Please Stop Smoking!

The past several months I have had a run on severe tobacco related illnesses. Smoking is very detrimental to the vital organs but yet about 46 million adults smoke in the United States. Here are several patient cases...

50 year old male presented to me with complaints of chest pain and shortness of breath. He smokes 2 packs a day for 30 years. He has a history of high blood pressure but was not taking his medication due to cost (but yet could afford his 2 pack a day habit). He was sent to the ER and was found to have a myocardial infarction (heart attack). He underwent cardiac stenting and is now on multiple medications to prevent another heart attack.

70+ year old female presented to the office with chest pain and back pain. She smoked a pack a day for over forty years. A chest xray was done and a mass was found. After further diagnostics, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and the tumor had wrapped around her heart. Surgery could not be performed. Palliative therapy was done and she passed away.

A young twenty-something adult came to me with complaints of exertional shortness of breath. He was hospitalized for pneumonia several months ago. He continues to wheeze and utilizes two inhalers to stabilize his breathing. The patient began smoking when he was eight and continues despite repeated counselling to quit. He is a laborer but now has difficulty with exertional work. His quality of life is poor and he has difficulty keeping up with his young son.

A 60+ year old male saw me in the office with flu-like symptoms. He had trouble breathing, fever of 104, fatigue, and muscle aches for several days. Supportive care was advised with follow up. Several days later, his relative called and said he was confused. He was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia. Despite aggressive antibiotics, steroids, and oxygen support, he decompensated within 24 hours and was intubated (tube placed into his lungs). Upon further investigation, he had smoked 1 and a half pack a day since childhood and his lungs were in poor shape. Due to his smoking history, he developed COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which made him very susceptible for respiratory infections and failure. He is recovering.

A 60+ year old female presented to the office with an oral gum lesion for several weeks. It was a raised mass with ulcerations on her lower gum line. She has poor dentition. She had smoked for many years. The patient was reluctant to go to the specialist but eventually listended to my advice. The biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) and a total excision was performed. This scare resulted in her quitting tobacco.

This is just a sample of cases I see that are tobacco related problems. Smoking can contribute to many health problems such as COPD, lung cancer, heart disease, oral cancers, asthma, strokes, heart attacks, emphysema, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, high blood pressure, cervical cancer, peripheral vascular disease, pneumonia, kidney cancer, impotence, psychological disorders, fetal problems, etc....

Help is out there. Call your health care professional to help quit this deadly habit!