http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/mediacenter/pressreleases/2009/swine-flu.aspx

I made the following comments on Christopher Dunagan’s ‘Watching Our Waterways’ and thought it might bear repeating here in light of the Swine flu and the jet dumping fuel over Bainbridge Island – all affecting lungs.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2009/04/30/little-or-no-effect-expected-from-dumping-of-jet-fuel/comment-page-1/#comment-9052
“Most studies of health effects relate to long-term exposure”
“a heavy odor, which some considered overwhelming. ”

Well…the lungs filter and I imagine keep some residue from the toxins.
I do not know for sure, but it seems reasonable that it would, considering what we know about first hand smoking, second-hand smoke and lungs.

“Long-term exposure” might well describe the accumulative affect of inhaling different toxins over the years, not just inhaling one toxin over time.

Over time, the toxin residues build up in the lungs and may cause lung problems.
Asthma? COPD? Lung Cancer? Sarcoidosis (cause unknown) usually makes itself at home in the lungs too.
Over time of inhaling toxins, the lungs might become weakened and susceptible to such things as Pneumonia.
“If you inhale toxic materials, you can injure your lungs and cause chemical pneumonia.bugs and other diseases affecting the lungs….”
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/bacterial-pneumonia

Take smokers for example (keep in mind only about 20% of smokers get COPD, (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) 4th leading cause of death in the US – While approximately 80% COPDers were smokers.

It might take 20 years for a person to develop symptoms enough to talk to their doctor about shortness of breath and other indicators. By that time, 50% of the lungs may already be destroyed.
Early detection can save lives by the simple and fast Spirometry test. Talk to your doctor, get tested – the quality life you save might be your own.

http://www.nationaljewish.org/programs/tests/pulmonary-physiology/pulmonary-function/spirometry.aspx
National Jewish is the leading Pulmonary Hospital in the US, according to US News and Reports – more importantly, National Jewish in Denver offers FREE Spirometry testing throughout the year.

We take our lungs for granted until they are damaged. So a little inhaling of the:
“” heavy odor, which some considered overwhelming. ”
Might well be the wake-up call or the 3nd to the last nail pounded in your lung coffin.

Remember our lungs filter everything we inhale – Be good to them.