Inhaling Revisited

olkofri · Oct 14, 2017

What are the 'symptoms' of accidental/incidental inhalation? (No Google, please, all I can get from searches are the doom and gloom dire messages from the anti-smoking establishment. Hard to find any objective and useful information nowadays.)
After picking up my pipe again last Monday after a week's rest for my tongue, I've noticed I'm coughing a bit more than when I started smoking pipes. Yeah, I've managed to singe my tongue much less, even though my pipe keeps going out constantly, but I'm wondering if I'm accidentally/incidentally inhaling the smoke when I sip or light/relight the pipe. I've never had bouts of severe coughing, mind, or any nicotine rushes or whatchamacallit (don't even have a headache after smoking), but I do tend to cough a bit here and there and feel a constraining sensation in my chest.
Any ideas?

Chasing Embers · Oct 14, 2017

I would imagine those symptoms would be from habitual inhaling, not the ocassional accident. May want to see a doctor about that chest sensation.

olkofri · Oct 14, 2017

Hmm, maybe I shoulda typed 'continuous incidental inhalation'. I'm afraid every time I sip or puff when lighting, some smoke is finding its way in and below.

Chasing Embers · Oct 14, 2017

Bad olkofri, no tobacco for you! Really though, inhaling pipe tobacco will be worse than smoking a cigarette because of the lack of a true filter. Pipe filters don't count, they're just moisture absorbers. Start training yourself not to inhale the pipe smoke.

olkofri · Oct 14, 2017

Yeah, have to keep working on my technique. I spent some time yesterday sucking water through a straw, and sucking air through a straw as well.
Pisses me off. What I never did with cigarettes, now I'm unwillingly doing with a pipe.
On another note, kinda coincidentally, I started taking some medicine last Monday one of whose side effects is to irritate the GI tract. So, I'm guessing it might be esophagus rather than traquea, but still. I'll put the pipes away for a few days and see what happens. I'll continue sucking through a straw in the meanwhile.
The only other thing that changed, is that I've been using a pipe lighter this week. But I can't see how that would change things, it's not like one inhales the butane or something.
Thanks, mate.

Chasing Embers · Oct 14, 2017

Very welcome. It does have a learning curve, but it is one that we all go through.

mayfair70 · Oct 14, 2017

A constraining sensation in the chest could be asthma or a heart attack. Don't gamble, get it checked out.

auburnfan · Oct 14, 2017

I don't recommend it, but, Inhaling your pipe every now and then is not something to worry about. Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and it will make it almost impossible to inhale.

nukesimi · Oct 15, 2017

Ahem...alcohol.

samugeki123 · Nov 29, 2017

Pretty much the only time that I inhale is when i have to cough and have a mouth of smoke, or i'm outside and the wind blows the smoke back at me

cosmicfolklore · Nov 29, 2017

Here's one that I know about first hand. When you inhale, you burn out all of the little silia hairs in your lungs. These hairs moves debris up your bronchial tubes and out of the lungs. These are pretty important little hairs. But, inhalation smokers don't have them.

The moment you stop smoking, they start growing back.

After one week, you will develop a cough as these hairs are moving debris out, for the first time in a long time, and it causes the sensation to cough.

If you want to get rid of that coughing sensation, either wait a few more weeks, or inhale again, killing off those hairs again, which leads to further breakdown on a pretty important organ in your body.

mso489 · Nov 29, 2017

If the cough clearly stops when you stop smoking a pipe for a few days, and resumes when you smoke, and likewise with the constricted feeling in your chest, I'd say smoking isn't for you. If the cough and chest sensation continue when you are not smoking, you need to have that looked at by a doctor. Until you get a handle on this, I'd smoke only occasionally, like maybe once or twice a week, or not at all. Also, take assessment of other possible causes like meds, allergies, environmental exposures, etc. As you "mature," season changes can become more challenging too.

upnorth1 · Nov 29, 2017

If you smoke indoors, especially in a small room, you may be inhaling a fair amount of your own second hand smoke. I only smoke outdoors and I know some indoor pipe smokers have dedicated ventilation systems in their smoking area or man cave.

deathmetal · Nov 29, 2017

I only smoke outdoors and I know some indoor pipe smokers have dedicated ventilation systems in their smoking area or man cave.

Or just a cross-breeze, which is quite pleasant to experience anyway...

olkofri · Nov 29, 2017

If you smoke indoors, especially in a small room, you may be inhaling a fair amount of your own second hand smoke.

I think this is what was happening. Smoking in my car with the windows rolled up is probably not the best idea. But it's the only way I can smoke my pipe in the winter time.

samugeki123 · Nov 29, 2017

The reason i cough while smoking is usually caused by chest congestion, an asthma flare up or acid reflux making me have to cough -it is a real thing that happens-

jpmcwjr · Nov 30, 2017

Turn up the heat and open the window!

upnorth1 · Nov 30, 2017

Well it's winter here too in Quebec and some days the temperature is tolerable enough to smoke outside. A warm jacket and a pipe of Navy Rolls in the sun on my back deck was just the ticket today. I don't think that smoking a whole pipeful of anything in a car with the windows up can be construed as not inhaling. Step outside and enjoy that pipe when the weather permits or find a much bigger smoking space.

olkofri · Nov 30, 2017

It's hard to find a smoking area here. Now, with the new smoke-free BS city bylaws, you can't sit on a bench in the park and enjoy anymore. You're still allowed to lunt, but I'd find that a bit difficult when I'm having trouble keeping the pipe lit and/or with Saskatchewan's winds.
I try rolling the window down a bit, but I don't want to make smoke signals. Technically, I'm not allowed to smoke in the varsity's parking lot either, not even inside my car with the windows closed. Just more anti-smoking BS, but in this case I mentally tell tell the powers that be to go jump in the lake and light up; but then again, not want to draw attention to myself: too many Planeteers out there ratting people out.

PaulTheScandinavian · Dec 1, 2017

Olkofri:My guess is that no will be interested what You doing inside your own car whether is widows up or down.At least I'm a bit too old to bother what other may or may not be thinking when I'm having my pipe or cigar.

Inhaling Revisited

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