Is there a role for smoking cessation in the treatment of COPD?

  A large number of epidemiological studies at home and abroad show that about 15-20% of smokers suffer from slow-onset lung, and the rate of smokers suffering from slow-onset lung is three to five times higher than that of nonsmokers. The more you smoke, the longer you smoke, the deeper you breathe tobacco smoke into your airways, and the earlier you start smoking, the greater your risk of developing LDP. The World Health Organization has announced that 75% of the deaths of men under the age of 65 in the Western industrialized countries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are due to smoking. Domestic surveys show that 60% of men with COPD are caused by smoking.  Tobacco is the number one cause of COPD. 25% of smokers will develop this disease. The harmful gases inhaled by smokers directly cause inflammation of the respiratory tract and lungs. These particulate, harmful chemicals clog the lungs, causing the patient’s airways to loosen and sag and the alveoli to swell and become fatigued. The alveolar walls between the alveoli are damaged, while the path of airflow is altered as a result, the airways may become irritated, cells produce more mucus, and residual air is more difficult to expel. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the number of acute exacerbations and hospitalizations increases significantly if smoking continues. Some studies have shown that of all the treatments available for slow-onset lung only smoking cessation and oxygen therapy can prolong survival time.  There are more ways to quit smoking: to keep the promise of quitting with one’s own perseverance and avoid the lure of cigarettes: to divert oneself from the desire for cigarettes with other activities (such as exercise, deep breathing, walking, etc.); to choose medication to quit smoking, etc. No matter which method you use, persevere to the end and defeat yourself, that is victory!