Smoking and Lung Health: The Gradual Destruction of the Respiratory System by Dr. Ravishankar Polisetty

A PRISM Perspective on Breath and Metabolism

A middle-aged man once visited a clinic complaining of persistent breathlessness.

For more than twenty years he had smoked regularly. Yet he assumed his symptoms were simply part of aging.

“I thought this was normal,” he said.

Unfortunately, by the time he sought help, significant lung damage had already occurred.

Smoking remains one of the most preventable causes of disease worldwide, yet millions continue to smoke despite knowing its dangers.

What Happens When We Smoke

Each cigarette releases thousands of chemical compounds into the lungs.

Many of these substances are toxic and carcinogenic.

These chemicals damage the delicate alveoli — microscopic air sacs responsible for oxygen exchange.

Over time chronic inflammation develops, leading to conditions such as:

Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
Lung cancer
Cardiovascular disease

Smoking also weakens immune defenses, making the lungs vulnerable to infections.

A Systems Disorder, Not Just a Lung Problem

Smoking affects far more than the respiratory system.

Nicotine and toxins alter cardiovascular function, increase oxidative stress, and disturb metabolic signaling pathways throughout the body.

Within the PRISM framework, smoking represents a systemic disruption of metabolic and electrophysiological balance.