By Dr Maria Alice
Breathing is the process that moves air in and out of the lungs. Breathing is the only process that delivers oxygen to where it is needed in the body and removes carbon dioxide that is the toxic waste from the oxygen used by the cells.
Breathing is the way the human body acquires oxygen; without breathing there is no oxygen for the body cells and without oxygen the body cells cannot work or live. As a consequence the body formed by those cell units cannot go on living.
People from ancient times commonly linked the breath to a life force. The Bible refers to God breathing the breath of life into clay to make Adam a living soul. It also refers to the breath as returning to God when a mortal dies.
A life-threatening disease
Nevertheless, normal breathing can be seriously threatened by several causes, resulting in a lung ailment called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that is characterised by a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs. It is an under-diagnosed lung disease that interferes with normal breathing and is not fully reversible. The more familiar terms of chronic bronchitis and emphysema are now included within the COPD diagnosis.
Although it is not so widely recognised nor diagnosed early, COPD kills on average one person every 10 seconds.
The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, or a âneed for airâ, excessive sputum production, and a chronic cough. Daily activities, such as walking up a short flight of stairs or carrying a suitcase, can become very difficult as the condition gradually worsens.
Total deaths from COPD are projected to increase in the next 20 years, making it the third leading cause of death in the world unless urgent action is taken to reduce underlying risk factors, especially tobacco use and air pollution.
âą The primary cause of COPD is tobacco smoke (through tobacco use or second-hand smoke).
âą Other risk factors include air pollution, occupational dust and chemicals (vapors, irritants, and fumes) and frequent lower respiratory infections during childhood
âą The disease now affects men and women almost equally, due in part to increased tobacco use among women in high-income countries.
âą COPD is preventable, but not curable. Treatment can help slow disease progression, but COPD generally worsens slowly over time.
âą Total deaths from COPD are projected to increase by more than 30% in the next 10 years unless urgent action is taken to reduce underlying risk factors, especially tobacco use.
Tobacco is a major killer
Tobacco use is a major cause of many of the worldâs top killer diseases, including cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease and lung cancer. In total, tobacco use is responsible for the death of almost one in 10 adults worldwide. Smoking is often the hidden cause of the disease recorded as responsible for death.
Mayo Clinic states: âCigarette smoking is now recognised as the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the United Statesâ.
And the rest of the world is no different.
Did you know that it is generally considered that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is roughly equivalent to smoking one cigarette per day?
There is one very important point that sparkles and shines in the middle of discussing the problem of passive smoking: the problem is active smoking!
Tobacco related diseases are, without doubt, the single most important cause of preventable diseases in the world.
Another important fact is that all tobacco products contain a highly addictive psychoactive ingredient, nicotine.
If you smoke and have not considered that you must stop, you are nothing less than a âdrug addictâ, acting on a total dependency of the drug, something which is unfortunately a legally and socially accepted, extremely dangerous killer drug.
Human beings are (in theory) rational and free. Free to decide if they want to suffer, be incapacitated and die earlier.
Many choose that what they want is to poison their organism into a horrific slow struggle until they stop breathing ⊠and disappear into a cloud⊠of smoke.
Is this rational? I do not understand. Is this a scary, threatening article? No: it is a WARNING!
Feel free to follow it … or notâŠ
Best health wishes,
Dr. Maria Alice
||features@algarveresident.com
Dr Maria Alice is a consultant in General and Family Medicine. General Manager/Medical Director â Luzdoc International Medical Service. Medical Director â Grupo Hospital Particular do Algarve
