Dangers of Cigarette Smoking
Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes
When you are aware of the dangers of smoking cigarettes, you can persuade yourself and others to quit the habit. Read this article to understand the harmful effects of smoking on your health. The habit of smoking cigarettes is addictive in nature. For this reason, even though smoking causes death for millions of people all across the world, most smokers are unable to stop smoking. Addiction towards cigarettes develop mainly because of presence of nicotine in tobacco. It is not just an addictive substance but is poisonous too. You will be surprised to know that if a condensed form of this colorless liquid is injected into human body, then that person will die within minutes. Besides, there are other chemicals that are added by the manufacturers to make the cigarette burn properly. So, you can imagine the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
Harmful Effects of Smoking Cigarettes
Nicotine that you inhale with tobacco smoke first enters the lungs and then it reaches the brain and other parts of the body within 10 seconds. It remains in the bloodstream for the next 6-8 hours and affect your body adversely. So, when you are smoking cigarettes continuously throughout the day, the nicotine will remain present in the bloodstream all the time.
Nicotine influences the functioning of the brain. As a result, the brain increases secretion of adrenaline hormone in the body. This will bring about some abnormal changes in the body almost instantly that include rise in the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate of the smoker.
Smoking can cause irreversible damage to the blood vessels of the body. It hardens up the arteries and cause blockage which make the smoker prone to high blood pressure. When a person smokes, the heart has to work harder to maintain the normal blood flow through the narrowed arteries. If it continues for a long time, the heart get weakened and the smoker develops serious heart disease which may eventually lead to death.
Those who smoke cigarettes over a prolonged period of time are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer which is life threatening. The worst part of lung cancer is that by the time it is detected, it has already spread to other areas of the body which makes it untreatable. Other forms of cancer that affect smokers include throat cancer, moth cancer, breast cancer, pancreas cancer and so on.
Cigarettes smoking has an adverse effect on the sexual health of both men and women. In men, heavy smoking can lead to impotence, erectile dysfunction, low sperm count. Regular smoking by women increases the chances of infertility. Research studies have found that those women who smoke often reach menopause at an early age.
The dangers of smoking cigarettes while pregnant is not confined to the expecting mother only but will affect the unborn baby too. Nicotine can penetrate into the mother's womb and harm the baby. Firstly, for the mother, smoking can increase the chance of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, etc. As adequate amount of oxygen do not reach out to the growing fetus, its normal growth is likely to get affected. Moreover, it may give rise to other respiratory problems, low birth weight, mental retardation, etc. Therefore, pregnant women should not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke as well.
You should not forget the dangers of smoking cigarettes for kids. They are mostly exposed to tobacco smoke through passive smoking or secondhand smoking. The harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes have a stronger impact on small children because their immune system are not that strong and their lungs and other internal organs are not fully developed either. Exposure to smoke make children susceptible to smoking related diseases like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, etc.
On an average, one single cigarette contains about 9 mg of nicotine. Most of the nicotine is burned off and almost 1 mg of it enters your body with each cigarette that you smoke. Even this small amount of nicotine can cause severe harm to your body. Therefore, to protect yourself and your loved ones from dangers of smoking cigarettes, you should quit smoking and encourage others to do the same.
By Bidisha Mukherjee
Published: 2/25/2011
Lung Diseases Caused by Smoking
Smoking Kills. Heard that one? But how? Smoking can lead to several lung diseases and in the article that follows, we will look at some of the major lung diseases caused by smoking. Continue reading for a detailed study of the same. And there you are - One leg up against the wall, the shirt collar pulled up, sleeves folded to the elbow and a cigarette in the mouth. Puffing ring shaped puffs in the air, all casual and suave. Then suddenly a bout of cough - Long drawn and painful. Gasping for air, tears streaming down the eyes, hands clutched to the heart; the cigarette dropped to the floor. Smoke still raising to the air and bringing about more spasms of cough...
That is what happens when there is smoking in a person's life. This and more. Smoking kills, we've all heard. But how does it kill? There are over 500 and more chemicals in cigarettes, did you know? These include nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide etc. So when one smokes a cigarette, he/she is stuffing the body with these poisonous substances and causing untold misery in the form of lung diseases. The dangers of smoking does not stay confined to merely lung diseases however, but affects the rest of the body as well, leading to cardiovascular diseases and a slow degeneration of the body.
Smoking cigarettes causes the chemicals to go directly into the lungs (initially) without distributing anywhere else in the body and the effect is thereby directed exclusively to the lungs. Which means that the lungs suffer the maximum injury. As a result several lung diseases caused by smoking, arise. These diseases do not remain limited to the lungs itself but spread to other parts of the body and cause other complications as well. In this article, we will focus on the varied lung diseases caused by smoking cigarettes. Read more on harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes.
Lung and Respiratory Diseases Caused by Smoking
Smoking affects the entire air passage and thereby causes maximum damage to the lungs and the airway. The diseases that smoking leads to can vary in severity depending from the consistency and the time period that the activity has been carried out. Here is a list of the diseases that can follow up as effects of smoking.
COPD
What is COPD? COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and is sometimes also known as COLD (Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease). This is a severe form of bronchitis and emphysema that is characterized by the obstruction of the airway due to the slow collapse of the air sacs. The elasticity of the air sacs and the air way is lost and the organs start getting weaker and weaker. There is a formation of excessive mucus that further blocks the airway and leads to more damage. COPD is a common occurrence in people who are regular smokers as well as those who smoke consistently. The symptoms that it leads to include coughing, chest infections, mucus formation, tightness of chest, shortness of breath and a general difficulty in breathing.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is caused when there is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. The chemicals from the smoke cause the bronchial lining to corrode and get irritated. This then leads to severe inflammation and causes uneasiness and burning. To combat this feeling, the body produces an excess of mucus, which causes blockage in the airways and restricts breathing. This can also lead to chronic bronchitis.
Asthma
Asthma is caused when the airway contracts considerably, such that there is difficulty for the air to pass to the lungs successfully. Thus, there is difficulty in breathing. It also causes heaviness and panting when there is mild or heavy activity undertaken. This is because the airway is already compromised and therefore, if there is any activity, there is extra pressure put on the lungs. This also leads to excessive coughing and shortness of breath.
Emphysema
Emphysema is another disease which causes blockage of the airway because of the collapse of the tissues that form the air sacs. Eventually the lung tissue also weakens and causes the air sacs to degenerate. There is severe wheezing and coughing in this condition, which only gets worse with time.
The other diseases that are caused by smoking also include pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis and lung cancer. Some of these conditions, if not detected and treated on time can prove to be fatal.
This article on the varied lung diseases caused by smoking will have helped you understand just how toxic and harmful smoking can be. The very fact that it can cause conditions that could prove to be fatal will help you put things into perspective, take up some stop smoking tips and look through some means of quitting the habit...for good.
By Rujuta Borkar
Published: 2/5/2011
Cause and Effect of Smoking
To define the cause and effect of smoking on one single page is an impossible task. There are many factors that lead people to take up smoking, and there are hundreds of different ways in which this habit could harm an individual. The cause and effect of smoking is something that poses a huge dilemma in our daily lives. Since a young age we are told about the many harmful effects of smoking and why we should stay away from it, but as we grow older we find that a majority of people are addicted to smoking and beyond redemption. This stems from the fact that cigarettes are a huge source of revenue for the Government, and try as they may, they cannot cover up the fact that cigarettes provide huge income for them. It is for this reason alone, that smoking will never be banned by the Government, in spite of so many people getting afflicted by its effects.
Lung cancer and mouth cancer are some of the biggest dangers of smoking, and one single cigarette contains thousands of harmful chemicals. Here are some of the chemicals in cigarettes. You will occasionally come across a number of 'Cause and effect of smoking - essays' around you, but the reality is that there are very few people who can actually recognize the dangers involved, and quit smoking altogether. Even though around 450,000 people die due to smoking every single year in the United States alone, the number of smokers just keeps rising and people do not stop smoking.
Cause and Effect of Smoking Cigarettes
When we speak of smoking, we generally refer to cigarettes, but there are many other substances that are smoked that are dangerous to the human body as well. As we all know, cigarettes contain the very harmful substance known as nicotine, and this causes irreversible damage in the long run. To get to the bottom of potential causes of smoking, one needs to understand the basic psychology behind people taking up the habit of smoking. The problems of teen smoking and women smoking cigarettes is also something that needs to be addressed in a responsible manner.
Here are some of the most commonly seen causes of smoking.
• Peer pressure. This is the single biggest reason why teenagers start smoking.
• Feelings of stress and fatigue. The nicotine certainly makes one feel relaxed, but this comes at a painful price of addiction.
• Growing up in a house or environment where people regularly smoke.
• Experiencing a total lack of discouragement against smoking.
• Ignorance about all the disadvantages and risks of smoking cigarettes.
Getting to the bottom of why do people smoke cigarettes is something that can only be understood completely by understanding the nature of the individual. Different people have different reasons why they take up this habit, and to make a universal list of cause and effect of smoking is virtually impossible. Still, here are the effects of smoking cigarettes, and needless to say, most of these pose a very real danger to the health and well being of an individual.
• The blood pressure and the heart rate rise.
• The person may experience dizziness and nausea for a short or long period of time after smoking the cigarette.
• The person will experience a considerably lower appetite.
• The sense of taste and smell of the individual will be affected as well.
• The individuals eyes will start watering.
• The blood circulation in the body will be negatively affected.
