When Things Go Wrong
When you have a cold you become aware of the excess mucus being produced
Cigarette smoke inhibits the movement of cilia so they no longer filter air effectively. This increases the risk of bacteria and dust entering the lungs causing coughing and increasing the risk of developing a chest infection.
Already you can see how a cold or smoking can affect the nose, cilia and mucous membranes. There are specific conditions like cystic fibrosis that also affect mucus production. Asthma results in excess mucus as well as narrowed airways. There are rare conditions like immotile cilia syndrome where the cilia cannot move.
The following are links to websites that may be of interest:
Smoking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/
From this page enter smoking as a search
term to reach more information on many aspects of this topic.
Cystic fibrosis
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/
From this page go to the section on conditions
and use the search facility for general information.
http://www.cftrust.org.uk/
For more detailed information and further
links.
Asthma
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/
From this page go to the section on conditions
and use the search facility for general information.
http://www.asthma.org.uk/
For more detailed information and further
links.
Common cold
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/
From this page go to the section on conditions
and use the search facility for general information.
http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/associates/cold/home.html
General information
as well as research updates.