How does the coronavirus affect smokers?

 7 QUESTION 7 ANSWER |  How does the coronavirus affect smokers?

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The coronavirus, which affects the whole world, is more severe in smokers. In this life-threatening process of the Covid-19 epidemic, experts frequently call for quitting smoking. Chest Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Aslı Görek Dilektaşlı made important warnings about the issue.

The World Health Organization, in order to raise public awareness about the harms of smoking, took February 9 to the World.Quitting SmokingHe declared the day . 

Green Crescent, to draw attention to today "Coronavirus cigaret It invites smokers to quit smoking with the message "loves the smoker".

On this important day, which is seen as the beginning of a new life, Assoc. Dr. Aslı Görek Dilektaşlı, non-coronavirusanswers to curious questions about the relationship of the Time.com 'to give.

Is it extra important to quit smoking during the epidemic?

As we all know today, the use of any type of tobacco product directly increases the risk of loss of life due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Covid-19 directly damages both the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. Therefore, these diseases that develop due to tobacco use are direct risk factors for severe Covid-19 disease.

Smoking causes many respiratory diseases such as COPD and lung cancer. On the other hand, tobacco smoke facilitates the development of lower respiratory tract infection by blocking the protective mechanisms in our respiratory tract. Therefore, tobacco use is an important risk factor for Covid-19. Tobacco use and smoking lead to an increased risk of respiratory tract infections by weakening immunity through different mechanisms. In smokers, Covid-19 has been identified as a clear risk factor for severe disease, respirator attachment and death. Therefore, the use of cigarettes and all tobacco products should be abandoned quickly.

COVID-19 SOMEONE PASSING SHOULD NEVER USE TOBACCO PRODUCT

So, what are the consequences if people who survive coronavirus continue to smoke?

Tobacco contains many chemicals that damage the lungs and respiratory tract. Covid-19 also causes tissue damage in many organs, especially the lung. Smoking during or after Covid-19 means fueling the fire. Significant losses in respiratory functions are observed in these individuals. 

Could Covid-19 cause permanent damage to the lungs, what does the research say about this?

Observations and researches accumulated over the world for more than a year show that Covid-19 can cause permanent damage to the lungs. After the disease is over, shortness of breath, weakness, muscle weakness and limitation in daily life activities may develop. Significant losses are observed in the respiratory functions of these individuals. In addition, our clinical observations show that permanent structural changes that we call lung stiffening (fibrosis) can develop in parallel with the medical literature. At this point, smoking is a known risk factor for lung fibrosis diseases for years. There are many patients who are followed up with post-Covid-19 sequels (sequelae: tissue or dysfunction remaining after a disease), which we call post-covid.

SYMPTOMS ARE MORE HEAVY IN SMOKERS

There are claims that smokers have a lower risk of getting coronavirus. What would you wish to mention regarding this?

Coronaviruses can infect the human cell by binding to a cell surface switch known as the ACE2 receptor located on the cell surface. Contrary to these claims, there are more ACE2 receptors, which we call the key for coronavirus, in individuals who smoke.PandemicThe information, observation and research results accumulated all over the world since its inception have shown that the risk of progression and severe disease development of Covid-19 in smokers is 2.2 to 2.4 times higher. Another meta-analysis conducted by scientists in our country by compiling world data revealed that symptoms are more severe in smokers. Considering the data of our country, in the large-scale observational recording study in which the Turkish Thoracic Society compiled data from many centers in our country, it was found that the risk of Covid-19 death increased by 3.77 times with active smoking .

Did the coronavirus epidemic increase the motivation to quit smoking?

During the coronavirus epidemic, a strong health anxiety developed in humans. This thought created an important driving force in terms of quitting cigarettes and tobacco products. However, during this period, a small proportion of individuals who used tobacco products were able to stop using tobacco products. During this period, situations such as isolation, restriction of closure, fear of job loss, fear in the face of a serious and fatal disease threat were faced as factors that increased tobacco use. The tobacco industry has been one of the few industries that can increase its profitability even at this time when the world economy is severely shaken.

YOU CAN MEET YOUR HEALTH STEP BY STEP

What happens within the body when you quit smoking? What are the health gains of the person who quit smoking?

Within minutes after quitting smoking, positive changes begin in the body. After quitting, heart rate decreases in the 20th minute and blood pressure starts to decrease to normal. At the 12th hour, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases and returns to normal. On the 2nd day, the sense of smell and taste comes back. In the 1st month, respiratory functions begin to improve. In the 9th month, hairy structures on the lung cells that help to clean the windpipes begin to work again. In the 1st year, the risk of heart attack is halved. In the 5th year, arteries begin to return to their normal diameters again. In the 10th year, the risk of mouth, trachea and pancreatic cancer is very low, and the risk of lung cancer is halved. In the 20th year, the risk of lung diseases and cancer decreases to the level of a person who has never smoked in his life.

What to do after quitting smoking?

Different degrees of nicotine addiction are present in all individuals using tobacco products. Nicotine addiction is a chronic disease with recurrences and relapses. People think that by controlling themselves, they can limit their use to only a few pieces a day, thinking that they will not consume as much as before. However, this is not possible for nicotine addiction, which is a very strong addiction. Moreover, smoking 1 cigarette a day for 30 days is considered as cigarette addiction. For this reason, a person who quits a cigarette or tobacco product should never use a tobacco product again. Otherwise, the old dependency level is reached quickly.