QUERY:
My father has been a heavy smoker all his life. In the last few months he
has been unable to work because of coughing, lack of energy etc. His doctor
gave him antibiotics and a chest xray. He said it was either bronchitis or
emphysema. I dont know the results yet but I was hoping you could answer a
few questions:
Mainly, how serious is emphysema and if he has it what does that mean?
Also, is there anything i could do to help?
What if he won't give up smoking? (he still smokes 20 a day)
i appreciate that you answer personally. I look forward to your reply!
ANSWER:
I am so glad you are trying to help your dad! Smoking is such a
tough
addiction - the ones we love need all the help we can give them to kick that
habit.
Emphysema is a disease of the lungs caused by long term damage. Our lungs
have little air sacs in them called alveoli - and those sacs are where
oxygen is given to the blood and carbon dioxide is given out to the air
again. This is a very important location in our anatomy. With long term
smoking, some people have a breakdown of the walls in these little sacs and
end up getting big spaces instead of little functional ones. The total
surface area available for transporting oxygen is therefore decreased and
the whole body can suffer because of this. If you don't get too grossed out
by medical pictures, here is a link to a photograph of a lung that has been
damaged by emphysema:
Lung
Photo with Emphysema
Other things can cause emphysema, but smoking is the most common culprit.
Because it is so common (way *too* common) there is much information and
support out there for this disease. I could have given you too many links,
but I limited it to the following two.
This one is the non-profit support site that is very extensive and full of
resources for anyone with emphysema:
Emphysema Net
And secondly, here's a site with a letter from someone who has emphysema and is
still smoking. The answer to this person's request is very motivational
and
it may give you some ideas on how you can encourage your dad make some very very
difficult changes:
Sick and Still Smoking!
I hope it's just bronchitis, but even if it is, he sure stands the good
chance of developing emphysema some time in the near future - and efforts to
stop smoking could make a big difference. You can try to help him, but it
truly is up to him. This is a hard one - if he won't give it up, there
really is nothing you can do other than continue to support his efforts to
try. Bugging him, hassling him, getting mad at him - will just cause him to
feel worse about himself and may make it even harder to quit. Refuse to be
around him when he does smoke, and refuse to support his habit. Continue to
remind him that you care and that you are willing to help him quit however
you can. He will probably need a nicotine replacement patch or gum to come
off the physical addiction, and may benefit from a medicine called Zyban
that helps with the emotional addiction. But none of this support works
unless he has decided within himself that he is NO LONGER A SMOKER.
Last but NOT least, have you thought about how this might be
affecting your own health? If you grew up exposed to passive smoke, you too
have some health risks and should be careful about further exposure. I know
your question was about your father, but I can't help but care about you and
your possible risks also!
Thanks for coming to The Inn, and best of luck to you!