Everyone knows that smoking is harmful. Despite overwhelming evidence provided by doctors and scientists, some individuals continue to smoke. However, the images being shared here might just make you reconsider if you want to ensure a long and healthy life. Surgeons have revealed the lungs of a lifelong smoker who passed away at just fifty-two years old. He might have lived much longer had he kicked the habit earlier.
If you’ve ever seen pictures of tar-filled lungs, these will give you an even bigger shock, especially if you’re a smoker. The lungs, surgically removed from a man who smoked for thirty years, clearly show the grim consequences of tobacco use.
Healthy lungs should be pink. However, this man’s lungs were blackened due to the many years of smoking. Each cigarette contributed to clogging his lungs, transforming healthy tissue into a cancerous wreck.
The unfortunate man, whose lungs these were, died from multiple lung-related illnesses. Surgeons at the Wuxi People’s Hospital in Jiangsu, China, were responsible for extracting these lungs. The shocking footage of his lungs has gone viral, staggering viewers and earning the title of “the best anti-smoking ad ever.” With over 25 million views, it’s hard to ignore its message.
The hospital shared the video online with the caption, “Do you still have the courage to smoke?” While this might provoke some smokers to laugh off the risks, the underlying intent is to make people think twice about their smoking habits, as it essentially leads to an early death.
Dr. Chen, the lead surgeon and vice president of the hospital, explained, “The patient didn’t have a C.T. scan before passing. He was declared brain dead, and his lungs were donated shortly after. Initial oxygenation index tests seemed fine, but upon harvesting, it became clear they couldn’t be used. We in China have a high prevalence of smoking. While it might be unrealistic to reject all smokers’ lungs for transplants, we maintain strict standards.”
“We accept lungs from donors under sixty, recently deceased, with minor infections, and relatively clean X-rays. If these conditions are met, we would consider using the lungs for transplants,” Dr. Chen continued.
Nevertheless, the condition of this man’s lungs was too damaged for any possibility of transplantation. This starkly demonstrates what cigarette smoke can do to your body. Therefore, quitting smoking as soon as possible is imperative for preserving your health.
Options like nicotine replacement therapy can be helpful for those striving to quit.
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