Q: What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
A: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term condition that makes it harder to breathe. Each time you take a breath, air goes down your windpipe and into tubes in your lungs called airways. These tubes end in clusters of tiny, stretchy pouches called air sacs. The air sacs normally inflate when you breathe in and deflate when you breathe out. If you have COPD, however, less air gets through the airways for one or more of these reasons:
- The airways and air sacs aren't as stretchy as usual.
- The walls between many air sacs become destroyed.
- The walls of the airways become thick and swollen.
- The airways make too much mucus, which clogs them.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Although COPD has no cure, medical treatment and self-care can improve the symptoms and slow the condition's progress.
Q: I'm a smoker; I also have COPD. I want to quit smoking, but I'm worried about nicotine withdrawal. How long will it last?
A: If you're a smoker with COPD, quitting smoking is the one of the most helpful things you can do for your health. One of the biggest hurdles you'll face is nicotine cravings — intense urges to smoke. Cravings usually begin within an hour or two after you stub out your last cigarette, and they build to a peak over the next several days. Luckily, after that, cravings grow weaker and further apart. Occasional, mild cravings may last for up to six months. Eventually, they'll fade away.
Q: Quitting smoking has long-term benefits, such as cutting lung cancer risk, but are there any short-term benefits?
A: The health benefits begin the minute you put out your last cigarette.
After:
- 20 minutes: Your blood pressure and heart rate drop to normal.
- Eight hours: Levels of carbon monoxide in your blood drop, and your blood oxygen level returns to normal.
- 24 hours: Your risk of sudden heart attack, once higher than average, decreases.
- 48 hours: Damaged nerves repair themselves, restoring your sense of taste and smell.
- Two weeks to three months: Blood flow improves throughout your body. Your wounds heal more quickly. It's also easier to walk and breathe.
Down the line, quitting smoking significantly reduces your risk for heart disease, cancer and stroke. Ask the pharmacist at your Good Neighbor Pharmacy about smoking cessation products to help you quit.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, November 2013
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