• Chronic coughing and shortness of breath will often be experienced.
• The cigarettes will leave a yellow stain on the fingers and teeth of the person, and a black stain on the lips of the person.
• The immune system of the individual will be weakened.
• The overall fitness and stamina of the individual will be weakened.
• The person will appear older due to the appearance of more wrinkles and lines on the face.
• Increased risk of various smoking related diseases and disorders like heart attacks, coronary disorders, different kinds of cancer, respiratory tract infections, ulcers in the stomach, peripheral vascular disease and emphysema.
All these effects of smoking should be enough to lead anyone to question their true motives for smoking. It is also true that these effects affect people in different ways. It all depends on the number of cigarettes the individual smokes in a day, the amount of time he/she has been smoking for, the general health and fitness of the individual and the kind of lifestyle that he/she leads. These smoking facts and myths also clear out some long lingering doubts about smoking.
Simply knowing about the cause and effect of smoking is not adequate enough. Here are some smoking facts and statistics related to smoking deaths that should be a cause for alarm for any smoker.
• 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.
• People who smoke are 20 times more likely to contract some form of cancer.
• Around 25% of adults in the US are smokers, and around 30% of high school students are smokers.
• Secondhand smoke causes around 3000 deaths annually in the US.
When you compare the cause and effect of smoking cigarettes with the cause and effect of smoking weed, or marijuana, you will find many differences. Cigarettes are certainly more harmful than weed, and this is something that surprises many people, considering that marijuana is illegal and is classified as a narcotic. It is definitely less harmful than tobacco, and it is certainly less addictive than cigarettes. The reason for the continued legalization of cigarettes is the high income that it generates thanks to the large number of smokers all around the world. If the Government is serious about getting rid of smoking, they need to be bold enough to go ahead and impose a smoking ban and enforce it effectively.
There is so much more to learn about the cause and effect of smoking, and most of these factors are beyond the realms of this article. This is a very vast and insinuating issue, and this is something that almost everyone has an opinion on.
By Rahul Thadani
Published: 10/16/2010
Smoking Related Diseases
We have often heard that "Smoking is injurious to health", haven't we? It's obvious it affects the body in a BAD way. This article elaborates on the smoking related diseases and tobacco health hazards. I hope people will quit smoking after reading this one. Cigar smoke might seem like a fascination, but it does no good to your health. Nicotine and carbon monoxide are the two harmful components of cigars, responsible for deteriorating the body health. Nicotine actually acts as a drug/stimulant and thus responsible for the hallucinations and so-called "addiction". Carbon monoxide, on the other hand competes with the body oxygen and gets accumulated in the walls of the arteries narrowing their width and gasping the heart for more blood and oxygen. We need to understand that smoking is related to, rather responsible for many smoking related diseases and complications. Take a look at the diseases caused by smoking and the smoking dangers enlisted below.
List of Smoking Related Diseases
Heart Diseases: Smoking impairs the function of the most important organ of the body, the heart. As I mentioned earlier, carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen absorbing capacity of the body and facilitates deposition of cholesterol and other fatty materials in the blood vessels making the heart starve of oxygen and blood supply. It also increases the blood pressure and the heart rate, quite naturally and clots the blood as well. Heart attacks and strokes are common causes of blocked blood vessels, to which the smokers are at higher risks. Go through smoking effect on heart to know in details.
Lung Diseases: It's obvious that since smoking involves inhalation of smoke, it affects the lungs as well leading to a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) including diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Of the many smokers around the world, COPD kills majority of them almost around 15%.
Blood Circulation Problems: The condition known as atherosclerosis, characterized by deposition of fatty materials, prevails in chain smokers which might lead to gangrene and thus amputation of legs and hands. Lack of blood circulation to the lower parts of the body due to blocked vessels leads to cramps and pains as well.
Smoking Related Diseases of Bones: Osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones), common in women, results because of excessive smoking.
Mouth and Throat Diseases: Smoking, no doubts, results in bad mouth breath and stained teeth along with causing various gum diseases and increased risk of damage to the taste senses.
Smoking Related Diseases of Eyes: Heavy smoking leads to Graves' opthalmopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. It can also lead to permanent blindness.
Smoking Related Diseases of Skin: Smoking is known to show the aging effects on the smokers at a younger age, characterized by gray and dull skin deprived of oxygen.
Reproduction and Fertility Problems: Impotency, low sperm count and sperm damage are the common smoking related problems in heavy smokers. Pregnant women indulging into smoking have higher risks of miscarriages and abortions since it affects the baby's health as well. You can also go through the effects of smoking cigarettes for more information on smoking effects during pregnancy.
Smoking Related Cancers
Chewing tobacco leads to various body cancers. Smokers are at a higher risk of suffering from these. Below are the enlisted one's.
• Bladder cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Lung cancer
• Esophagal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Oral cavity
• Tongue cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Pharyngeal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Throat cancer
• Lip cancer
• Testicular cancer
Smoking not only affects the smokers, but the inhalation of the cigar smoke might lead to various smoking related illnesses in people around them. So, the best option is to quit smoking at the right time before it gets too late. Go through some smoking facts for more understanding. The list of smoking related diseases is increasing day-by-day as research continues and the frequency of smoking as well.
I don't need to mention any further that cigar smoke kills and smoking related diseases are hazardous. I hope that the diseases caused by tobacco mentioned above, will make you realize the harmful effects of smoking cigarette on health. So try quit smoking for better health and lifestyle. Since, teen smoking is pretty popular now-a-days, this article is for them. Good luck!
By Mrunmayi Deo
Published: 9/10/2010
Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy
Are you aware of the hazardous effects of smoking during pregnancy? This article will give you more information on the danger of smoking during pregnancy. Read on. Cigarette smoking is one of the causes of several respiratory disorders in human beings. The smoke and nicotine in cigarette affects the lungs leading to respiratory diseases like lung cancer and other lung diseases. Therefore, we are all aware of the detrimental short and long term effects of smoking. Cigarette smoking is specially worse during pregnancy as both the baby as well as the mother can be harmed due to the effects of smoking during pregnancy. Let us take a look at the consequences of smoking during pregnancy in detail.
Dangers of Smoking During Pregnancy
Shockingly, it is found that there are around 10-15% women smoking cigarettes during pregnancy. They are probably unaware of the short and long term effects of smoking during pregnancy. The following are the effects of smoking while pregnant:
• One of the early side effects of smoking in adulthood in case of women is that it can moderately reduce fertility over time.
• Smoking increases the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth.
• Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
• Babies of mother who smoke have a lower birth weight as compared to others.
• One of the other harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy is decreased supply of oxygen to the mother and the baby. In case of baby, this leads to underdevelopment of organs.
• Nicotine side effects also include plancenta problems in case of the mother like placenta praevia and placental abruption.
• The constant exposure to carbon monoxide due to smoking, can increase the risk of respiratory diseases in the mother and also lead to abnormal or impaired growth in the baby.
• Premature labor is another major effect of smoking during pregnancy. The mother may go into labor before 37 weeks gestation.
• Babies, exposed to cigarette smoke are at a higher risk of contracting respiratory diseases like asthma in future.
• Lastly, if the mother is a chain smoker, there are high chances of the baby to be born mentally retarded.
Dangers of Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy
Apart from these harmful effects of smoking on the body of the mother and the baby; there are several other side effects caused due to passive smoking. Are you wondering, that is there a relation between effects of secondhand smoke (passive smoke) and pregnancy? Then one should note that secondhand smoke is also equally harmful to the mother and the baby. The following are the passive smoking effects experienced during pregnancy.
• Constant cough
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Persistent sore throat
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Tuberculosis
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Decreased milk production
Secondhand smoking can also affect the baby and increase its risk of chronic respiratory diseases. Secondly, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is one of the significant effects of secondhand smoke. It should be noted that there are chances of the baby suffering from SIDS merely be exposure to secondhand smoke; even when the mother did not smoke during pregnancy.
Apart from these effects of smoking during pregnancy, one should note that there are several life threatening diseases caused by smoking. It only proves that smoking deteriorates the body in the longer run. Therefore, it is wise to quit smoking as early as possible. Women should stop smoking long before they plan for pregnancy. There are several methods that help in quitting smoking. Pregnant women should also be careful to not to get exposed to secondhand smoke and request partners to stop or reduce smoking.
These are some of the effects of smoking during pregnancy. Lastly, one should note that merely reducing the amount of smoking is not enough; women should quit smoking completely to avoid any consequences during pregnancy and after child birth. Take care!
By Madhura Pandit
Published: 8/12/2010
Smoking Effects on Lungs
In the following article, we will throw some light on smoking effects on lungs in a bid to make you aware of the numerous hazardous effects of smoking tobacco. Continue reading to understand how smoking cigarettes can affect your respiratory system. Almost everybody are aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health, and have a rough idea about the harmful effects of smoking cigarette on various organs of the human body. Brain, stomach, skin, teeth, liver... You name it, and that organ has to bear the brunt of smoking in some or the other way. Among the various human body systems affected by excessive smoking, the respiratory system is by far the most affected. Excessive smoking has same effects on the lungs, as excessive consumption of alcohol does on liver and kidney. In order to understand smoking effects on lungs one has to understand how the human respiratory system works to ensure smooth functioning of the body.
How Does the Respiratory System Work?
