that in a few days the symptoms would go away on their own.
However, the situation is not getting better. Daniel Zhang's cough became more and more severe, especially in the morning.
Seeing this, his wife frowned tightly and asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital for a check-up, but Daniel Zhang just waved his hand, "Small problem, no need to make a fuss." ”
Soon after, after a dinner party, Daniel Zhang suddenly felt a dry throat and began to cough constantly.
This time the cough was unusually violent, accompanied by dark yellow phlegm gushing out of the throat. When he picked up a tissue and wiped it, he was surprised to find that there was a bright red streak of blood in the sputum.
The scene stunned him, and he paused for a few seconds, then casually crumpled the tissue into a ball and threw it into the trash. Although he saw blood, he still didn't want to admit that he might have a serious problem.
But since then, every few days, he coughs up bloodshot phlegm again.
The situation is getting worse and worse, and Daniel Zhang often feels breathless when he is on the construction site, and sometimes he feels out of breath even when he stands to direct the workers. Coupled with the ever-increasing cough, his physical condition deteriorated significantly.
On the construction site, Daniel Zhang had no intention of working, so he had to put down his affairs and find time to go to a nearby clinic.
He sat in the waiting area of the clinic, subconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket, and when he was about to light it, he hesitated when he saw the "No Smoking" sign on the wall of the clinic, and finally put the cigarette back.
After a brief examination of Daniel Zhang, the doctor recommended that he go to a major hospital for further lung imaging tests. Daniel Zhang then realized that the situation might be much more serious than he expected.
A few days later, he went to the doctor with the results of the examination, and the doctor told him heavily, that the preliminary diagnosis showed an abnormal shadow in the lungs, which was suspected to be a tumor.
Subsequently, Daniel Zhang was transferred to a major hospital in the city for further examination, and was finally diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
He sat in the corridor of the hospital, listening to the doctor's detailed explanation, and his body seemed to be hollowed out.
Looking back on the past few years, Daniel Zhang can no longer count how many cigarettes he smoked, and the "relief" and "enjoyment" brought to him by those cigarettes have now become his biggest regret.
The relationship between the etiology of lung cancer and smoking
The occurrence of lung cancer is related to a variety of factors, among which smoking is the most significant carcinogenic factor.
According to statistics, about 85%-90% of lung cancer cases are directly related to smoking. Tobacco contains thousands of chemicals, of which at least 69 are considered carcinogenic, including benzopyrene, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, and more.
These chemicals enter the respiratory tract through smoking and accumulate in the lungs for a long time, destroying the normal structure of the cells of the respiratory mucosa, leading to cell mutations that may eventually develop into cancer cells.
Long-term smokers experience an inflammatory response in their lungs, and the epithelial cells of the trachea and bronchi are constantly stimulated by toxins in the smoke, which increases the chances of DNA damage.
If this damage continues unrepaired, normal lung cells can become cancerous.
In addition, smoking suppresses the immune system, making it difficult for the body to effectively remove damaged or mutated cells, further increasing the risk of cancer.
In addition to active smoking, secondhand smoke has also been shown to be an important factor in lung cancer.
Non-smokers who are exposed to smoking for a long time also have an increased risk of lung cancer due to passive inhalation of harmful substances in smoke. Therefore, smoking not only poses a threat to the smoker itself, but also has serious health effects on those around him.
4 abnormalities require medical attention
Smokers may ignore some of the early body signals and by the time the symptoms become apparent, the condition is often already very serious.
Here are four of the most feared physical abnormalities for long-term smokers, which, when present, may indicate lung disease or lung cancer.
1. Persistent cough and gradually worsening
One of the most common symptoms in long-term smokers is coughing, which many consider to be the "norm" for smokers because smoking itself irritates the airways, resulting in a dry or phlegm cough.
However, smokers need to be especially aware that when the cough becomes persistent and frequent, especially if the cough is worse, difficult to control, or accompanied by other abnormal symptoms, it can mean that there is a serious problem with the lungs.
Persistent cough, especially if you don't smoke or reduce your smoking, may be a sign of long-term damage to lung tissue.
Many smokers in the early stages of lung cancer often ignore this signal and think that coughing is just a normal reaction to smoking.
However, when the cough becomes stubborn and frequent, especially at night or in the morning, the symptoms are more pronounced and accompanied by sputum, which may indicate that the lungs are already showing signs of cancer.
The early stages of lung cancer often manifest as an unexplained, persistent cough, so smokers should not take the cough lightly as a "normal reaction".
