Poll... curious about how many CPAP users smoke.

[bucko]

Meanwhile, Bucko, I have to question why the poll was even posted. Is smoking related to sleep apnea? How? And what purpose does this poll serve?

My purpose of this poll was to gt an idea if there was some relation to apnea and smokers. I wasn't aware of any studies or stats about this.

Stacia123 I don't imagine anyone "forces" you to watch naked people, breath smoke, drink and drive,eat too much, etc. You are free to choose like anyone else. But one should be careful in their attitude and actions against people or things you don't care for. People with habits, bad or good, also have the right to do as they please. In the case of smokers, second hand smoke may be dangerous, but so is exhaust fumes, industrial pollution, chemical evaporation, cow farts, etc. People need to be careful ostracizing one group and not be willing to fight equally as hard on the other things doing you more harm than second hand smoke. I believe that's being hypercritical. Condemnation of smokers have gotten way out of hand in this country.

BTW, I'm not attacking you Stacia123 (or anyone else). It's my opinion and it needs saying. I wish you non smokers out there start thinking about smokers with a little less "attitude" and judgement.

[packitin]

Well, here I go and you smokers are not going to like it. (But I didn't start this forum) I have to give my honest opinion.

Maybe you haven’t been through what I have. My father died of smoking. My mom (a non-smoker), died on lung cancer. So did my older sister after stopping smoking for 15 years. Back when our children were toddlers, my wife and I were ushered to the doctor’s office and were faced with a CT scan of “early-stage lesion”, often called a “spot” on the X-ray. Fortunately, the stern look and abrupt words from the doctor of “you’ll have to give these up now!” did the job and my wife is doing fine 20 years hence, and hasn’t smoked one cigarette since then. No apparent trace, except a small residual amount of emphysema and some loss of lung capacity. She was among the lucky ones.

If you smoke, one day the doctor will look at you with one of those somber, grave, stern looks and you’ll know before he/she even has to say those dreaded words. “I’m sorry, there seems to be a spot on your X-ray.” As you read this, deep inside, you know that it’s going to happen sooner or later – just as it does to all smokers, as well as some non-smokers. Please heed my words. Stop Now. You don’t need them!

Tobacco alone is predicted to kill a billion people this century, 10 times the toll it took in the 20th century, if current trends hold. “In all of world history, this is the largest train wreck not waiting to happen,” said John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. More than 5 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents---the decision to use tobacco and smoke cigarettes. An estimated 1.25 billion people are smokers worldwide.

The habit will kill 1.4 million annual of them EACH YEAR. When deaths from smoking-related cases of heart and lung disease are counted, tobacco's annual death toll is about 5 million. There were 11 million new cancer cases in 2002 and 7 million cancer deaths worldwide. By 2020, the numbers are expected to rise to 16 million new cases and 10 million deaths EACH YEAR. (America Cancer Society)

Sorry,
(this was not intended to be judgemental)
Jay

[goose]

Stopped - 1975 (I never say quit. Has negative connotations. Stopped and have never looked back!!!!)

And as packitin said, it was a doctor that essentially told me that if I wanted to continue breathing, I had to quit smoking.....my lungs were shot!!!!!!
I was 25!!!!!!

nuff said....

cheers
goose

[JayC]

Marked the poll quit before needed CPAP......although, by symptoms, I had SDB at least at puberty, and didn't start smoking until partway through college.....and smoked around 5 years. Stopped in 1989....pack a day at the highest.

I think sometimes as an ex-smoker, I am less judgemental in someways about smoking, but also less tolerant of others' bad behaviors and thoughtlessness re: smoking. Throwing butts around....blocking entrances so we have to hold out breath and walk fast to get into an establishment......and other peeves. Things I did not do even as a smoker....

So thankful for sense of smell......and super sensitive to having my clothes/hair smell very smoky when I stay with a friend who is not at a point of quitting yet...although she wants to as it is way too expensive.

J

[DreamStalker]

Meanwhile, Bucko, I have to question why the poll was even posted. Is smoking related to sleep apnea? How? And what purpose does this poll serve?

My purpose of this poll was to gt an idea if there was some relation to apnea and smokers. I wasn't aware of any studies or stats about this.

Stacia123 I don't imagine anyone "forces" you to watch naked people, breath smoke, drink and drive,eat too much, etc. You are free to choose like anyone else. But one should be careful in their attitude and actions against people or things you don't care for. People with habits, bad or good, also have the right to do as they please. In the case of smokers, second hand smoke may be dangerous, but so is exhaust fumes, industrial pollution, chemical evaporation, cow farts, etc. People need to be careful ostracizing one group and not be willing to fight equally as hard on the other things doing you more harm than second hand smoke. I believe that's being hypercritical. Condemnation of smokers have gotten way out of hand in this country.

BTW, I'm not attacking you Stacia123 (or anyone else). It's my opinion and it needs saying. I wish you non smokers out there start thinking about smokers with a little less "attitude" and judgement.

I'm willing to condemn all smokers equally as long as they pollute the air I breathe ... what they do inside their own home is their business but when it affects my breathing it becomes my business ... the attitude and judgement is warranted from my perspective and if smokers don't like it they can go smoke inside their homes.

[TXKajun]

I'm a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad boy! I smoke, drink, carouse, spit, cuss, eat red and smoked meats and all that stuff. And I did it all waaaaay before getting OSA.