Our respiratory system gets into action as soon as we breathe air through the two vents - nose and mouth. This air travels down all the through the windpipe, i.e. the 'trachea', into the lungs wherein the oxygen in the air is absorbed and sent to the blood stream. The trachea, has tiny hairlike projections known as 'cilia' all along it. These tiny projections act as a filter, and keep all the harmful particles in the air out of our body. The trachea, which guides the air to the lungs, is divided into two bronchial tubes - one towards the left and other towards the right. As the air travels down the throat, these bronchial tubes start getting smaller and smaller and eventually meet the air sacs known as 'alveoli'. The exchange of gases takes place in these very air sacs, wherein oxygen and carbon dioxide are separated and oxygen is absorbed by the blood cells and taken to the different parts of the body. Now that you know how the respiratory system works, you ca go on and see how does smoking hurt your lungs and body.
Smoking Effects on Lungs and Respiratory System
That brings us back to the effects of smoking on lungs. Basically, tobacco smoke contains numerous harmful ingredients including nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in it. When inhaled, each of these ingredients can result in hazardous effects on our respiratory system, especially the lungs which are the most important among the various organs of the respiratory system. When the smoke of a cigarette starts entering the respiratory system, it tends to disturb cilia in the respiratory tract. As a part of the defense mechanism, mucus is released in the tract in order to avoid any harmful particles from entering the lungs. At the same time, nicotine tends to constrict the blood vessels and restricts the blood flow to the air sacs from where it is supposed to be taken to entire body. The cilia, which are in charge of the defense mechanism of the respiratory system, are rendered useless due to the damage caused to them by nicotine. This damage to the cilia also makes the person vulnerable to various other disorders, as the person's immune system is compromised.
As the individual gets used to smoking, the tar in the smoke gets deposited all along the bronchial tubes and blocks them, thus making the flow of air difficult. Many a times we see people who smoke coughing excessively. This coughing is nothing but a defense mechanism of the body wherein the lung tries to get rid of the tar accumulated in the bronchial tubes, and restore the normal respiration process. The damage caused to cilia plays a spoilsport here as well as it makes it difficult for the body to get rid of accumulated tar. This tar has to be cleared off in order to make sure that the air sacs continue to work properly. If the tar is not cleared off, the air sacs can suffer irreversible damage. Over the period of times the walls of the air sacs weaken and collapse, thus resulting in hampering of gas exchange and resulting in emphysema. As these harmful chemicals in cigarette continue to work on the lungs, the normal cells in lungs turn to cancerous cells. Other than lung cancer, smoking can also result in stroke and heart attack, with latter being the most prominent cause of death in people addicted to smoking.
Those were the details of the harmful effects of smoking on lungs and respiratory system, which can result in a number of health complications and eventually result in death of the individual. Many a times, a person experiences excessive cough when he resorts to smoking cessation. While many people assume that this is one of the quit smoking effects on lungs, it is actually a sign of the fact that cilia in the respiratory tract is being repaired. When you stop smoking, you are bound to experience such cough which is a sign of cilia repair. However, if you continue to experience cough for more than 4 weeks, you should ideally consult doctor and opt or proper diagnosis.
By Abhijit Naik
Published: 8/23/2010
Smoking Effects on Heart
If you are indulging into smoking or have a fascination for trying it; then just go through the smoking effects on heart mentioned in this article. I hope you quit smoking after reading through... We all know how injurious smoking is, for our health. But there are people who are "cigar addicts", too many to count actually. It's needless to say that smoking kills, since it contains nicotine and carbon monoxide which are the most harmful chemicals that deteriorate our health. But the irony lies in the fact that these are the same chemicals which are responsible for the hallucinations and the famous "addiction". Pleasure, they might give, but just temporarily. It's very often that people smoke because of tensions or depressions or to narrowly escape from the responsibilities of life or just for the fun sake of it. We all are aware of teen smoking, surely. But, it's not going to do any good...
It is quite obvious that smoking affects the entire body, heart and brain in particular and in a BAD way. The smoking effects on heart are unavoidable. It is a common cause of all the cardiovascular heart diseases which include atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases, strokes, peripheral vascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and aorta aneurysm to mention the major one's. We all know that heart is the primary organ for supply of blood and oxygen to the entire body. Carbon monoxide competes with oxygen to combine with haemoglobin and gets absorbed in blood more faster than the latter; oxygen deficiency makes the heart starve to death. The heart is continuously working very hard to cope up with the oxygen and blood supply which gets hampered due to cigar smoke. Smoking is responsible for increased fibrinogen levels, a blood clotting protein as well the platelet count which causes the blood to stick around the blood vessels.
Effects of Smoking on Heart
Atherosclerosis: This condition is related to arteries characterized by deposition of plaques (fatty materials) and cholesterol in them and thus thickening them. The plaques are the result of the toxins released from nicotine. The most destructive thing that occurs because of fat deposition is the starvation of the heart for oxygen and blood supply due to blocked arteries. High cholesterol levels are bad as well.
Strokes (Cerebral Thrombosis): This condition is highly fatal since it affects the brain, needless to say, the most important part of our body; in which the brain is left deprived of oxygen and blood or the arteries burst off, leading to death. Subarachnoid, a form of haemorrhage, can prevail as well especially in women indulging into contraceptives.
Peripheral Vascular Disease: This condition is characterized by lesser blood supply to the hands and legs root cause being heavy deposition of fats and plaques and eventual blockage. This might lead to gangrene and amputation in worst cases.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's Disease): Heavy smokers are at higher risks to suffer from this condition characterized by inflammation of the arteries and thus leading to blockage.
Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm: This condition is characterized by ballooning of the aorta and thus rupture. Aorta is the largest artery which transports oxygenated blood to the whole body.
Coronary Heart Diseases
Heart Attacks: We always hear that heart attacks are a common cause of death but what is the reason for them to occur? Smoking is one of the many reasons; the excessive deposition of plaques blocks the coronary artery and the heart beat stops. As I mentioned before, our heart requires oxygen and blood supply continuously and when the supply cuts off, heart stops working resulting in death.
Angina: This defect occurs when the blood supply to the heart is interrupted; the reason again being heavy deposition of plaques in arteries or say due to exertion as well. It is not fatal but the symptoms include chest pain and tightness.
Smoking Effects on Heart Rate
As mentioned above, smoking not only hampers the heart function but also affects the heart rate. With the help of wide number of experiments carried out and examining the heart rates of smokers and non-smokers, it has been observed that the heart rate of smokers is significantly high as well the blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, arterial blood pressure). Male smokers show higher values than the females. Smokers with hypertension family background are at greater risks of increased heart rate which is quite obvious.
Quit Smoking
So if you are in those "chain smokers" category and are wondering how to quit smoking then, I would say it's not that difficult, if you have the confidence in yourself and the will power. Smoking is not a solution to all the problems, mind you. I believe, accepting the reality of life and facing it can work much better as compared to smoking. And for people who think that smoking is a fashion statement, are wrong in every damn sense. If you want to know how to quit smoking quick and fast, refer how to quit smoking.
I don't need to mention any further, that cigar smoke kills. Smoking effects on heart are very significant and hazardous. So, it's any day better to quit smoking if you want to live a healthy life. I hope the smokers have read and understood. Try quit smoking. All the best!
By Mrunmayi Deo
Published: 8/23/2010
Passive Smoking Effects
Passive smoking effects are equally hazardous as those of active smoking. Read on to know more on minor as well as long term passive smoking effects. You must be aware of the hazards of cigarette smoking, and hence, must be keeping away from it. But, do you know that passive smoking is equally deleterious to us? Let us get to know more on passive smoking.
Passive Smoking
Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation of the smoke from cigarettes or tobacco that is being smoked by others. This smoke is known as secondhand smoke (SHS). Passive smoking, also known as involuntary smoking, occurs when cigarette smoke spreads in the air and is inhaled by people who are present in the same environment. All over the world, it has been found that passive smoking is as injurious to health as the actual smoking itself.
Most of the times, passive smokers are the ones who live with smokers, and hence, are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke. On the other hand, a non-smoker can also get exposed to tobacco smoke while working in a smoky atmosphere or simply by being in a smoke-filled restaurant or bar. In either of the cases, non-smokers have high chances of passive smoking which is hazardous to their health. Let us have a look at the effects of passive smoking.
Passive Smoking Effects in Adults
As mentioned above, passive smoking can cause dangerous health effects. The following are minor side effects of passive smoking:
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Irritation of eyes
• Headache
• Nausea
• Infection in nose / ear
Apart from these, there are several other long term passive smoking effects which can lead to disability or even death. They include:
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Tuberculosis
• Hypertension
Some diseases are not directly caused due to passive smoking. But if a person continues being exposed to passive smoke for a long time, he has an increased risk of suffering from the following diseases:
• Heart diseases
• Diseases of the circulatory system
• Dementia
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Brain tumor
Passive Smoking Effects in Children
Passive smoking is more hazardous to children than to adults. As the immune system of children is very weak, they are at a higher risk of suffering from diseases. Passive smoking effects in children include:
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Allergy
• Infection in lungs / ear / throat
Passive Smoking Effects in Fetus
You may have heard that pregnant or expectant mothers are advised to quit smoking as it causes harm to the fetus. Passive smoking dangers in fetus include:
• Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Low production of milk (in mothers)
Read more on:
• Effects of Smoking
• Women Smoking Cigarettes
Prevention of Passive Smoking
As we have seen the numerous passive smoking effects, one should be equally careful about it, the sane way as one is aware of cigarette smoking. Smoking is banned in most of the parts of the world. In other parts, it is banned in enclosed places like restaurants, theaters, or other public places, in order to avoid the risks of passive smoking. On the other hand, smokers can help a lot for the prevention of passive smoking. Smokers should never smoke at home or in cars. This should be strictly followed especially if there are children at home. Although, it is always better to stop smoking, but if smokers cannot overcome smoking, they should do it outdoors, in open places. This way, the risk of passive smoking can be greatly reduced.
