Smoking Cessation Education

Why is this important?

Smoking damages the lungs and can make it difficult to breath. Smoking increases the chances of getting pneumonia or other chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis. Smoking is also linked to lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and can cause premature death. It is important to get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital. Quitting may reduce your risk for developing pneumonia again.

Higher percentages are better.

Information About Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that makes breathing difficult. As the lungs fill with fluid, oxygen has increasing difficulty reaching the blood and a whole series of events may occur that can eventually result in death.

Pneumonia is caused by a viral or bacterial infection that fills the lungs with mucus and lowers the oxygen level in the blood.

Symptoms of pneumonia can include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• “Wet” cough with green or bloody mucus
• Chest pain
• Fever and chills
• Fatigue

This data, based primarily on data collected by Baxter Regional Medical Center hospital from April 2007 through March 2008, was released publicly on December 18, 2008.