Frequently lung infections occur and they can go undetected. The lungs have a natural protective response system to tobacco smoke, claim researchers at National Jewish Health. These findings have been published online and have appeared in magazines in October of last year. There is a certain mechanism that can cause smokers to acquire chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.
Brian Day, senior author on the study and Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health said, "Although smoking is the overwhelming cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CODP), only 20 percent of smokers develop the disease."
However, researchers have known for a long time that the lungs actually mount up a protective response against tobacco smoke, which has been confirmed by researchers. Research done on mice show that they build up a type of fluid in their lungs, after 16 weeks of exposure to second hand smoke. The antioxidants in the fluids create a reaction with certain chemicals in tobacco smoke, preventing damage to tissue in the lungs.
Considering this research we have to wonder exactly how damaging second hand smoke can be outdoors. Does banning smoking outdoors on patios, for example, really make much of a difference?
[Via: Science Daily]
