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Smoke Inhalation: How to Avoid It and How to Treat It

How the lungs work

Smoke Inhalation: How to Avoid It and How to Treat It

When you breathe in a gulp of air, it travels down your windpipe (or trachea). Rings of cartilage keep the windpipe from collapsing so that the air can easily move through the windpipe, past your collarbone, your ribs, and to the center of your chest.

There, your windpipe divides into two tubes called the bronchial tubes, each of which leads to one of your lungs. By the time your gulp of air reaches the lungs, most dirt particles, smog, dust, and bacteria have already been swept away by the hairs in your nose, by a strong sneeze, or a sudden cough.

But just in case that's not enough, the lungs themselves have protective devices to keep poisons such as smoke, dust, and other the everyday pollutants at bay.

The bronchial tubes break down into millions of tiny tubes, called bronchioles. Within these bronchioles are little pockets called alveoli (which almost rhymes with ravioli). These alveoli (the plural of the singular alveolus), which are surrounded by capillaries, are only a membrane away from the blood cells that are clambering for the oxygen “food” you've just inhaled. The alveoli are the moat around the castle—the fortress wall that keeps enemies at bay.

Because it's important that the oxygen not be tainted, the human's genetic makeup contains a kind of vacuum cleaner to catch wayward dust. The alveoli are covered with wet and sticky mucous. Dust particles (which have also broken down into minute cells) stick to these mucous walls.

Now comes the cleaning-up part. The alveoli also contain mucous cells with membrane “arms” called cilia. Cilia resemble sweeping, swaying tentacles. The dust catches on the cilia and is swayed back, out of the lung, into the part of the throat (the esophagus) that leads to the stomach. Acids in the stomach area begin to make short shrift of the “poison.” Your body cells receive the clean oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide waste that is exhaled out of your lungs.

Ouch!

Although minor incidents are not medical emergencies, they can turn into emergencies if the person involved has asthma, allergic bronchitis, emphysema, or any other chronic pulmonary disease. These people are more sensitive to smoke, and what is minor in a normal person can wreak havoc in a sensitive one. Even smoke from an ordinary campfire can cause a severe asthma attack! A good rule of thumb is to seek medical attention for any asthmatic who is wheezing, no matter how minor the inhalation seems. This especially holds true for young children!

Unfortunately, when you become overcome with smoke, this process of “cleaning,” receiving, and eliminating breaks down. There are just too many foreign particles for the cilia to sweep them all away. Even the automatic “defense mechanisms” of sneezing and coughing will not help clear your lungs of smoke. They are merely a drop in the bucket.

When you suffer from smoke inhalation, your body does not get the oxygen it needs to do its job—and the lungs can become damaged as well.

Symptoms and treatment of smoke inhalation

If There's Smoke, Does There Have to Be Fire?

Obviously, smoke is a by-product of fire, but you don't have to be locked up in an unventilated burning room to be overcome by smoke. Smoke inhalation also can occur from minor fires, such as:

• Fireplaces with faulty air ducts
• Stovetop fires
• The smoldering at the onset of electrical fires
• Broiler fires
• Grill fires in improperly ventilated porches and decks
• Smoldering furniture or mattresses (courtesy of sloppy and dangerous smokers who do not put out their matches or cigarettes)

First Things First

Calling for aid first is an insurance benefit. Just in case you also are overcome with smoke, someone will be on the way to help.

Smoke Signals

The signs of smoke inhalation vary. Minor problems include irritated eyes, coughing jags, and general weakness—which can turn into more serious symptoms if the victim does not get away from the smoke.

To treat smoke inhalation follow these steps:

1. The first order of business is to get the victim into the fresh air!
2. Have the victim sit down until he or she begins to feel better.
3. After coughing has subsided, offer a glass of water to calm a burning throat.
4. Place a cool washcloth over the victim's eyes and forehead.

Minor incidents do not usually require special medical care. Trust your instincts and your methods of observation. If the person seems fine and does not have a lingering cough, he or she will not need immediate medical attention. But it is always a good idea to call the family physician and have him or her give the “all clear.”

Before You Put the Band-Aid On

Cigarette smoking might not be an immediate first aid problem, but it certainly does a job on your lungs (and other parts of your body). The tar and soot from cigarette smoke is more than the protective cilia can handle. They become paralyzed. The cigarette smoke eventually gets inside the cells and, combined with the mucus manufactured in the alveoli, creates sticky balls that clog passageways and cells. And, oh yes, one more thing: your healthy pink lungs eventually turn black.

Symptoms of serious smoke inhalation requiring first aid include:

• Continued wheezing and coughing
• An inability to breathe
• Choking
• Lightheadedness
• Ash, black char, or smoke around the mouth and nose
• Weakness and lethargy that could lead to unconsciousness

To treat a serious case of smoke inhalation, in which the victim is suffering from the symptoms described above, follow these steps:

1. Call for help.
2. Drag the injured person away from the smoke— without injuring yourself.
3. Check the victim's breathing. If he or she is having difficulty, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (or CPR, if trained) until help arrives.
4. Cover the victim with a blanket. If he or she is lying on the cold ground, place a blanket underneath as well.
5. Loosen clothes around the neck and torso to help breathing.
6. To prevent possible shock, make sure the victim is lying on his or her back, with a pillow behind the head if she is having difficulty breathing, or a pillow elevating the legs and feet if all seems well.
7. If the victim is unconscious, turn his or her head to the side to prevent possible vomit from choking him or her.