Differences in computerised respiratory sounds of nonsmokers and smokers

Abstract

Smoking is often associated with the development of acute and chronic respiratory diseases. However, if detected early, the changes in the pulmonary tissue caused by smoking may be reversible. Computerised respiratory sounds, namely crackles, have shown to be sensitive to detect changes within the pulmonary tissue, however it is unknown if it allows to detect early changes in the lungs of healthy smokers. Results showed that smokers presented more fine crackles than non-smokers. Fine crackles are often the earliest sign of disease. Thus, crackles might be a promising measure to early detect respiratory diseases in smokers.