Smoking & Vaping Can Cause Lung Cancer
Chapa-De Indian Health Auburn Grass Valley | Medical Clinic
There are many different kinds of cancer that we recognize and raise awareness for throughout the year. This month we are observing Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
What is lung cancer?
Lung cancer is when the cells in our lungs, which are our breathing organs, grow abnormally to form tumors that interfere with our ability to breathe. There are two main types of lung cancer:
- Small cell lung cancer occurs in heavy smokers.
- Non-small cell lung cancer is the general term for all other types of lung cancers.
Who gets lung cancer?
The development of lung cancer isn’t always explainable, but there are few risk factors that you can be mindful of, including:
- Smoking
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to radon gas
- Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens
- Family history of lung cancer
To help prevent the development of lung cancer, try to:
- Stop smoking
- Avoid secondhand smoke
- Test your home for radon
- Avoid carcinogens at work
- Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables
- Exercise most days
Click HERE to read more about preventing lung cancer.
Smoking and lung cancer
Smoking is one of the biggest contributors to lung cancer. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing substances. When you smoke, these substances are inhaled directly to your lungs, damaging the tissue and cells almost immediately.
But it is not only cigarette smoking that can lead to lung cancer. E-smoking and vaping are marketed as slightly healthier alternatives to cigarettes, but they are by no means healthy or safe for you. When e-smoking, you are still inhaling harmful substances into your lungs and causing tissue damage that can lead to cancer.
Some children are starting to e-smoke with tools like Juul. This is incredibly harmful to your lungs as well, especially at a young age. The best way to avoid lung cancer and other lung illnesses is to not smoke any kind of cigarette or e-cigarette, no matter your age. Click HERE to read more about how smoking can lead to lung cancer.
Symptoms of lung cancer
With lung cancer, you can experience symptoms both inside your chest and outside your chest. The symptoms inside your chest can include:
- Persistent or intense coughing
- Chest, should and back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Voice changes
- Coughing up blood or mucus
The symptoms outside of your chest can include:
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Fatigue
- Muscle wasting
- Headaches, bone and joint pain
- Neck or facial swelling
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
Click HERE for a full list of lung cancer symptoms.
How is lung cancer treated?
There are many different treatment approaches for lung cancer, depending on the severity of your cancer and how it is affecting your body. Some of the most common treatment methods are:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy and radiation
- Targeted treatments
- Immunotherapy
- Preventative radiation therapy
Click HERE to read more about the treatment of lung cancer.
If you’d like help to quit smoking, or if you have questions or concerns about lung cancer, please schedule an appointment with your Chapa-De medical provider. We also encourage you to attend one of our weekly Tobacco Cessation Classes. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our Auburn location at (530) 887-2800 or our Grass Valley location at (530) 477-8545. You can also view our class schedule online at https://chapa-de.org/chapa-de-class-calendar/.
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Chapa-De Indian Healthcare Auburn Grass Valley