Chronic bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is the production of excess mucus in our lungs and causes problems in absorbing oxygen. The excess mucus impairs breathing and is usually associated with constant coughing, which is a natural mechanism that removes foreign particles and irritants from our lungs.1
Healthy lungs have a natural cleaning process that removes the dust and smoke and other foreign particles that are part of the air, allowing us to breathe normally.
Tobacco smoke contains many harmful chemicals, and the smoke itself limits our lungs’ natural filtering/cleaning system. Cigarette smoke also contains substances that directly damage the lung tissue.2 Smoking irritates the bronchial tubes in the lungs which in turn results in the production of more mucus. Smokers’ cough, as it is commonly known, is a sign that the lungs are trying to clean themselves.
Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke destroys the structure of our lungs, reducing their capacity to absorb oxygen. At the same time, the tiny airways which transfer oxygen from the lungs to the blood vessels are destroyed, resulting in less oxygen getting into the bloodstream.3
Cigarettes leave you breathless. The symptoms of chronic bronchitis are a constant cough and excess phlegm. There is also a higher incidence of throat and lung infections. People with chronic bronchitis are more susceptible to both lung and heart failure.
Unless treated, the disease will become progressively worse. Quitting smoking will stop the build-up of excess mucus and phlegm. After quitting, smokers will find that they cough more than when they smoked, but this is due to the cleaning mechanism working to clear out the accumulated smoke-related mucus and phlegm. This is only temporary.
Source and Full Article: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/tobac-tabac/body-corps/disease-maladie/bronchit-eng.php
Tags: bronchial tubes, Chronic bronchitis, cigarette smoke bronchitis, lung cleaning system, mucus lungs, smoking and mucus