Everybody wishes a long and
healthy life to spend with his loved ones. But do you know that smoking can
reduce your life day by day? Nowadays, smoking is accepted pretty much
everywhere - even in doctors' clinics. But this trend must be changed by
creating awareness among people about the health problems it causes for smoking
is very dangerous to health. A recent study shows that around 10 million people
will die in 2010 because of smoking. About 1.1 billion people in the world are
in the habit of smoking and regularly 800 million persons are getting addicted
to smoking. Moreover, around 4000 chemicals are found in the smoke of
cigarettes, out of which 50 chemicals are those which can cause cancer; 80 to 90
percent people die because of lungs cancer. And in developed countries 30
percent have the problem of mouth, lung and stomach cancer. Here are some
harmful effects of smoking.
Effects of smoking
- Smoking slows down the flow of blood into vessels which is the major cause of
blood pressure and heart attack. Lung cancer is very common among the smokers.
Initially, it's a simple bronchitis which leads to lung cancer.
- Teeth become yellowish in colour because of the tar that accumulates on them.
- Smoking can increase the fat deposition - especially in the blood vessels -
which can block these vessels.
- One out of five smokers can die from heart attack.
- Skin becomes dry and desiccant and the smoker loses his fresh look.
- Men who smoke can become impotent. There sperm production rate becomes low,
compared to non-smokers. Mostly, sperms of smokers are in abnormal condition.
- Women who smoke have less chance to get pregnant and have shown a higher rate
to miscarriage.
- Children whose parents smoke can suffer from asthma in their early ages.
- People with asthma are at special risk from smoking because smoke can clog
their lungs with mucus and make it much harder for them to move air in and out
of their body.
- People who smoke have poor asthma control and more asthma attacks.
Smoking makes asthma more severe. Smokers with asthma need to go to the hospital
more often.
- Smoking is not only injurious to health, but is a constant financial drain.
Effects of passive smoking
We all are familiar with the terms 'second hand smoke' or 'passive smoking'.
Simply put, it means that although we do not smoke, we still face risks from the
smokers around us. But this smoke is by no means passive; it's actually very
aggressive, particularly with children and their developing lungs.
Even though smoking is banned in many public places now (it seems that it is
just a ban on papers and one cannot see any implementation from the side of the
government), it is not banned in the most important place for children - their
homes! And as much as we may wish to think that all smokers go outside their
homes to smoke, the fact is that they don't. Many parents or relatives of babies
and children smoke near them on a regular basis.
It has long been known that smoking around children increases their chances of
asthma, lung disease and upper respiratory infections. But new studies show that
children exposed to cigarette smoke are actually far more likely to succumb to
all sorts of infections - not just upper respiratory ones. Smoke weakens a
child's immune system.
* Even if you don't smoke, you may still run into smoky situations in
restaurants, offices or even at home if one of your family members smokes.
* Secondhand smoke is a known asthma trigger, so you'll want to avoid it as much
as possible if you have asthma.
* If you hang out with smokers or have a family member who smokes in the house,
you are likely to have more frequent and severe asthma symptoms.
* Scientific studies of passive smoking effects on health show increased risks
of lung disease, heart disease, and various illnesses for people continually
exposed to secondhand smoke.
There's not much you can do about other people's behaviour, but you should let
your friends and family know that what they are doing is making your health
worse. Ask them not to smoke in your house or car. It's your air, after all.
Think about quitting
You may have started smoking because all your friends do or because you grew up
in a house where lots of people smoked. Some people try smoking because they are
curious or bored. No matter why you started, if you're thinking about quitting,
it would probably help you.
What should you do after quitting?
When you feel capable of going without cigarettes, you should do it completely.
That day, you can do the following:
Remove the things that remind you of smoking cigarettes.
Throw out all the cigarettes. Throw out or put away all the ashtrays, lighters
and matches. Even if they cost you money, all these objects are temptations to
start smoking again.
· Put something in your mouth Use a piece of carrot, celery, cinnamon stick,
toothpicks, cloves, mint or sugarless chewing gum.
· Keep busy For example, go for a walk, listen to music, read magazines or
books, call a friend over the telephone, play with the children, go shopping, or
rent a video. If you feel a desire to smoke, change the activity to keep busy.
· Rest
Take a rest or a nap. At night, go to bed early.
· Eat foods with high nutritional value
Include vegetables, cereals, fruits, meats and fish in your meals.
· Avoid drinks with caffeine
Coffee, tea and refreshments with caffeine can stimulate your desire to smoke.
Tell your friends and relatives that you are quitting smoking
It is important to tell your friends and relatives that you want to quit smoking
and to ask them not to offer you cigarettes. Ask your friends and relatives not
to give you cigarettes even if you ask for them.
The benefits of quitting smoking
* Within 20 minutes of quitting - your blood pressure and pulse rate drop to
normal and the temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
* Within 8 hours of quitting - your carbon monoxide levels drop and your oxygen
levels increase, both to normal levels.
* Within 24 hours of quitting - the risk of a sudden heart attack decreases.
* Within 48 hours of quitting - nerve endings begin to regenerate and your
senses of smell and taste begin to return to normal.
* Within 2 weeks to 3 months of quitting - your circulation improves and walking
becomes easier; even your lung function increases up to 30%.
* Within 1 to 9 months of quitting - your overall energy typically increases and
symptoms like coughing, nasal congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath
diminish; also, the small hair-like projections lining your lower airways begin
to function normally. This increases your lungs' ability to handle mucus, clean
the airways, and reduce infections.
* Within 1 year of quitting - your risk of coronary heart disease becomes 50
percent less than that of someone still using tobacco.
* Within 5 years of quitting - the lung cancer death rate decreases by nearly 50
percent compared to one pack/day smokers; the risk of cancer of the mouth is
half that of a tobacco user.
Within 10 years of quitting - your lung cancer death rate becomes similar to
that of someone who never smoked; precancerous cells are replaced with normal
cells; your risk of stroke is lowered, possibly to that of a nonuser; your risk
of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas all go
down.
To conclude, smoking is bad for your health, because it produces a lot of damage
and in extreme cases, even death. Smoking kills slowly; so if you are a smoker,
you are at risk. You are dying! Quit smoking before it is too late. So, quit
smoking before it kills you.