I also was a bench analytical chemist for 30 years, which means I've been exposed to most of the chemicals now on the EPA's Hazardous Waste List for most of my life. Way I figure it, I'm doomed to die of cancer anyway from my career, so my only hope is that the noxious stuff in ciggies will go to war with the deadly stuff from my chemist career and cancel each other out. And, FWIW, my brother (who I talked about in a previous post as having lung cancer) hasn't smoked in over 30 years.

Kajun

[georgepds]

Really Slinky? Personally, I don't worry much about second-hand fat. ...

Me neither, except in the middle seat on overseas flights

[CamiTampa]

I too am a reformed smoker, having not had a smoke since June of 07. I also won't call myself a nonsmoker because I am only one cig away from being a smoker again. I still do miss them. Now that I have been I cpap and have started dreaming, I dream about them. My wife still smokes and that makes it tougher still. My sense of smell got better, but only for bad smells. Good things don't smell more or better, but bad thing are far stronger and stinkier. I can tell if someone is smoking in the car in front of me on the highway, (sometimes.)
At 49 I have early stage copd so I won't have that smoke I miss so much. I was actually diagnosed 10 years ago with apnea but wasn't able to tolerate the cpap. This time I tried harder and went on cpap about the same time I quit smoking. summer 07

Also I went from 5ft 9inch 135 lbs to 190 lbs. I don't like being heavy, (I'm still not fat.) I can't breath and put my socks on at the same time, (I'm still not fat.)

I'm still glad I was able to stop smking!
Cami

[wildthang1971]

i smoke

[ziggytosh]

As with any discussion related to smoking, this conversation seems to have veered toward weighing whether or not smoking is an outrage. Can't resist pitching in my $.02.

IMO, smoking is not an outrage and non-smokers should chill out. I don't smoke (never saw the point in smoking, except for a brief period in high school, and then tobacco wasn't my favorite thing to smoke). Everyone, including smokers, knows it's bad for the health. I think it ought to be a goal of every smoker to quit, for their own sake and for their loved ones who will miss them when they're dead. But all that said, I don't get bothered when people smoke near me, or in a car (as long as the windows are down), or clubs, or whatever. I'm sure second-hand smoke is a real issue if you live with a smoker, but since I don't, second-hand smoke is just one more smell in the world to me. I don't like people nannying other people, and I think a lot of the concern over casually contacted second-hand smoke is just an excuse to moralize. Smokers living with you are different, of course. You (sometimes) love the people you live with and (often) don't want them to die, and second-hand smoke is probably a more serious issue if you're in contact every single day.

[bucko]

Well said zoggytosh.

[DreamStalker]

“excuse to moralize” .... “well said” ...

I say that is bull crap! Just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean it doesn't bother anyone else.

I don't care if someone wants to put a bale of tobacco in their Weber bar-b-q and stick their head in there til it turns charcoal grey .... whatever smokes their peanut. I just don't wan't to have to breathe it ... nothing moral or immoral about it!

Let's say there is a person who likes to take a crap in public whenever he/she has the urge without regard to anyone else ... you know, like a dog. He/she craps in your yard, in your car, on the restaurant table, in front of the door of the office building where you work, you name it, anywhere and everywhere. Now maybe you won't die from smelling or walking through such second-hand piles of crap but would you not agree that such a person was rude and inconsiderate of others?

Tobacco smoke irritates my eyes and causes my sinuses to close up ... more so than a smelly tird and I know I'm not the only one ... just look at your poll numbers. I don't like to have to breathe or walk through a gauntlet of smokers just to get into the building where I work ... I will not eat in a restaurant that allows smoking and I don't have any friends that smoke in front of me or in my breathing space.

Is it immoral for people to smoke ... no, not anymore than it is immoral for people to take a crap. But there are special places for people to take a crap like in a restroom, their house, or in the woods. Smokers should likewise smoke their crap in a smoking lounge, their house, or out in the woods (just don't go burning down the forest though). I don't really care where smokers smoke their crap so long as I don't have to breathe it and it is not an excuse to moralize nor do I think it is immoral for me to think that way either.

BTW - I hope smokers aren't offended ... unless of course they smoke in my breathing space

[Fredman]

It seems we all have bad habits! Some habits hinders other's happiness (second hand smoke), but it seems issues like smoking and obesity effect all of us in our wallets.

Take the emotion out of the equation here...the problem lies when we feel someone is intruding on our "right" to do what we want.

It's too bad that smoking has a "second hand" component...if the smoke could only concentrate within six inches of you we would all be happy and you could save money be re-inhaling your exhaled smoke!

You know I am just teasing at you...but until you "stop" smoking as Goose said, you may not understand the frustration and all the negative feelings non smokers and those that have stopped, feel about the smell.

I don't smoke, but my Mom did and died of a massive heart attack in part contributed to her 3 pack a day habit! Yes I said 3 packs!

[2girlsmom]

I have never smoked, but I was exposed to it second hand for the 23 years I lived with my folks. My dad has since quit smoking (abt 5 years now!) and he is going in for a CPAP titration tomorrow night.

[gasp]

I can't speak from personal experience however, smoking and obesity are only bad for your health if your health is bad because you smoke or are obese. I know perfectly healthy smokers and obese people. It is all their lifestyle choices that impact their health more than the fact that they smoke or are obese.

That said, I recently lost a woman who was like a second mom to me from smoking and my niece lost her father-in-law to a smoking related illness as well. It was heart wrenching to be in their presence during their final weeks and watch them struggle for breath. It made my apnea seem like child's play.

I forgot to add that the harmful garbage in our food system like hydrogenated fat, chemical sweeteners, harmful pesticides are more impactive to society than smoking or over-eating.