Read more on:
• Smoking Ban
• Smoking Cessation
One should remember that there are serious passive smoking effects, and hence, one should try to stay away from it.
By Madhura Pandit
Smoking Affects Potency
Smokers quickly become dependent on nicotine and cannot quit it even if they have health problems because of smoking.Though young men may smoke without consequences but the risk of impotence increases due to nicotine.Indeed, a strong erection and a full sexual life should be a great incentive to quit smoking.
Now everybody knows that smoking causes the appearance of cancer. It does not matter what you smoke: a simple cigarette, or pipe, or cigar. Any nicotine may cause cancer.
The worse is that smoking causes addiction. Smokers quickly become dependent on nicotine and cannot quit it even if they have health problems because of smoking.
The main problem is not physical dependence which comes in few weeks but just psychology when you habitually smoke after meal, during phone conversation, after sex and so on.
When these habits have been formed it will be more difficult to quit smoking. However there are other negative effects on the human body such as smoking influence on potency, libido, and sexual life.
How smoking affects potency. Smoking influence on potency
It is known that smoking increases blood pressure as each inhaling causes vasoconstriction worsening blood circulation including genitals.
According to the investigation published in the American magazine of epidemiology smoking was recognized as the main reason of atherosclerosis in 70% of all cases. Erection is a reaction of chemical substances in the muscle walls of arteries of penis and a vasodilatation process for filling them with blood. Vessel constriction can be disturbed in smokers and this adversely affects potency.
Then the development of atherosclerosis will lead to impotence. There are also evidences that smoking has an adverse effect on spermatogenesis and leads to sterility.
Recent study in China has shown that men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day suffer from erectile dysfunction more often (60%) than men who have never smoked. Though young men may smoke without consequences but the risk of impotence increases due to nicotine.
Men suffering from erectile dysfunction may buy cialis or viagra or other drugs the so called inhibitors. It will help to dilate vessels in the penis and gain erection but the risk of impotency still increases because of smoking.
You should quit smoking because sexual life is a solid reason. Can you really sacrifice the pleasure of sexual intercourse to smoking?
Indeed, a strong erection and a full sexual life should be a great incentive to quit smoking. So it is up to you to make a choice: a strong potency or smoking?
It is strange if you do not think of your sexual rates. So just do it. The most important is to smoke the last cigarette and interrupt infinite cycle.
By Norberto Sorian
Published: 1/24/2011
Smoking and Children
Try using this simple idea to help keep your kids from smoking.
There are strong links or associations between disease and certain risk factors. There are also strong links between social stimuli and behavioral outcome. One such social stimuli has received a lot of press in the last decade - the family meal.
What behaviors could possibly be associated with the family meal? Psychologists now know that quite a bit hinges on this simple concept of getting the family together at least once a day around a meal. Lets see what is happening at this congregation of appetites.
First of all, the family is all together. This creates a forum for communication between family members. In fact, it's almost an expected outcome of dining together - there must be conversation. If this gathering has been a component of the family structure all along, then nothing about this aspect of eating together seems foreign.
Secondly, children like to know that the family members all like each other. This helps create a safe haven in the mind's of children. They feel like they can find security and safety in the family unit. Much like wild animals do when they are a part of a whole versus when they are loners by themselves. Look at the wolf pack, for instance.
There is security in the pack, but in contrast, the coyote has to depend on it's wits and own self-preservation. Human children and adolescents are hardwired to live in packs rather than to be tossed to the winds of fortune. This sense of belonging and trust is reinforced at mealtime.
The evidence is quite strong that these two factors play a role in the child's behavior. As you would expect, the alcohol and substance abuse percentages are skewed heavily against those who do not regularly participate in a family dinnertime meal. Adolescent smoking is much higher in children whose families do not meet around the dinner table on a regular basis. That safety net is ripped and the bonds of meaningful conversation have been abandoned.
Unfortunately for the kids, mealtime is an easy thing to skip. What with the many activities that children find themselves needing to participate in. There's soccer, baseball, gymnastics, band, after school programs, karate, etc. Parents too, find themselves working longer hours, especially in tougher economies.
It all comes down to priorities. What are families willing to give up in order to help protect the ritual of eating together? In the long run, they may be giving up substance abuse, addiction, and all the other stigmas associated with those experiments. So reduce the risk that your children will take up smoking and have dinner with them, as a family, as much of the time as possible. Keep them from needing to find stop smoking help later in life.
By Tim Frymyer
Published: 5/27/2010
4 Effects of Second Hand Smoke
If you are a non-smoker and think you are safe from the health effects of second hand smoke, think again because you face a greater risk for diseases caused by smoking. Do you live with a smoker? Effects of second hand smoke are much deadlier. You are not protected from every harmful consequence at all. It may be unfair but that is how it is. (Why not show this article to the person you live with? Maybe it will encourage them to quit.)
So, what are the dangers second hand smoke brings?
Your heart suffers tremendously each time you inhale cigarette smoke.
Your heart’s arteries age much faster. Your heart has to work harder by pumping more blood due to lack of oxygen and the presence of carbon monoxide. Your heart beats irregularly.
Your blood pressure goes up. A raise in your blood pressure burdens your heart and blood vessels and increases your chance of getting a heart attack or a stroke.
Your lungs take a beating because they inhale poisonous carbon monoxide instead of fresh oxygen.
Your lungs are now more susceptible to a lot of lung diseases such as the simple cough, the life-threatening asthma attacks, and the complicated chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Lung diseases are negative effects of second hand smoke.
The airways of your lungs become narrow leading to production of mucus. Too much mucus becomes a breeding ground for different types of viruses and bacteria. These bacteria and viruses can cause lung infections such as tuberculosis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Cigarette smoke also causes scarring of your lung tissues.
Your Immune system is ravaged as you consistently inhale cigarette smoke.
Your immune cells become unhealthy and your immune system produces weak antibodies. These poor quality immune cells and antibodies are unable to effectively control invading viruses and bacteria.
The cigarette smoke you inhale causes your immune cells to attack the tissues of your lungs scarred by cigarette smoke, thinking they are fighting foreign bodies.
It kills healthy lymphocytes further causing the immune system not to function as fully as it should. It also stops the natural killing activity of your immune cells. It leads to chronic inflammation inside your body, which is the root of all diseases.
Your digestive system is not spared, either.
Cigarette smoke hinders your pancreas from producing sodium bicarbonate which neutralizes the acids in your stomach. Then it increases the amount of acid that your stomach secretes, and it strengthens H. Pylori bacteria that might already be present in the stomach.
All these can lead to peptic ulcers. What's worse is when you seek treatment for your ulcer and you still smoke, the healing takes longer.
Plus...different types of cancer are the most harmful consequence of exposure to second hand smoke. See Cancers: Effects of Second Hand Smoke.
By Belen Tanghal
Published: 1/20/2010
Here's a list of 50 reasons for quitting smoking. Some are scientifically based, some a stretch. Which one is your reason for quitting smoking?
1. I'll have fewer wrinkles.
2. After the first year, I'll have saved enough for a Caribbean cruise.
3. I save myself the embarrassment of having bad breath.
4. After the second year, I can bring someone with me for a Caribbean cruise.
5. I'll still be around to see my grandchildren.
6. I won't have to worry about early impotence.
7. I won't need to eat at a smoking section anymore.
8. There are programs that can help me.
9. I no longer need to spend time on counseling.
10. I'll live longer and healthier.
11. I won't feel like a leper in public.
12. I won't have to worry about how smoking is ruining my health.
13. The average person tries to stop smoking at least four times before succeeding. I may be on No 2 or 3, but I am better than average.
14. I won't have to lie to my children to hide my smoking habit.
15. My fingers won't get frostbites when I go outside.
16. I'll be able to exercise more.
17. I'll soon have the same life expectancy as a nonsmoker.
18. My spouse won't get emphysema.
19. I'll cough less.
20. I'll be able to taste and smell food again.
21. My children will have fewer ear and respiratory infections.
22. My lipstick won't smudge.
23. I won't have to wonder if my date is bothered by cigarette smoke.
24. My teeth will be much whiter.
25. I won't waste time looking for a smoking area all the time.
26. No more wheezing.
27. I won't have to listen to sarcastic talk like how much I taste like an ashtray during a kiss.
28. There are other safer and more effective ways of maintaining my weight.
29. My plants won't turn brown.
30. My baby is so much safer with a at lower risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
31. My fingers won't turn yellow.
32. I have more pocket space.
33. My lungs won't look like burnt BBQ beef.
34. No more burning holes in my clothes.
35. My spouse will be less likely to develop heart disease or lung cancer.
36. I'll have to pull off the road only when I need gas.
37. My car won't reek of stale smoke.
38. I won't ever need to breathe oxygen through a nasal tube.
39. My house won't reek of stale smoke.
40. My unborn child is safer from fetal defects.
41. I won't reek of stale smoke on my clothes and hair.
42. I'll be able to play with the little ones without gasping.
43. I won't have to feel isolated or unaccepted anymore.
44. No more feeling like smoking on airplanes.
45. I'll have more energy to do all the things I want to do.
46. I'll save money on lighters and matches.
47. I'll make new friends who see me as who I am.
48. I'll be taking back full control of my life.
49. I'll be a good role model for my children and others who I care for.
50. I know that I can quit smoking for life if I want to and I have the ability to choose not to smoke.
Quit Smoking Articles
Psychology of Smoking
Did you know how cigarettes triggers you to smoke? Here's a related explanation by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist who studied changes in behavior in the early 1900s. One of his observations were that dogs normally salivate just as they are given food. In one of his experiments, he rang a bell just before he fed his dogs. Subsequently, the dogs began to associate and link the sound of the bell with food. Soon, they salivated even if he rang the bell without giving them any food. The dogs had learned “The bell rings means I’m going to be fed!”. Pavlov describes this phenomenon as "a conditioned response".
