What happens if the alveoli are damaged by something like smoking?

Smoking destroys the tiny air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs that allow oxygen exchange. When you smoke, you are damaging some of those air sacs. Alveoli don’t grow back, so when you destroy them, you have permanently destroyed part of your lungs. When enough alveoli are destroyed, the disease emphysema develops.

What causes damage to alveoli?

The main cause of emphysema is long-term exposure to airborne irritants, including: Tobacco smoke. Marijuana smoke. Air pollution.

What destroys the alveoli in your lungs?

Emphysema destroys alveoli, which are air sacs in the lungs. The air sacs weaken and eventually break, which reduces the surface area of the lungs and the amount of oxygen that can reach the bloodstream. This makes it harder to breathe, especially when exercising. Emphysema also causes lungs to lose their elasticity.

How does lung damage occur in smoking?

Because tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide, this deadly gas displaces the oxygen in your blood, depriving your organs of the oxygen they need. Other chemicals found in cigarette smoke include acrolein, which can cause irreversible lung damage, and even in low amounts, it can cause a sore throat in 10 minutes.

How does smoking affect the alveoli of the lungs?

Tobacco smoke irritates your bronchioles and alveoli and damages the lining of your lungs. Tobacco damage is cumulative. Years of exposure to cigarette smoke can scar your lung tissue so that your lungs can’t efficiently process oxygen and carbon dioxide. The damage from smoking isn’t reversible.

What are the medical conditions that affect the alveoli?

Medical Conditions Affecting Alveoli. Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the alveoli in one or both lungs and can result in the air sacs filling with pus. Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules in the tissues of the lungs. The disease primarily infects the alveoli as bacteria are inhaled,…

Why do alveoli lose their bounce over time?

Cigarette Smoking. Over time, the toxins from inhaled cigarette smoke break the thin walls of alveoli, leaving larger, less efficient air sacs. The sacs also begin to lose their bounce, making it harder to bring in the oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.

How does tuberculosis affect the alveoli of the lungs?

Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules in the tissues of the lungs. The disease primarily infects the alveoli as bacteria are inhaled, causing the formation of pus in the air sacs.

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