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irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box)

reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung passages

impairment of the lungs’ clearance system, leading to the build-up of poisonous substances, which results in lung irritation and damage

increased risk of lung infection and symptoms such as coughing and wheezing

permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diseases caused by smoking kill more than 480,000 people in the U.S. each year. In fact, smoking is directly responsible for almost 90% of lung cancer and COPD deaths. Even with antismoking campaigns and health warnings, many people continue to smoke or start to smoke every year. About 8% of kids under age 18 are current tobacco users.

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Smokers increase their risk of lung disease, including lung cancer. But they also increase their risk of other illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and mouth (oral) cancer. Risks from smoking, as they relate to lung disease, include the following:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This includes:

Chronic bronchitis. This is a long-term (chronic) inflammation of the large airways (bronchi). Symptoms include coughing mucus over a long period.

Emphysema. This chronic lung condition affects the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, sleep and heart problems, weight loss, and depression.

Lung cancer. This is an abnormal growth of cells that can result in lumps, masses, or tumors. It may start in the lining of the bronchi, or other areas of the respiratory system. Smoking, including secondhand smoke, is the leading cause of lung cancer. Symptoms of lung cancer include:

Cough

Chest pain

Shortness of breath

Wheezing

Recurring lung infections

Bloody or rust-colored sputum

Hoarseness

Swelling of the neck and face

Pain and weakness in the shoulders, arms, or hands

Unexplained fever

Other cancers. Smoking increases the risk of lung and oral cancer. But it also increases the risk of other respiratory system cancers. These include cancer of the nose, sinuses, voice box, and throat. Smoking also increases the risk of many other cancers of GI (gastrointestinal), urinary, and female reproductive systems.

The symptoms of smoking-related lung diseases may look like other lung conditions or health problems. If you have any symptoms of lung disease, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

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all of these can damage by smoking or being second smoker.

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Tobacco Use 3 - How Smoking Affects the Respiratory System

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Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1

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Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1

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Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.1,2,3

Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:⁴

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Illegal drug use

Alcohol use

Motor vehicle injuries

Firearm-related incidents

More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States.¹

Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths.1,2 More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.⁵

Smoking causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).¹

Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.¹

The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S.¹

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Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1

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Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1

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Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.1,2,3

Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:⁴

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Illegal drug use

Alcohol use

Motor vehicle injuries

Firearm-related incidents

More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States.¹

Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths.1,2 More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.⁵

Smoking causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).¹

Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.¹

The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S.¹

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Our respiratory system plays a vital role on our survival, by providing our organs and heart with the oxygen in needs to function.

But breathing is an automatic reflex, so we don't always notice ourselves breathing throughout the day.

Breathing is one of the most vital things our bodies do, as it brings in oxygen for our organs, and removes carbon dioxide from our bodies.

Carbon dioxide is a damaging chemical to the human body and if it is not removed it can cause organ failure.

Signals of the Body

As our body deems that we need to breathe again and bring it more oxygen, a signal from your brain tells your lungs to start expanding again.

The base of the brain is the control center for breathing, and it continuously sends signals to your spine, and all muscles used in breathing.

These signals allow the muscles used in breathing to inhale and exhale regularly, requiring nothing from you to breathe.

The control center in your brain often sends signals faster if your body is in need of air.

There are sensors in the brain and blood vessels that measure carbon dioxide levels and oxygen levels in the blood.

They can then send signals to the brain to breathe more or less depending on how much carbon dioxide and oxygen is in the blood.

There are also sensors in the lungs, alveoli, joints and muscles to help our brain monitor our respiratory system.

The sensors in the lungs notify the brain if there is anything in the airways that shouldn't be, such as an irritant.

Sensors in the alveoli notifies the brain if there is fluid buildup in the lung tissues, this is believed to trigger shallow breathing.

The sensors in the joints and muscles can notify your brain if there is movement in your arms or legs so that your respiratory system can work harder, as you do.

Breathing

The air starts at the nose and mouth, as you inhale the air it works its way down to the back of the throat, and into the trachea (windpipe).

The trachea then divides the air between both the left and right lungs, these passages are called bronchial tubes.

The left lung is slightly smaller than the right lung, as the left lung leaves room for your heart.

As the air passes through the bronchial tubes, it goes into the bronchioles (smaller air passages) and then into alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs).

Your body has at least 300 million alveoli, which are surrounded by capillaries (small blood vessels).

These capillaries connect to arteries and veins that help move blood throughout your body.

The main artery (the pulmonary artery) delivers the the blood throughout the body, starting with the heart.

While veins bring carbon dioxide rich blood back to the capillaries to remove from the body.

This is where the oxygen that was breathed in goes through the alveoli walls and enters the blood.

After it enters the blood, it travels to the heart and then throughout the body to the organs and tissues.

As the organs receive fresh oxygen, they release carbon dioxide into the veins to be brought back to the lungs.

There is an exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the alveoli, so your body can remove the harmful carbon dioxide.

If this wasn't an automatic reflex, we would constantly be working and focusing on our breathing.