The same "conditioned response" or association, the term we prefer to use, occurs with you and smoking. After smoking many, many cigarettes, your daily routine and acts become associated with smoking and triggers the urge to smoke. For example, if you smoke every time you drive, just getting into the car can activate associations to smoke, as if your brain tells you, “I’m in the car now so its time to smoke!”
Similarly, if you smoke immediately after you wake up each morning, you mind associates smoking with waking up from sleep. Even long after you’ve quit smoking, you may still get triggers to smoke when you wake up.
Understanding and dealing with these powerful associations is one of the most important part of quitting smoking.
A similar study by B.F. Skinner included a series of animal experiments to study how habits are formed. Skinner found that when behavior, good or bad, is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated and when punished, it is less likely to be repeated.
Just as in Skinner's research, smokers believe that smoking rewards by relaxing and soothing them. In addition, the close company of other smokers may also lead them to believe that smoking rewards them with social acceptance. Of course, there is no proof to these false perceptions. Still, smokers continue to smoke because they believe smoking rewards them somehow.
At the same time, smokers who try to quit smoking receive "punishment" through bad moods, irresistible urges and cravings. It is no wonder why smokers find it difficult to even consider quitting smoking.
**References
Human Psychopharmacology Volume 11
Journal of Drug Issues 31(2)
BBC Homepage
Your Medical Resource
The Quit Smoking Company
Men Health Magazine Online
When you are aware of the dangers of smoking cigarettes, you can persuade yourself and others to quit the habit. Read this article to understand the harmful effects of smoking on your health. The habit of smoking cigarettes is addictive in nature. For this reason, even though smoking causes death for millions of people all across the world, most smokers are unable to stop smoking. Addiction towards cigarettes develop mainly because of presence of nicotine in tobacco. It is not just an addictive substance but is poisonous too. You will be surprised to know that if a condensed form of this colorless liquid is injected into human body, then that person will die within minutes. Besides, there are other chemicals that are added by the manufacturers to make the cigarette burn properly. So, you can imagine the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
Harmful Effects of Smoking Cigarettes
Nicotine that you inhale with tobacco smoke first enters the lungs and then it reaches the brain and other parts of the body within 10 seconds. It remains in the bloodstream for the next 6-8 hours and affect your body adversely. So, when you are smoking cigarettes continuously throughout the day, the nicotine will remain present in the bloodstream all the time.
Nicotine influences the functioning of the brain. As a result, the brain increases secretion of adrenaline hormone in the body. This will bring about some abnormal changes in the body almost instantly that include rise in the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate of the smoker.
Smoking can cause irreversible damage to the blood vessels of the body. It hardens up the arteries and cause blockage which make the smoker prone to high blood pressure. When a person smokes, the heart has to work harder to maintain the normal blood flow through the narrowed arteries. If it continues for a long time, the heart get weakened and the smoker develops serious heart disease which may eventually lead to death.
Those who smoke cigarettes over a prolonged period of time are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer which is life threatening. The worst part of lung cancer is that by the time it is detected, it has already spread to other areas of the body which makes it untreatable. Other forms of cancer that affect smokers include throat cancer, moth cancer, breast cancer, pancreas cancer and so on.
Cigarettes smoking has an adverse effect on the sexual health of both men and women. In men, heavy smoking can lead to impotence, erectile dysfunction, low sperm count. Regular smoking by women increases the chances of infertility. Research studies have found that those women who smoke often reach menopause at an early age.
The dangers of smoking cigarettes while pregnant is not confined to the expecting mother only but will affect the unborn baby too. Nicotine can penetrate into the mother's womb and harm the baby. Firstly, for the mother, smoking can increase the chance of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, etc. As adequate amount of oxygen do not reach out to the growing fetus, its normal growth is likely to get affected. Moreover, it may give rise to other respiratory problems, low birth weight, mental retardation, etc. Therefore, pregnant women should not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke as well.
You should not forget the dangers of smoking cigarettes for kids. They are mostly exposed to tobacco smoke through passive smoking or secondhand smoking. The harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes have a stronger impact on small children because their immune system are not that strong and their lungs and other internal organs are not fully developed either. Exposure to smoke make children susceptible to smoking related diseases like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, etc.
On an average, one single cigarette contains about 9 mg of nicotine. Most of the nicotine is burned off and almost 1 mg of it enters your body with each cigarette that you smoke. Even this small amount of nicotine can cause severe harm to your body. Therefore, to protect yourself and your loved ones from dangers of smoking cigarettes, you should quit smoking and encourage others to do the same.
By Bidisha Mukherjee
Published: 2/25/2011
Lung Diseases Caused by Smoking
Smoking Kills. Heard that one? But how? Smoking can lead to several lung diseases and in the article that follows, we will look at some of the major lung diseases caused by smoking. Continue reading for a detailed study of the same. And there you are - One leg up against the wall, the shirt collar pulled up, sleeves folded to the elbow and a cigarette in the mouth. Puffing ring shaped puffs in the air, all casual and suave. Then suddenly a bout of cough - Long drawn and painful. Gasping for air, tears streaming down the eyes, hands clutched to the heart; the cigarette dropped to the floor. Smoke still raising to the air and bringing about more spasms of cough...
That is what happens when there is smoking in a person's life. This and more. Smoking kills, we've all heard. But how does it kill? There are over 500 and more chemicals in cigarettes, did you know? These include nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide etc. So when one smokes a cigarette, he/she is stuffing the body with these poisonous substances and causing untold misery in the form of lung diseases. The dangers of smoking does not stay confined to merely lung diseases however, but affects the rest of the body as well, leading to cardiovascular diseases and a slow degeneration of the body.
Smoking cigarettes causes the chemicals to go directly into the lungs (initially) without distributing anywhere else in the body and the effect is thereby directed exclusively to the lungs. Which means that the lungs suffer the maximum injury. As a result several lung diseases caused by smoking, arise. These diseases do not remain limited to the lungs itself but spread to other parts of the body and cause other complications as well. In this article, we will focus on the varied lung diseases caused by smoking cigarettes. Read more on harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes.
Lung and Respiratory Diseases Caused by Smoking
Smoking affects the entire air passage and thereby causes maximum damage to the lungs and the airway. The diseases that smoking leads to can vary in severity depending from the consistency and the time period that the activity has been carried out. Here is a list of the diseases that can follow up as effects of smoking.
COPD
What is COPD? COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and is sometimes also known as COLD (Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease). This is a severe form of bronchitis and emphysema that is characterized by the obstruction of the airway due to the slow collapse of the air sacs. The elasticity of the air sacs and the air way is lost and the organs start getting weaker and weaker. There is a formation of excessive mucus that further blocks the airway and leads to more damage. COPD is a common occurrence in people who are regular smokers as well as those who smoke consistently. The symptoms that it leads to include coughing, chest infections, mucus formation, tightness of chest, shortness of breath and a general difficulty in breathing.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is caused when there is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. The chemicals from the smoke cause the bronchial lining to corrode and get irritated. This then leads to severe inflammation and causes uneasiness and burning. To combat this feeling, the body produces an excess of mucus, which causes blockage in the airways and restricts breathing. This can also lead to chronic bronchitis.
Asthma
Asthma is caused when the airway contracts considerably, such that there is difficulty for the air to pass to the lungs successfully. Thus, there is difficulty in breathing. It also causes heaviness and panting when there is mild or heavy activity undertaken. This is because the airway is already compromised and therefore, if there is any activity, there is extra pressure put on the lungs. This also leads to excessive coughing and shortness of breath.
Emphysema
Emphysema is another disease which causes blockage of the airway because of the collapse of the tissues that form the air sacs. Eventually the lung tissue also weakens and causes the air sacs to degenerate. There is severe wheezing and coughing in this condition, which only gets worse with time.
The other diseases that are caused by smoking also include pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis and lung cancer. Some of these conditions, if not detected and treated on time can prove to be fatal.
This article on the varied lung diseases caused by smoking will have helped you understand just how toxic and harmful smoking can be. The very fact that it can cause conditions that could prove to be fatal will help you put things into perspective, take up some stop smoking tips and look through some means of quitting the habit...for good.
By Rujuta Borkar
Published: 2/5/2011
Cause and Effect of Smoking
To define the cause and effect of smoking on one single page is an impossible task. There are many factors that lead people to take up smoking, and there are hundreds of different ways in which this habit could harm an individual. The cause and effect of smoking is something that poses a huge dilemma in our daily lives. Since a young age we are told about the many harmful effects of smoking and why we should stay away from it, but as we grow older we find that a majority of people are addicted to smoking and beyond redemption. This stems from the fact that cigarettes are a huge source of revenue for the Government, and try as they may, they cannot cover up the fact that cigarettes provide huge income for them. It is for this reason alone, that smoking will never be banned by the Government, in spite of so many people getting afflicted by its effects.
