May 31st is "World No Tobacco Day", highlighting the existence of lung lesions induced by tobacco compared to ordinary respiratory diseases.
What are the hidden dangers and high risks? Is e-cigarette really harmless?
Addressing these hot-button issues of public concern, Dr. Dong Wen, Vice President and Director of Respiratory Medicine at Hainan Cancer Hospital, unveiled the truth about how tobacco "erodes" human health, drawing on local geographical characteristics and clinical cases in Hainan.
Without fever or cough, how could lung cancer be detected?
Tobacco hazards are "hidden"
Many people become alert and seek medical attention when they have a cold due to coughing, expectoration, fever, and even chest tightness. However, Dr. Dong Wen pointed out that the lung damage caused by tobacco follows a completely opposite path, acting like a "silent killer".
"Tobacco contains nicotine, tar, and even thousands of harmful gases, which silently and magnetically 'erode' our airway mucosa and pulmonary alveoli." Dr. Dong Wen emphasized that long-term smoking leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of the respiratory tract and lungs. Even during allergy season, long-time smokers may not experience discomfort, easily overlooking the chronic damage already present in their lungs.
The harm caused by tobacco is highly insidious: even if smokers do not experience any obvious physical discomfort, microscopic lesions in the lungs may continue to progress. By the time clinical symptoms appear, the lungs have often undergone organic lesions, and some may already be indicative of lung cancer.
Irreversible "dose-cumulative effect":
Every time you smoke, you are damaging cells
Unlike the common cold, where the lungs can recover to normal after healing, the damage caused by tobacco is irreversible and cumulative. Dr. Dong Wen stated that smoking is not a simple repetition of "harming once, smoking once", but rather, every inhalation causes damage at the cellular and genetic levels. This is a process of chronic change: from chronic airway inflammation, to mucosal hyperplasia, to atypical hyperplasia, and ultimately, it may evolve into carcinoma in situ or even invasive carcinoma.
"Lung cancer does not develop overnight. It must be a process where chronic stimulation gradually increases the probability of malignant cells," Dr. Dong Wen concluded. Common respiratory diseases are acute, reversible, and controllable, while tobacco damage is chronic, silent, irreversible, and carries a high risk of carcinogenesis.
The trend of youthification and the phenomenon of "Dad Tea" in Hainan:
Humidity and smoke exacerbate lung damage
In addition, Dr. Dong Wen specifically mentioned the trend of lung cancer affecting younger people. Although people in their fifties and sixties are still at high risk of lung cancer, there has been a significant increase in young patients in their thirties and forties who have been diagnosed with pulmonary nodules or early-stage lung cancer in recent years. This is not only related to the improvement of screening technology, but also closely related to the high pressure of life, long-term stay up late, and exposure to cigarettes among young people.
In light of Hainan's local characteristics, Dr. Dong Wen highlighted two major hidden dangers: Firstly, under the "Dad's tea" culture, smoking in groups has become a common social activity, leading to a large number of people exposed to second-hand smoke, and a general lack of safety awareness among the population. Secondly, Hainan is hot and humid, and people spend long periods in air-conditioned rooms, where second-hand smoke cannot dissipate. The combination of a humid environment and tobacco irritation makes it easier for chronic respiratory inflammation to develop.
E-cigarettes are not just "water vapor"!
It also contains nicotine and metal particles
With the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people, many people mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes are just "harmless water vapor" and even regard them as smoking cessation products. In response, Dr. Dong Wen refuted the rumor: "This is a huge misunderstanding!"
Dr. Dong Wen pointed out that electronic cigarettes are essentially the same as traditional cigarettes: both contain nicotine and are addictive. Although electronic cigarettes do not contain tar, they are added with atomizers, essences, and metal particles. These substances, when inhaled into the lungs, can also cause cellular lesions and increase the risk of cancer.
Some electronic cigarettes produce specific fragrances, and inhaling these chemical components can cause severe lung diseases such as bronchiolitis obliterans. "Electronic cigarettes are not harmless, nor are they smoking cessation products. They are also invisible killers of the lungs."
Does abruptly quitting smoking harm the body?
This is the withdrawal reaction of "pseudoscience"
Many long-time smokers often say, "After smoking for decades, suddenly quitting can actually harm the body." Dr. Dong Wen bluntly points out that this is a pseudo-scientific prejudice.
The origin of this viewpoint lies in the fact that some individuals may experience irritability, insomnia, or changes in appetite during the initial stages of quitting smoking, which is actually known as withdrawal syndrome. As long as one can endure for two to three weeks, the craving for cigarettes and discomfort symptoms will gradually subside. Lung damage will slowly repair after the cessation of inhaling carcinogens. The earlier one quits smoking, the lower the risk of lung cancer.
"Research shows that after 18 years of quitting smoking, the probability of developing lung cancer is similar to that of non-smokers." Dr. Dong Wen emphasized that there is no safe dosage for smoking, and even smoking one or two cigarettes per day can cause varying degrees of damage. Low risk does not mean zero risk.
Screening Guidelines for High-Risk Populations:
Individuals aged 40 and above should undergo low-dose CT screening annually
For high-risk individuals who have a history of long-term smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, they should undergo a low-dose CT scan of the lungs annually once they reach the age of 40, rather than a regular chest X-ray.
Low-dose CT plays a crucial role in the detection of early-stage cancer.
"Guidance" and "Relief" in Hospital Management:
Smoking control requires the participation of all members
As a hospital administrator, Dr. Dong Wen shared the experience of building a smoke-free hospital. In addition to achieving full coverage of no-smoking signs, the hospital adopts a strategy of "guidance first, punishment second".
Set up smoking areas in specific areas such as the inpatient department canteen; assign responsibility for any discovered cigarette butts to the department head and head nurse, and link it with performance evaluation to encourage full participation.
Dr. Dong Wen once again issued an appeal: prevention is more important than treatment when it comes to tobacco hazards. Quit smoking as soon as possible, and your lungs can start to repair early. On this World No Tobacco Day, for the sake of your own and your family's health, why not take the initiative to stub out the cigarette in your hand.
Expert Introduction
Dong Wen
Vice President
Deputy Director of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Hainan Province
Director of GCP institution
Director of Respiratory Medicine/Lung Tumor Endoscopy and Diagnosis Department
Chief Physician, Doctor of Medicine
Hainan Province's Category D Talents
Master's supervisor
Medical expertise
For over two decades in medicine, I have dedicated myself to respiratory interventional therapy and the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of lung tumors. As a leading talent in minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of respiratory tumors in Hainan Province, I have made significant professional achievements:
I. Taking the lead in establishing a four-tier interventional diagnosis and treatment technology system under bronchoscopy, encompassing a series of highly challenging technical procedures such as balloon dilation, airway stent implantation, and photodynamic therapy;
II. take the lead in carrying out CT-guided percutaneous lung tumor seed implantation and radiofrequency ablation, and promote the implementation of minimally invasive treatment in local clinical practice in Hainan;
III. pioneered the development of painless bronchoscopy and treatment, benefiting over 3,000 patients;
IV. we have innovatively developed multiple tracheal stent implantation techniques, providing patients with a new opportunity for treatment.
Clinic Hours
Tuesday morning, Thursday morning
This article is republished from "ifeng.com"