It is important to be wary of blood-streaked sputum when coughing, which is often caused by damage to blood vessels in the lungs or ruptured tumour. This phenomenon is especially dangerous for long-term smokers, as it can be an early sign of lung cancer.
2. Dyspnea and chest tightness
The harmful substances of smoking can directly affect lung function, leading to long-term damage to the trachea and lungs, which in turn can lead to lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
When the lungs gradually lose their normal function, smokers begin to feel breathless and may feel out of breath even during light daily activities.
At first, smokers may feel that this is a normal part of fatigue or aging, but in reality, it can be an early sign of lung lesions.
In smokers, dyspnea is often accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the chest. Chest tightness is caused by the gradual loss of elasticity of the lungs, which prevents air from entering and exiting the lungs smoothly, resulting in increased pressure in the chest cavity and difficulty in both inhaling and exhaling.
As lung damage worsens, smokers may find that even a few minutes of walking on flat ground or doing light household chores can feel out of breath.
This difficulty in breathing is not a temporary physical discomfort, but a manifestation of long-term damage to the lungs.
In patients with lung cancer, when the disease progresses to a certain stage, the tumor may block the airway, causing the airway to narrow, which in turn can cause severe breathing difficulties.
In some cases, the tumor can compress the blood vessels and nerves in the chest or lungs, causing intense chest tightness and painful breathing. If this happens to a long-term smoker, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible to determine the health of the lungs.
3. Rapid weight loss for unknown reasons
Unexplained weight loss is also one of the early warning signs of lung cancer.
Many smokers may not realize that when a tumour appears in one part of the body, the cancer cells can quickly consume the body's nutrients, causing a drastic weight loss.
This weight loss usually occurs very quickly, and in just a few months, smokers may lose a significant amount of weight without engaging in any special diet or exercise.
Weight loss is often accompanied by symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, etc., which can be easily confused with other health problems.
Therefore, long-term smokers who find that they have lost weight dramatically without changing their lifestyle habits, accompanied by the above-mentioned respiratory symptoms, should pay enough attention.
Weight loss due to lung cancer is usually due to the rapid growth and spread of cancer cells, which consume a lot of the body's energy and nutrients.
In addition, the immune system of cancer patients is also suppressed, and the body is unable to fight the invasion of lesions and cancer cells, resulting in decreased physical strength and weight loss.
This condition is especially common in smokers, as long-term smoking weakens the body's immune function, making the body more vulnerable to cancer.
4. Coughing up blood or sputum with blood streaks
For long-term smokers, coughing up blood or streaks of blood in the sputum is one of the most frightening signs.
Coughing up blood is usually caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the lungs or a tumor that erodes a blood vessel.
While coughing up blood may be due to other causes (such as bronchitis or bronchitis) in some cases, for smokers, this is often an early symptom of lung cancer or serious lung disease.
The smoker's respiratory tract is exposed to the harmful substances of the smoke for many years, and the trachea and alveoli are severely damaged.
When these injuries evolve into tumors, the tumors continue to erode surrounding tissues and blood vessels, eventually leading to bleeding.
These bleeds are mixed in the sputum to form blood-streaked sputum. Especially in the morning or when the cough is intense, the appearance of blood streaks in the coughed up sputum is an extremely dangerous sign.
Coughing up blood may indicate that the lung cancer has entered a more serious stage, and the tumor gradually expands in the lungs, compressing and destroying the blood vessels and surrounding tissues in the lungs.
Therefore, once smokers have bloodshot sputum, they must immediately seek medical attention for a comprehensive examination. This is not just a sign of a small damage to the respiratory tract, but it may also mean that the tumor in the lungs has begun to spread and worsen.
summary
The scary thing about lung cancer is its insidious and high mortality rate, especially for long-term smokers, and this risk is multiplied exponentially.
The harm caused by smoking is not only the direct damage to the lungs, but can also lead to a range of serious health problems.
Symptoms such as persistent coughing, difficulty breathing, sudden weight loss, and coughing up blood are often early signs of lung cancer, and once they appear, they may be facing a serious health threat.
Quitting smoking is the best way to prevent lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases, and regular check-ups and screenings are also important means to detect lesions in time.
Instead of waiting for the body to warn of pain, from now on, stay away from cigarettes and protect your health.
Information sources:
"People who smoke for a long time are most afraid of these 3 symptoms! If it does, it may not be far from lung cancer! "Dr. Chua's Health Talks
"People who smoke for a long time are most afraid of these 4 abnormalities! Once it appears, it may not be far from lung cancer" Tomato Health