Lung cancer and mouth cancer are some of the biggest dangers of smoking, and one single cigarette contains thousands of harmful chemicals. Here are some of the chemicals in cigarettes. You will occasionally come across a number of 'Cause and effect of smoking - essays' around you, but the reality is that there are very few people who can actually recognize the dangers involved, and quit smoking altogether. Even though around 450,000 people die due to smoking every single year in the United States alone, the number of smokers just keeps rising and people do not stop smoking.
Cause and Effect of Smoking Cigarettes
When we speak of smoking, we generally refer to cigarettes, but there are many other substances that are smoked that are dangerous to the human body as well. As we all know, cigarettes contain the very harmful substance known as nicotine, and this causes irreversible damage in the long run. To get to the bottom of potential causes of smoking, one needs to understand the basic psychology behind people taking up the habit of smoking. The problems of teen smoking and women smoking cigarettes is also something that needs to be addressed in a responsible manner.
Here are some of the most commonly seen causes of smoking.
• Peer pressure. This is the single biggest reason why teenagers start smoking.
• Feelings of stress and fatigue. The nicotine certainly makes one feel relaxed, but this comes at a painful price of addiction.
• Growing up in a house or environment where people regularly smoke.
• Experiencing a total lack of discouragement against smoking.
• Ignorance about all the disadvantages and risks of smoking cigarettes.
Getting to the bottom of why do people smoke cigarettes is something that can only be understood completely by understanding the nature of the individual. Different people have different reasons why they take up this habit, and to make a universal list of cause and effect of smoking is virtually impossible. Still, here are the effects of smoking cigarettes, and needless to say, most of these pose a very real danger to the health and well being of an individual.
• The blood pressure and the heart rate rise.
• The person may experience dizziness and nausea for a short or long period of time after smoking the cigarette.
• The person will experience a considerably lower appetite.
• The sense of taste and smell of the individual will be affected as well.
• The individuals eyes will start watering.
• The blood circulation in the body will be negatively affected.
• Chronic coughing and shortness of breath will often be experienced.
• The cigarettes will leave a yellow stain on the fingers and teeth of the person, and a black stain on the lips of the person.
• The immune system of the individual will be weakened.
• The overall fitness and stamina of the individual will be weakened.
• The person will appear older due to the appearance of more wrinkles and lines on the face.
• Increased risk of various smoking related diseases and disorders like heart attacks, coronary disorders, different kinds of cancer, respiratory tract infections, ulcers in the stomach, peripheral vascular disease and emphysema.
All these effects of smoking should be enough to lead anyone to question their true motives for smoking. It is also true that these effects affect people in different ways. It all depends on the number of cigarettes the individual smokes in a day, the amount of time he/she has been smoking for, the general health and fitness of the individual and the kind of lifestyle that he/she leads. These smoking facts and myths also clear out some long lingering doubts about smoking.
Simply knowing about the cause and effect of smoking is not adequate enough. Here are some smoking facts and statistics related to smoking deaths that should be a cause for alarm for any smoker.
• 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.
• People who smoke are 20 times more likely to contract some form of cancer.
• Around 25% of adults in the US are smokers, and around 30% of high school students are smokers.
• Secondhand smoke causes around 3000 deaths annually in the US.
When you compare the cause and effect of smoking cigarettes with the cause and effect of smoking weed, or marijuana, you will find many differences. Cigarettes are certainly more harmful than weed, and this is something that surprises many people, considering that marijuana is illegal and is classified as a narcotic. It is definitely less harmful than tobacco, and it is certainly less addictive than cigarettes. The reason for the continued legalization of cigarettes is the high income that it generates thanks to the large number of smokers all around the world. If the Government is serious about getting rid of smoking, they need to be bold enough to go ahead and impose a smoking ban and enforce it effectively.
There is so much more to learn about the cause and effect of smoking, and most of these factors are beyond the realms of this article. This is a very vast and insinuating issue, and this is something that almost everyone has an opinion on.
By Rahul Thadani
Published: 10/16/2010
Smoking Related Diseases
We have often heard that "Smoking is injurious to health", haven't we? It's obvious it affects the body in a BAD way. This article elaborates on the smoking related diseases and tobacco health hazards. I hope people will quit smoking after reading this one. Cigar smoke might seem like a fascination, but it does no good to your health. Nicotine and carbon monoxide are the two harmful components of cigars, responsible for deteriorating the body health. Nicotine actually acts as a drug/stimulant and thus responsible for the hallucinations and so-called "addiction". Carbon monoxide, on the other hand competes with the body oxygen and gets accumulated in the walls of the arteries narrowing their width and gasping the heart for more blood and oxygen. We need to understand that smoking is related to, rather responsible for many smoking related diseases and complications. Take a look at the diseases caused by smoking and the smoking dangers enlisted below.
List of Smoking Related Diseases
Heart Diseases: Smoking impairs the function of the most important organ of the body, the heart. As I mentioned earlier, carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen absorbing capacity of the body and facilitates deposition of cholesterol and other fatty materials in the blood vessels making the heart starve of oxygen and blood supply. It also increases the blood pressure and the heart rate, quite naturally and clots the blood as well. Heart attacks and strokes are common causes of blocked blood vessels, to which the smokers are at higher risks. Go through smoking effect on heart to know in details.
Lung Diseases: It's obvious that since smoking involves inhalation of smoke, it affects the lungs as well leading to a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) including diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Of the many smokers around the world, COPD kills majority of them almost around 15%.
Blood Circulation Problems: The condition known as atherosclerosis, characterized by deposition of fatty materials, prevails in chain smokers which might lead to gangrene and thus amputation of legs and hands. Lack of blood circulation to the lower parts of the body due to blocked vessels leads to cramps and pains as well.
Smoking Related Diseases of Bones: Osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones), common in women, results because of excessive smoking.
Mouth and Throat Diseases: Smoking, no doubts, results in bad mouth breath and stained teeth along with causing various gum diseases and increased risk of damage to the taste senses.
Smoking Related Diseases of Eyes: Heavy smoking leads to Graves' opthalmopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. It can also lead to permanent blindness.
Smoking Related Diseases of Skin: Smoking is known to show the aging effects on the smokers at a younger age, characterized by gray and dull skin deprived of oxygen.
Reproduction and Fertility Problems: Impotency, low sperm count and sperm damage are the common smoking related problems in heavy smokers. Pregnant women indulging into smoking have higher risks of miscarriages and abortions since it affects the baby's health as well. You can also go through the effects of smoking cigarettes for more information on smoking effects during pregnancy.
Smoking Related Cancers
Chewing tobacco leads to various body cancers. Smokers are at a higher risk of suffering from these. Below are the enlisted one's.
• Bladder cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Lung cancer
• Esophagal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Oral cavity
• Tongue cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Pharyngeal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Throat cancer
• Lip cancer
• Testicular cancer
Smoking not only affects the smokers, but the inhalation of the cigar smoke might lead to various smoking related illnesses in people around them. So, the best option is to quit smoking at the right time before it gets too late. Go through some smoking facts for more understanding. The list of smoking related diseases is increasing day-by-day as research continues and the frequency of smoking as well.
I don't need to mention any further that cigar smoke kills and smoking related diseases are hazardous. I hope that the diseases caused by tobacco mentioned above, will make you realize the harmful effects of smoking cigarette on health. So try quit smoking for better health and lifestyle. Since, teen smoking is pretty popular now-a-days, this article is for them. Good luck!
By Mrunmayi Deo
Published: 9/10/2010
Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy
Are you aware of the hazardous effects of smoking during pregnancy? This article will give you more information on the danger of smoking during pregnancy. Read on. Cigarette smoking is one of the causes of several respiratory disorders in human beings. The smoke and nicotine in cigarette affects the lungs leading to respiratory diseases like lung cancer and other lung diseases. Therefore, we are all aware of the detrimental short and long term effects of smoking. Cigarette smoking is specially worse during pregnancy as both the baby as well as the mother can be harmed due to the effects of smoking during pregnancy. Let us take a look at the consequences of smoking during pregnancy in detail.
Dangers of Smoking During Pregnancy
Shockingly, it is found that there are around 10-15% women smoking cigarettes during pregnancy. They are probably unaware of the short and long term effects of smoking during pregnancy. The following are the effects of smoking while pregnant:
• One of the early side effects of smoking in adulthood in case of women is that it can moderately reduce fertility over time.
• Smoking increases the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth.
• Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
• Babies of mother who smoke have a lower birth weight as compared to others.
• One of the other harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy is decreased supply of oxygen to the mother and the baby. In case of baby, this leads to underdevelopment of organs.
• Nicotine side effects also include plancenta problems in case of the mother like placenta praevia and placental abruption.
• The constant exposure to carbon monoxide due to smoking, can increase the risk of respiratory diseases in the mother and also lead to abnormal or impaired growth in the baby.
• Premature labor is another major effect of smoking during pregnancy. The mother may go into labor before 37 weeks gestation.
• Babies, exposed to cigarette smoke are at a higher risk of contracting respiratory diseases like asthma in future.
• Lastly, if the mother is a chain smoker, there are high chances of the baby to be born mentally retarded.
