Lung Cancer and Smoking

The number one cause of Lung Cancer is smoking. Though non-smokers can develop Lung Cancer, smoking causes 90% of all Lung Cancer cases. What is more shocking than those staggering statistics is the thought that all of those Lung Cancer cases were preventable.

A Carcinogen is an agent that causes cancer, and cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are known Carcinogens. It is because of the smoking addiction in our country, that Lung Cancer is the leading cause of all cancer deaths in both males and females.

Cigarette smoke contains Nicotine, the drug that causes a person to become addicted to smoking) but it contains many other toxic and poisonous chemicals and gases. Some of the most dangerous chemicals included in cigarettes that contribute to Lung Cancer include: Nicotine, Carbon Monoxide, Benzo Pyrene, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Toulene, Hydrogen Cyanide, Ammonia, Acetic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide, Butyric Acid, and more.

Studies show that those who have smoked for a greater length of time, and more frequently than others are at a greater risk for developing Lung Cancer. Lung Cancer forms when the cells of the Lungs and surrounding areas, (such as the Bronchial and chest region) begin to divide at an abnormal rate or with variations from their normal genetic code. Once these cells replicate, they form an excess of cells, creating a tumor. They may also enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. The more cigarette smoke that you inhale and bring to the lungs, the greater damage you inflict upon the Lung cells. Cigarette smoking isn’t the only form of smoking that increases your risk of developing Lung Cancer. Both cigar and pipe smoking is equally harmful and destructive.

Not only is smoking by an individual destructive to the lungs and a risk for developing Lung Cancer, but also passive exposure to second hand smoke is equally as dangerous. Infants and children are especially susceptible to the ill effects of second hand smoke, and children who are raised in homes where cigarette smoke is present are at a greater risk for developing eye, nose, and throat irritations. Smoking by pregnant women is also devastating to the unborn fetus. For fetuses, studies have shown that there is a relationship between smoking and birth defects such as cleft lip. Women who smoke also have lower birth rate babies, and there is a greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in babies that were born to mothers who smoked while pregnant.

Children who grow up in homes where one or both parents smoke suffer from respiratory illnesses at a greater rate than their non-smoking counterparts. These children offer suffer from asthma, sinus infections, chronic coughing, sore throats, ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. In fact, children who are raised in homes where their parents smoke are twice as likely to be hospitalized for respiratory illnesses than children raised in non-smoking homes.

If you smoke, then you should quit immediately. There are a number of different treatments available to help you break this addiction, before it is too late. Fortunately, once you quit, your lungs begin to heal themselves from the damage caused by smoking and you will significantly lower your risk of developing Lung Cancer.

Find out more about the relationship between smoking and lung cancer with a medical dictionary. You can research smoking cessation, cancer or any health issue form birth control to acne treatment. The internet is a great resource for getting health information.

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