A new study shows that marijuana may be harmful to the respiratory system, particularly for smokers who smoke it heavily. Unlike cigarettes, cannabis joints aren’t filtered, which means they can carry more irritants into the lungs.
The study found that smokers of cannabis were more likely to develop paraseptal emphysema, a lung disease that can lead to chronic bronchitis and other symptoms. This isn’t as lethal as the more common type of emphysema linked with tobacco smoking, but it can still be distressing.
Smoking
The respiratory system has to deal with a variety of substances that can cause damage, including tobacco smoke and some chemicals and compounds in cannabis. These include tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine.
Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for many respiratory diseases and complications such as cough, asthma, impaired gas exchange, and airway obstruction. Smoking marijuana has also been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses, but the effect of smoked cannabis on these conditions is less well understood.
One study found that people who smoked both cannabis and tobacco had a higher level of lung problems than those who only smoked tobacco. The researchers used a special kind of X-ray called a CT scan to find out what was happening in the lungs of the people who had both drugs in their bodies at the same time.
They studied 146 people who had a chest scan at Ottawa Hospital. They looked at their medical records and then searched for people who had a CT scan that was done while they were smoking marijuana or cigarettes.
In the studies, they asked people to fill out a detailed respiratory questionnaire, which included validated questions from the Compendium of Respiratory Standard Questionnaires (CORSQ). Participants were also asked about their family history of respiratory illness and any symptoms that they experienced.
Results of the study showed that marijuana smokers had a lot of problems in their lungs, especially in the smaller airways. They had a lot of wheeze and chest tightness, they had a cough more often and their lung function was poorer than nonsmokers.
For instance, they had a much greater percentage of their lungs damaged by a condition called paraseptal emphysema. This is a very serious condition that can lead to breathing problems and can even be life-threatening.
The research team also looked at the amount of water that people had in their lungs. They found that those who smoked marijuana had more water in their lungs than those who didn’t.
Inhalation
Breathing is a vital, autonomic process that allows oxygen to enter the lungs and carbon dioxide to be exchanged between the blood and the air. The lungs are the key organs involved in this process, along with the trachea (windpipe) and muscles of the chest wall and diaphragm.
The lungs are the largest organs in the body and they contain about 600 million tiny balloon-like air sacs called alveoli. These air sacs are the site of gas exchange, where oxygen leaves the blood and carbon dioxide enters it.
As you breathe, the alveoli send signals to the brain about the amount of oxygen in the air, and your brain responds by letting your lungs take in more or less air. You can also tell if you’re breathing well by the amount of mucus that builds up in your throat and nostrils or if you’re coughing.
Smoke inhalation causes the alveoli to become enlarged and can cause severe breathing problems and even death. Symptoms of smoke inhalation may include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain.
Inhalation is one of the main routes of exposure to toxic substances for workers in many industries, including the petrochemical and power industry. Exposure to inhaled toxins is the quickest and most direct way that pollutants reach the human body.
Some people are more sensitive to inhaled toxins than others and those who have a condition such as asthma, heart disease, or lung cancer are especially at risk of harm from smoking tobacco. For this reason, some employers require their employees to wear protective equipment.
Acute inhalation injury is a respiratory illness that develops within minutes to hours after inhaling a substance. It typically resolves itself in a few days, but it can be life-threatening. It is usually caused by a variety of different chemicals, but it can also occur when the lungs are damaged during certain medical procedures.
An inhalation injury can be treated with bronchodilators and other medications. These medicines help relax your lungs and ease breathing, so they can heal faster.
You can also treat a smoke inhalation injury with medication, such as steroids, that may help reduce inflammation. Your doctor can recommend a specific type of drug and how much you need to use to control the symptoms of smoke inhalation.
Ingestion
The respiratory system is made up of many different parts that work together to help you breathe. The main parts include your mouth and nose, trachea (windpipe) and lungs. The lungs remove oxygen from the air and pass it into your bloodstream.
Smoking cannabis, like smoking tobacco, can cause breathing problems. These can include coughing, sputum and wheezing. It can also lead to bronchitis and asthma, causing chest pain, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.
Cannabis can also cause lung cancer, but it is not clear how this works. It is believed that it causes a type of inflammation in the lung called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
There are also a number of conditions that can affect your respiratory system, including allergies and infections. Some of these are caused by irritants you inhale from the air, such as dust, mold and pollen. Others are caused by diseases or ageing.
You can use an inhaler or a mask to help you breath if you have trouble breathing. It is important to get medical attention if you have breathing problems, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
A number of studies have found that smoking marijuana can worsen respiratory symptoms, such as cough or sputum, wheezing and shortness of breath. It is also associated with an increased rate of acute bronchitic episodes and clinic visits for respiratory illness.
However, there are many other risks of using cannabis that go beyond respiratory problems. These include short-term and long-term effects on mental health and addiction.
Inhaled cannabis can also cause choking, which is when a foreign object gets stuck in the throat or trachea and prevents you from breathing. This can be a serious problem, especially for young children.
The same can happen if you swallow an object, such as button batteries or magnets. It can be a life-threatening situation, so it is important to call an ambulance if you think you may have swallowed something dangerous.
Tobacco smoke can also lead to breathing problems, and it can cause lung cancer. It is thought that smoking cannabis can cause similar respiratory problems to tobacco, but it is not clear how this works.
Vaping
As with any drug, cannabis can have a negative impact on your respiratory system. It can cause breathing problems and make it harder to breathe. It can also cause bronchitis and emphysema (lung condition that causes shortness of breath) in those who smoke it long-term.
A new study from New Zealand found that cannabis use significantly increases lung function decline in tobacco smokers compared to those who don’t smoke cigarettes. In the study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers measured the respiratory function of participants who smoked cannabis or tobacco at different times over their lives.
The researchers divided participants into four groups: cannabis only, tobacco only, combined cannabis and tobacco or non-smokers of both substances. They then assessed the participants’ lung function using a series of tests, including high-resolution CT scanning and pulmonary function tests.
What’s surprising about the results of this study is that it didn’t seem to make much of a difference to the lung function of those who quit smoking cannabis. The researchers don’t know why that happened, but it could be that the people who stopped smoking did not improve their lung function significantly enough to offset the damage caused by their long-term use of the drug.
This may be because the lungs are still in development until a person is in their mid-20s. The brain is also in development during this time, and nicotine can interfere with the parts of the brain that control attention, learning and mood.
In addition, nicotine can rewire the brain and make it more vulnerable to addiction. This is especially true in adolescents who are more likely to experiment with other drugs or substances.
Because of these effects, it’s important to avoid vapor products when possible and to encourage parents and teens to limit their exposure to these products. As vaping grows in popularity, more teens are trying it. The CDC estimates that 5 million middle and high school students vaped last year.