Dangers of Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy
Apart from these harmful effects of smoking on the body of the mother and the baby; there are several other side effects caused due to passive smoking. Are you wondering, that is there a relation between effects of secondhand smoke (passive smoke) and pregnancy? Then one should note that secondhand smoke is also equally harmful to the mother and the baby. The following are the passive smoking effects experienced during pregnancy.
• Constant cough
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Persistent sore throat
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Tuberculosis
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Decreased milk production
Secondhand smoking can also affect the baby and increase its risk of chronic respiratory diseases. Secondly, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is one of the significant effects of secondhand smoke. It should be noted that there are chances of the baby suffering from SIDS merely be exposure to secondhand smoke; even when the mother did not smoke during pregnancy.
Apart from these effects of smoking during pregnancy, one should note that there are several life threatening diseases caused by smoking. It only proves that smoking deteriorates the body in the longer run. Therefore, it is wise to quit smoking as early as possible. Women should stop smoking long before they plan for pregnancy. There are several methods that help in quitting smoking. Pregnant women should also be careful to not to get exposed to secondhand smoke and request partners to stop or reduce smoking.
These are some of the effects of smoking during pregnancy. Lastly, one should note that merely reducing the amount of smoking is not enough; women should quit smoking completely to avoid any consequences during pregnancy and after child birth. Take care!
By Madhura Pandit
Published: 8/12/2010
Smoking Effects on Lungs
In the following article, we will throw some light on smoking effects on lungs in a bid to make you aware of the numerous hazardous effects of smoking tobacco. Continue reading to understand how smoking cigarettes can affect your respiratory system. Almost everybody are aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health, and have a rough idea about the harmful effects of smoking cigarette on various organs of the human body. Brain, stomach, skin, teeth, liver... You name it, and that organ has to bear the brunt of smoking in some or the other way. Among the various human body systems affected by excessive smoking, the respiratory system is by far the most affected. Excessive smoking has same effects on the lungs, as excessive consumption of alcohol does on liver and kidney. In order to understand smoking effects on lungs one has to understand how the human respiratory system works to ensure smooth functioning of the body.
How Does the Respiratory System Work?
Our respiratory system gets into action as soon as we breathe air through the two vents - nose and mouth. This air travels down all the through the windpipe, i.e. the 'trachea', into the lungs wherein the oxygen in the air is absorbed and sent to the blood stream. The trachea, has tiny hairlike projections known as 'cilia' all along it. These tiny projections act as a filter, and keep all the harmful particles in the air out of our body. The trachea, which guides the air to the lungs, is divided into two bronchial tubes - one towards the left and other towards the right. As the air travels down the throat, these bronchial tubes start getting smaller and smaller and eventually meet the air sacs known as 'alveoli'. The exchange of gases takes place in these very air sacs, wherein oxygen and carbon dioxide are separated and oxygen is absorbed by the blood cells and taken to the different parts of the body. Now that you know how the respiratory system works, you ca go on and see how does smoking hurt your lungs and body.
Smoking Effects on Lungs and Respiratory System
That brings us back to the effects of smoking on lungs. Basically, tobacco smoke contains numerous harmful ingredients including nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in it. When inhaled, each of these ingredients can result in hazardous effects on our respiratory system, especially the lungs which are the most important among the various organs of the respiratory system. When the smoke of a cigarette starts entering the respiratory system, it tends to disturb cilia in the respiratory tract. As a part of the defense mechanism, mucus is released in the tract in order to avoid any harmful particles from entering the lungs. At the same time, nicotine tends to constrict the blood vessels and restricts the blood flow to the air sacs from where it is supposed to be taken to entire body. The cilia, which are in charge of the defense mechanism of the respiratory system, are rendered useless due to the damage caused to them by nicotine. This damage to the cilia also makes the person vulnerable to various other disorders, as the person's immune system is compromised.
As the individual gets used to smoking, the tar in the smoke gets deposited all along the bronchial tubes and blocks them, thus making the flow of air difficult. Many a times we see people who smoke coughing excessively. This coughing is nothing but a defense mechanism of the body wherein the lung tries to get rid of the tar accumulated in the bronchial tubes, and restore the normal respiration process. The damage caused to cilia plays a spoilsport here as well as it makes it difficult for the body to get rid of accumulated tar. This tar has to be cleared off in order to make sure that the air sacs continue to work properly. If the tar is not cleared off, the air sacs can suffer irreversible damage. Over the period of times the walls of the air sacs weaken and collapse, thus resulting in hampering of gas exchange and resulting in emphysema. As these harmful chemicals in cigarette continue to work on the lungs, the normal cells in lungs turn to cancerous cells. Other than lung cancer, smoking can also result in stroke and heart attack, with latter being the most prominent cause of death in people addicted to smoking.
Those were the details of the harmful effects of smoking on lungs and respiratory system, which can result in a number of health complications and eventually result in death of the individual. Many a times, a person experiences excessive cough when he resorts to smoking cessation. While many people assume that this is one of the quit smoking effects on lungs, it is actually a sign of the fact that cilia in the respiratory tract is being repaired. When you stop smoking, you are bound to experience such cough which is a sign of cilia repair. However, if you continue to experience cough for more than 4 weeks, you should ideally consult doctor and opt or proper diagnosis.
By Abhijit Naik
Published: 8/23/2010
Smoking Effects on Heart
If you are indulging into smoking or have a fascination for trying it; then just go through the smoking effects on heart mentioned in this article. I hope you quit smoking after reading through... We all know how injurious smoking is, for our health. But there are people who are "cigar addicts", too many to count actually. It's needless to say that smoking kills, since it contains nicotine and carbon monoxide which are the most harmful chemicals that deteriorate our health. But the irony lies in the fact that these are the same chemicals which are responsible for the hallucinations and the famous "addiction". Pleasure, they might give, but just temporarily. It's very often that people smoke because of tensions or depressions or to narrowly escape from the responsibilities of life or just for the fun sake of it. We all are aware of teen smoking, surely. But, it's not going to do any good...
It is quite obvious that smoking affects the entire body, heart and brain in particular and in a BAD way. The smoking effects on heart are unavoidable. It is a common cause of all the cardiovascular heart diseases which include atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases, strokes, peripheral vascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and aorta aneurysm to mention the major one's. We all know that heart is the primary organ for supply of blood and oxygen to the entire body. Carbon monoxide competes with oxygen to combine with haemoglobin and gets absorbed in blood more faster than the latter; oxygen deficiency makes the heart starve to death. The heart is continuously working very hard to cope up with the oxygen and blood supply which gets hampered due to cigar smoke. Smoking is responsible for increased fibrinogen levels, a blood clotting protein as well the platelet count which causes the blood to stick around the blood vessels.
Effects of Smoking on Heart
Atherosclerosis: This condition is related to arteries characterized by deposition of plaques (fatty materials) and cholesterol in them and thus thickening them. The plaques are the result of the toxins released from nicotine. The most destructive thing that occurs because of fat deposition is the starvation of the heart for oxygen and blood supply due to blocked arteries. High cholesterol levels are bad as well.
Strokes (Cerebral Thrombosis): This condition is highly fatal since it affects the brain, needless to say, the most important part of our body; in which the brain is left deprived of oxygen and blood or the arteries burst off, leading to death. Subarachnoid, a form of haemorrhage, can prevail as well especially in women indulging into contraceptives.
Peripheral Vascular Disease: This condition is characterized by lesser blood supply to the hands and legs root cause being heavy deposition of fats and plaques and eventual blockage. This might lead to gangrene and amputation in worst cases.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's Disease): Heavy smokers are at higher risks to suffer from this condition characterized by inflammation of the arteries and thus leading to blockage.
Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm: This condition is characterized by ballooning of the aorta and thus rupture. Aorta is the largest artery which transports oxygenated blood to the whole body.
Coronary Heart Diseases
Heart Attacks: We always hear that heart attacks are a common cause of death but what is the reason for them to occur? Smoking is one of the many reasons; the excessive deposition of plaques blocks the coronary artery and the heart beat stops. As I mentioned before, our heart requires oxygen and blood supply continuously and when the supply cuts off, heart stops working resulting in death.
Angina: This defect occurs when the blood supply to the heart is interrupted; the reason again being heavy deposition of plaques in arteries or say due to exertion as well. It is not fatal but the symptoms include chest pain and tightness.
Smoking Effects on Heart Rate
As mentioned above, smoking not only hampers the heart function but also affects the heart rate. With the help of wide number of experiments carried out and examining the heart rates of smokers and non-smokers, it has been observed that the heart rate of smokers is significantly high as well the blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, arterial blood pressure). Male smokers show higher values than the females. Smokers with hypertension family background are at greater risks of increased heart rate which is quite obvious.
Quit Smoking
So if you are in those "chain smokers" category and are wondering how to quit smoking then, I would say it's not that difficult, if you have the confidence in yourself and the will power. Smoking is not a solution to all the problems, mind you. I believe, accepting the reality of life and facing it can work much better as compared to smoking. And for people who think that smoking is a fashion statement, are wrong in every damn sense. If you want to know how to quit smoking quick and fast, refer how to quit smoking.
I don't need to mention any further, that cigar smoke kills. Smoking effects on heart are very significant and hazardous. So, it's any day better to quit smoking if you want to live a healthy life. I hope the smokers have read and understood. Try quit smoking. All the best!
By Mrunmayi Deo
Published: 8/23/2010
Passive Smoking Effects
Passive smoking effects are equally hazardous as those of active smoking. Read on to know more on minor as well as long term passive smoking effects. You must be aware of the hazards of cigarette smoking, and hence, must be keeping away from it. But, do you know that passive smoking is equally deleterious to us? Let us get to know more on passive smoking.
