Breathe Easy Week – JUST SAY NO TO LUNG DISEASE!
As the world slowly eases out of lock down, we can look back and learn some vital lessons from this terrible period in our history. COVID-19 is a brutal, swift killer, and smokers are among the most vulnerable in terms of contracting serious complications when they contract the virus.
COVID-19 develops into a deadly form of pneumonia that destroys the airways of its victims. The speed at which the virus takes hold is unprecedented and even though it is affecting people of all ages, it is particularly deadly for people with underlying health conditions … and smokers.1
One of the most common respiratory illnesses that plagues smokers is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Anyone suffering from COPD, or any other respiratory illness, found themselves in the ‘most at risk’ group when facing COVID-19. Smoking weakens the respiratory system and places undue stress on body systems, which makes smokers more vulnerable to contracting respiratory infections. If you are a smoker, there has never been a more pressing reason to quit than right now.
Is it too late to quit smoking now that lock down is easing?
The answer is an unequivocal NO! it’s never too late to quit. The body begins to heal almost immediately and any gains that can be had right now need to be taken. The second you stop smoking; your body will begin to bounce back. In less than a week your blood oxygen level will improve, inflammation reduces, and blood pressure begins to respond positively.
Is switching to vaping a good choice?
Switching to vaping as a means of quitting smoking is proven to work and is also proven to be 95% less harmful to your body than smoking. Public Health England (PHE) found that while vaping is not entirely risk free, it is 95% less harmful than smoking, due mostly to the absence of smoke as the chemicals in e-liquids are heated, not burned.1
Why is vaping less harmful than smoking?
It’s all about the toxins. There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are toxic.
Here are just a few of the ingredients found in combustible tobacco products, aka cigarettes:3
Acetone—found in nail polish remover
Acetic acid—an ingredient in hair dye
Ammonia—a common household cleaner
Arsenic—used in rat poison
Benzene—found in rubber cement and gasoline
Butane—used in lighter fluid
Cadmium—active component in battery acid
Carbon monoxide—released in car exhaust fumes
Formaldehyde—embalming fluid
Hexamine—found in barbecue lighter fluid
Lead—used in batteries
Naphthalene—an ingredient in mothballs
Methanol—a main component in rocket fuel
Tar—material for paving roads
Toluene—used to manufacture paint
Many smokers incorrectly believe that it is the Nicotine that causes the health issues, but this is a myth.4 In fact, it is the tobacco, or more specifically, it’s the burning of tobacco and the related toxins released into the body and environment via the smoke.
Not only is smoking traditional cigarettes disastrous for your health, it has a serious impact on those around you. Secondary smoking related illnesses are common and, like smoking related illnesses, are preventable.2 Which means, that not only is smoking putting the smokers health at risk, it’s also compromising the health of those who are in close contact with the smoker.
CONCLUSION
We have never faced anything like the Coronavirus pandemic, and it has focused the entire world on reducing the impact on health services. Smoking costs the NHS billions every year, anything we can do to reduce that burden and save lives will always be worth it. Thinking that there is no point worrying about quitting smoking now as the crisis is over is just flat out wrong. Start now. We are a long way from seeing the demise of COVID-19, there is still no cure.
If you, or someone you know, wants to switch to vaping, but doesn’t know where to start please reach out. We will help.
#inthistogether
STAY SAFE OUT THERE.
References:
- ITN Interview, 18 March 2020, Head of Respiratory Medicine at Swansea University, Professor Keir Lewis
