The lungs are our lifeline to the world. Every cell in our body is dependent on oxygen for life and, except in rare cases, most people can’t go more than just a couple minutes without oxygen. So lets talk about the lungs and what is happening to them when a person smokes.
The respiratory mucosa is a membrane, covered with mucus, that lines the air distribution tubes in the respiratory system. This respiratory mucosa serves to purify the air we breathe from toxins, pollens, dust and bacteria that try to enter our body through our nose or mouth.
The respiratory mucosa produces over 120 mL of mucus daily which is pushed upwards, along with all the debris that it captures, out of the lungs and into the throat so that it can be swallowed and eliminated. This mechanism is called the muco-ciliary escalator. There are millions of these hair-like structures called cilia covering the epithelial cells in our respiratory tract and they move in only one direction, Up. I like to think of this like wheat blowing in the wind…. millions of stalks just pulsing in one direction. When someone smokes, however, these cilia become paralyzed and are unable to move the mucus and nasal debris upwards.
The mucus, along with all the dust, pollen, bacteria and the 4000 chemicals that you inhale from the cigarette sit and fester in your lungs instead of being cleaned out. The longer these irritants remain in your lungs, the better the chance they will be transferred to your blood and circulated throughout your body. The small particles that you breathe in from the cigarette itself even start to mold together to form a tar that coats your lungs. The damage to these cilia makes the smoker more prone to respiratory infections and less able to heal as quickly and efficiently as a non-smoker.
While the cilia are paralyzed rendering the muco-ciliary escalator “out of service”, mucus is still being produced and in addition to the daily average of 120 mL, the excess irritants in your lungs actually stimulate increased mucus production. As all this mucus builds up, with all these irritants in it, it begins to aggravate the respiratory tract and the person must cough in order to get the mucus to come up. Thus we have the “Smoker’s Cough”…. the one that sounds like the entire lung is going to be hacked up.
Don’t assume that its too late for you though because Cilia are able to regenerate when the environment is safe so if you quit smoking then you may have a chance to rebuild your cilia and regain semi-normal respiratory purification.
There are a few herbs that can be helpful either to reduce the amount of mucus produced or to help expel the mucus and irritants. Plantain can be used to reduce phlegm, dissolve mucus and inhibit bacterial growth and inflammation in the respiratory tract but should not be relied upon as a bandaid to the smokers cough. Most Expectorant herbs including Hyssop, Horehound and Thyme can also be helpful to expel the mucus.
– For Educational Purposes Only
– Not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition
-These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA
– These statements are my opinions and conclusion from the knowledge I have thus far
References:
1) Thibodeau & Patton, Structure and Function of the Body, 13th Edition, 2008, pgs. 364-365
2) http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/smokeinfo.html
Accessed: 03/25/09, Author: Center for Young Women’s Health Staff
3) http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-smoking-affect-the-cilia.htm
Accessed: 03/25/09, Author: Karyn Maier
4) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-smokers-cough.htm
Accessed: 03/25/09, Author: Tricia Ellis-Christensen
5) http://evenstaronline.com/articles/respiratoryease.html
Accessed: 03/25/09, Author: Mary Ann Copson
Wisdom That Heals 