I smoked for years and my lungs are probably fairly shot. How does the high altitude of Quito and Cuenca affect long term smokers, whether or not they are still smoking? Just curious... as that would be a deterrent to me as I wonder how my lungs would fare after years of smoking in that high of an altitude.
Altitude and Smokers
ActionMgt
03 April 2013 17:19:38
0
jm141302
03 April 2013 18:31:48
105
Everyone reacts differently to high altitude, smoker or not. I smoked roughly a pack a day for 10 years, quit 3 years before moving to Quito, and I handle high altitude without any problems.
One study I found looked at 200 non-smokers and 200 smokers who traveled to 4500+ meters above sea level to work for 6 months. They found that the smokers had slightly less trouble with Acute Mountain Sickness than non-smokers in the beginning but didn't adapt as well as the non-smokers in the long term. The study did not look at ex-smokers. http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/201 … 00623.full
Unfortunately, you really won't know how it will affect you personally until you get here. I suppose you could try testing your short-term reaction to altitude by traveling to a higher altitude location in Colorado and spending some time there.
ActionMgt
03 April 2013 18:39:15
0
that sounds encouraging.. thanks for the help. Maybe I am just worrying about nothing.
Themiddleoftheworld
03 April 2013 22:39:53
117
Action,
There are ALOT of smokers here in Quito. I am a social smoker (that means I like my smokes with my whiskey). I found the first week to be pretty tough altitude wise if I had to walk up a few flights of stairs. I am also in good physical condition with no known medical conditions so the smoking may or may not be related.
Mike
[email protected]
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