Passive Smoking in Childhood Increases COPD Risk

Researchers and doctors all over the world constantly discuss smoking problems, including passive smoking or secondhand smoking problems. There is an incredible amount of information offered to people who fight the desire to light a cigarette, on a daily basis. But, as any drug, smoking is difficult to be forgotten, even with all the issues it brings.

SECONDHAND SMOKE IS DANGEROUS

Unfortunately, it seems that people not only risk their life with every cigarette they smoke, but also affect everybody else who is around. Everybody can be affected by secondhand smoke, or passive smoking.

However, children, teenagers and young adults who are not fully developed when it comes to their lung capacity, might suffer even more, risking various diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

WHAT IS COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is considered one of the most common causes of death in the world today and, it appears that most of the patients are active smokers. However, according to researchers, the pulmonary disease can affect everybody, not only people who smoke.

COPD is actually a group of diseases and conditions that affect the lungs through inflammatory responses. The inflammation appears along the bronchial tubes and creates difficulty in breathing.

This long-term chronic disease can be developed in different ways, so achieving normal growth in lung function in early adulthood is an important factor in terms of future risk.

The most common cause of COPD is smoking, since inhaling tobacco smoke for a long time destroys the lung tissues and irritates the airways. However, secondhand smokers seem to be in danger as well from passive smoking.

Passive Smoking in Childhood Increases COPD Risk - Clapway

RISKS OF PASSIVE SMOKING

According to a recent research, passive smoking increased the risk of stroke by 30/% in non-smoking people. In addition, researchers confirmed through a new study that passive smoking is responsible for increasing the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In accordance with the results published in the New England Journal of Medicine, lung capacity gets to a maximum capacity around the age of 20 to 30. If the development of lung function in childhood and adolescence is not optimal, there is a major risk of suffering from of COPD in older age.

This is why, achieving a normal growth of lung function is important. In order to do that, not smoking during the teenage years is mandatory. In addition, avoiding exposure to secondhand smoking is also desirable.


 

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