Part of why breathing is not a cognitive process is due to our diaphragm, which contracts downwards when breathing in, creating a "vacuum" that pulls in the fresh air.

While exhaling, the diaphragm flexes upwards, pushing on the lungs and causing them to deflate the remaining carbon dioxide in the lungs.

Your ribs also move slighting when breathing, which allows your lungs more room to expand and contract.

Clean Air

There are a few safety measures our body takes to protect itself from harmful substances and particles in the air we are breathing.

When breathing in, the first safety measure our bodies take are small hairs in our nose that can help filter larger particles from getting breathed into the lungs.

After the air passes through the nose it moves to the trachea, which is covered in cilia (microscopic hairs).

Cilia moves in a sweeping motion to make sure the air passages are clean.

If a harmful substance such as cigarette smoke is inhaled, it can damage the cilia and prevent it from working the correct way.

A final step in the way our bodies try and protect ourselves is mucus.

Though mucus is commonly associated with a cold, or being sick, it is helpful to our bodies and helps keep our airways moist.

This moisture can help prevent dust, bacteria, viruses and allergy causing substances from getting into the lungs and irritating the lungs.

For any substance or particle that may reach the lungs, it is often coated by mucus and then coughed up or swallowed.

If Your Lungs Aren't Working Correctly

Smoking and other chemicals/pollutants can damage part of the respiratory system that are vital to healthy breathing.

Smoking can damage the cilia in the nose, which can let more particles into the airways and cause a harder time breathing.

Your body may be unable to expel the particle as smoke can damage the cilia and mucus membranes (that produce the mucus).

Healthy lung tissue is spongy and pink, while damaged lung tissue is spotted with black and have poor elasticity.

After an a time of having damaged lungs, an individual can struggle to breathe and become tired more easily.

Conclusion

Our lungs are a vital part of our bodies, helping provide oxygen to our organs so they continue to function properly.

There are many little factors in our respiratory system, such as sensors and cilia, that help our lungs function properly and detect any substances or particles that can hurt our lungs.

The lungs have some help with breathing from our diaphragm and our rib cage, as they both move in order to help us breathe.

Sadly damage to the lungs is easily done and damaged lungs can be a lifelong consequence of smoking.

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How the Human Respiratory System and Lungs Work

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Our respiratory system plays a vital role on our survival, by providing our organs and heart with the oxygen in needs to function. But breathing is an automatic reflex, so we don't always notice ourselves breathing throughout the day.

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A lot of us tend to pay very little attention to our respiratory system as long as we are still able to breathe properly. We take about 20 thousand breaths a day of oxygen that we desperately need to live. These oxygen helps us to function from our brains to our toes. Our respiratory system is an important part of our anatomy. Little things that can affect it can create serious health problems.
Below are things that can damage our lungs. Bleach
Bleach is one of the most used household products in the world. Most heavy duty disinfectant such as chlorine, bleach and ammonia are dangerous to people with lung problems and can even trigger asthma attacks to people who've never had it. Inhaling this product for long periods of time for years can lead to lung problems in the future. You can substitute it with soap and water. People often think that we need a strong disinfectant to remove bacteria, but soap and water alone can remove most viruses and bacteria. You can use bleach if you are planning to kill an infection that you do not wish to spread such as someone in your home, having a flu, just make sure to dilute the mixture to reduce irritation.
Carpets
Carpets can accumulate a lot of dirt, smoke, bacteria and so on in your home. People with lung problems should avoid getting carpets in their home and make sure to clean their rugs every week.
Smoking
There really is no surprise that smoking is on this list. Smoking kills more than 300 thousand people in America a year. Second hand smoke also affects the people around you. The only way to protect yourself is to stop smoking. If someone in your home smokes, make sure that you do not inhale their second hand smoke by making them smoke somewhere far away from rooms where people gather.
Pesticides
Pesticides are created to rid of unwanted bugs, it is not something you really want to be inhaling. When spraying pesticides make sure that you are in a ventilated room and if possible wear a mask. Most pesticides will have instructions to help prevent irritation. Though, being prepared is still the best option.
Paints
You will inhale paint in a moment such as renovating your home or furniture. Paint emits harmful chemicals that can cause lung damage and can even trigger asthma attacks. When painting, make sure that the rooms are well ventilated and open a fan when paint is drying to prevent the chemicals from staying in your home.
Respiratory problems do not happen in a day, but with prolonged exposure. First signs of problems are shortness of breath, chronic chest pain, coughing up blood, excess mucus and so on. Over time, it can lead to serious problems such as asthma and lung cancer. Lung damage is not reversible. Protecting them from harmful elements is the best thing you can do to keep it healthy. Minimize your threats and reduce worsening of lung damage.
Source: naturallivingideas.com

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Things That Can Damage Your Lungs | Healthy Builderz

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A lot of us tend to pay very little attention to our respiratory system as long as we are still able to breathe properly. We take about 20 thousand breaths a day of oxygen that we desperately need to live. These oxygen helps us to function from our brains to our toes.

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How to prevent lung disease - Dr. Jim Vevina