Beyond lung cancer, cigarette smoke can also cause problems to other parts of our respiratory system. Smoking can lead to cancer of the larynx, or voice box, for example. It is also known to trigger attacks in people with asthma - constricting the airways and making breathing difficult or impossible.
As with asthma, the inflamed, swollen airways of people with chronic bronchitis can be irritated by cigarette smoking, setting off a persistent, lingering cough. Together with emphysema, chronic bronchitis is part of a broader disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
In COPD, smoking can damage the airspace of the lungs, causing the spaces to lose their elasticity. When this happens, less oxygen moves from your lungs into your bloodstream, causing breathing difficulty, including shortness of breath. Almost all smokers will develop COPD, even after only a short time of smoking. Symptoms of COPD are cough, mucus or phlegm production, and decreased lung capacity.