Smoking and lung disease
Smoking and vaping can damage your lungs in more ways than one. Learn about the different lung diseases they can cause - and how quitting can help protect your health.
Emphysema
Inhaling tobacco smoke into your lungs can damage the tiny air sacs that transport oxygen into your bloodstream.
The air sacs become less elastic, which can make breathing difficult. You might find that even simple activities can make you breathless.
These symptoms can lead to the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as emphysema.
- Quitting smoking will have a positive effect on your health.
If you have emphysema, quitting smoking can:
Improve your breathing - Increase your overall quality of life
- Slow down the decline of lung function
- Reduce the likelihood of being hospitalised and dying prematurely
Other lung diseases
Smoking tobacco is a major cause of chronic bronchitis, the condition known as 'smoker's cough'. Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease causing shortness of breath and coughing, which can be triggered or made worse by tobacco smoke. Other lung diseases caused by tobacco smoke include interstitial lung disease (IDL), an exaggerated form of bronchiolitis, and pulmonary histiocytosis X, a rare lung cancer linked to smoking.
Create a personalised Quit plan that will support you while you quit.