Passive Smoking
Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation of the smoke from cigarettes or tobacco that is being smoked by others. This smoke is known as secondhand smoke (SHS). Passive smoking, also known as involuntary smoking, occurs when cigarette smoke spreads in the air and is inhaled by people who are present in the same environment. All over the world, it has been found that passive smoking is as injurious to health as the actual smoking itself.
Most of the times, passive smokers are the ones who live with smokers, and hence, are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke. On the other hand, a non-smoker can also get exposed to tobacco smoke while working in a smoky atmosphere or simply by being in a smoke-filled restaurant or bar. In either of the cases, non-smokers have high chances of passive smoking which is hazardous to their health. Let us have a look at the effects of passive smoking.
Passive Smoking Effects in Adults
As mentioned above, passive smoking can cause dangerous health effects. The following are minor side effects of passive smoking:
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Irritation of eyes
• Headache
• Nausea
• Infection in nose / ear
Apart from these, there are several other long term passive smoking effects which can lead to disability or even death. They include:
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Tuberculosis
• Hypertension
Some diseases are not directly caused due to passive smoking. But if a person continues being exposed to passive smoke for a long time, he has an increased risk of suffering from the following diseases:
• Heart diseases
• Diseases of the circulatory system
• Dementia
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Brain tumor
Passive Smoking Effects in Children
Passive smoking is more hazardous to children than to adults. As the immune system of children is very weak, they are at a higher risk of suffering from diseases. Passive smoking effects in children include:
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Allergy
• Infection in lungs / ear / throat
Passive Smoking Effects in Fetus
You may have heard that pregnant or expectant mothers are advised to quit smoking as it causes harm to the fetus. Passive smoking dangers in fetus include:
• Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Low production of milk (in mothers)
Read more on:
• Effects of Smoking
• Women Smoking Cigarettes
Prevention of Passive Smoking
As we have seen the numerous passive smoking effects, one should be equally careful about it, the sane way as one is aware of cigarette smoking. Smoking is banned in most of the parts of the world. In other parts, it is banned in enclosed places like restaurants, theaters, or other public places, in order to avoid the risks of passive smoking. On the other hand, smokers can help a lot for the prevention of passive smoking. Smokers should never smoke at home or in cars. This should be strictly followed especially if there are children at home. Although, it is always better to stop smoking, but if smokers cannot overcome smoking, they should do it outdoors, in open places. This way, the risk of passive smoking can be greatly reduced.
Read more on:
• Smoking Ban
• Smoking Cessation
One should remember that there are serious passive smoking effects, and hence, one should try to stay away from it.
By Madhura Pandit
Smoking Affects Potency
Smokers quickly become dependent on nicotine and cannot quit it even if they have health problems because of smoking.Though young men may smoke without consequences but the risk of impotence increases due to nicotine.Indeed, a strong erection and a full sexual life should be a great incentive to quit smoking.
Now everybody knows that smoking causes the appearance of cancer. It does not matter what you smoke: a simple cigarette, or pipe, or cigar. Any nicotine may cause cancer.
The worse is that smoking causes addiction. Smokers quickly become dependent on nicotine and cannot quit it even if they have health problems because of smoking.
The main problem is not physical dependence which comes in few weeks but just psychology when you habitually smoke after meal, during phone conversation, after sex and so on.
When these habits have been formed it will be more difficult to quit smoking. However there are other negative effects on the human body such as smoking influence on potency, libido, and sexual life.
How smoking affects potency. Smoking influence on potency
It is known that smoking increases blood pressure as each inhaling causes vasoconstriction worsening blood circulation including genitals.
According to the investigation published in the American magazine of epidemiology smoking was recognized as the main reason of atherosclerosis in 70% of all cases. Erection is a reaction of chemical substances in the muscle walls of arteries of penis and a vasodilatation process for filling them with blood. Vessel constriction can be disturbed in smokers and this adversely affects potency.
Then the development of atherosclerosis will lead to impotence. There are also evidences that smoking has an adverse effect on spermatogenesis and leads to sterility.
Recent study in China has shown that men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day suffer from erectile dysfunction more often (60%) than men who have never smoked. Though young men may smoke without consequences but the risk of impotence increases due to nicotine.
Men suffering from erectile dysfunction may buy cialis or viagra or other drugs the so called inhibitors. It will help to dilate vessels in the penis and gain erection but the risk of impotency still increases because of smoking.
You should quit smoking because sexual life is a solid reason. Can you really sacrifice the pleasure of sexual intercourse to smoking?
Indeed, a strong erection and a full sexual life should be a great incentive to quit smoking. So it is up to you to make a choice: a strong potency or smoking?
It is strange if you do not think of your sexual rates. So just do it. The most important is to smoke the last cigarette and interrupt infinite cycle.
By Norberto Sorian
Published: 1/24/2011
Smoking and Children
Try using this simple idea to help keep your kids from smoking.
There are strong links or associations between disease and certain risk factors. There are also strong links between social stimuli and behavioral outcome. One such social stimuli has received a lot of press in the last decade - the family meal.
What behaviors could possibly be associated with the family meal? Psychologists now know that quite a bit hinges on this simple concept of getting the family together at least once a day around a meal. Lets see what is happening at this congregation of appetites.
First of all, the family is all together. This creates a forum for communication between family members. In fact, it's almost an expected outcome of dining together - there must be conversation. If this gathering has been a component of the family structure all along, then nothing about this aspect of eating together seems foreign.
Secondly, children like to know that the family members all like each other. This helps create a safe haven in the mind's of children. They feel like they can find security and safety in the family unit. Much like wild animals do when they are a part of a whole versus when they are loners by themselves. Look at the wolf pack, for instance.
There is security in the pack, but in contrast, the coyote has to depend on it's wits and own self-preservation. Human children and adolescents are hardwired to live in packs rather than to be tossed to the winds of fortune. This sense of belonging and trust is reinforced at mealtime.
The evidence is quite strong that these two factors play a role in the child's behavior. As you would expect, the alcohol and substance abuse percentages are skewed heavily against those who do not regularly participate in a family dinnertime meal. Adolescent smoking is much higher in children whose families do not meet around the dinner table on a regular basis. That safety net is ripped and the bonds of meaningful conversation have been abandoned.
Unfortunately for the kids, mealtime is an easy thing to skip. What with the many activities that children find themselves needing to participate in. There's soccer, baseball, gymnastics, band, after school programs, karate, etc. Parents too, find themselves working longer hours, especially in tougher economies.
It all comes down to priorities. What are families willing to give up in order to help protect the ritual of eating together? In the long run, they may be giving up substance abuse, addiction, and all the other stigmas associated with those experiments. So reduce the risk that your children will take up smoking and have dinner with them, as a family, as much of the time as possible. Keep them from needing to find stop smoking help later in life.
By Tim Frymyer
Published: 5/27/2010
4 Effects of Second Hand Smoke
If you are a non-smoker and think you are safe from the health effects of second hand smoke, think again because you face a greater risk for diseases caused by smoking. Do you live with a smoker? Effects of second hand smoke are much deadlier. You are not protected from every harmful consequence at all. It may be unfair but that is how it is. (Why not show this article to the person you live with? Maybe it will encourage them to quit.)
So, what are the dangers second hand smoke brings?
Your heart suffers tremendously each time you inhale cigarette smoke.
Your heart’s arteries age much faster. Your heart has to work harder by pumping more blood due to lack of oxygen and the presence of carbon monoxide. Your heart beats irregularly.
Your blood pressure goes up. A raise in your blood pressure burdens your heart and blood vessels and increases your chance of getting a heart attack or a stroke.
Your lungs take a beating because they inhale poisonous carbon monoxide instead of fresh oxygen.
Your lungs are now more susceptible to a lot of lung diseases such as the simple cough, the life-threatening asthma attacks, and the complicated chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Lung diseases are negative effects of second hand smoke.
The airways of your lungs become narrow leading to production of mucus. Too much mucus becomes a breeding ground for different types of viruses and bacteria. These bacteria and viruses can cause lung infections such as tuberculosis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Cigarette smoke also causes scarring of your lung tissues.
Your Immune system is ravaged as you consistently inhale cigarette smoke.
Your immune cells become unhealthy and your immune system produces weak antibodies. These poor quality immune cells and antibodies are unable to effectively control invading viruses and bacteria.
The cigarette smoke you inhale causes your immune cells to attack the tissues of your lungs scarred by cigarette smoke, thinking they are fighting foreign bodies.
It kills healthy lymphocytes further causing the immune system not to function as fully as it should. It also stops the natural killing activity of your immune cells. It leads to chronic inflammation inside your body, which is the root of all diseases.
Your digestive system is not spared, either.
Cigarette smoke hinders your pancreas from producing sodium bicarbonate which neutralizes the acids in your stomach. Then it increases the amount of acid that your stomach secretes, and it strengthens H. Pylori bacteria that might already be present in the stomach.
All these can lead to peptic ulcers. What's worse is when you seek treatment for your ulcer and you still smoke, the healing takes longer.
Plus...different types of cancer are the most harmful consequence of exposure to second hand smoke. See Cancers: Effects of Second Hand Smoke.
By Belen Tanghal
Published: 1/20/2010
Here's a list of 50 reasons for quitting smoking. Some are scientifically based, some a stretch. Which one is your reason for quitting smoking?
1. I'll have fewer wrinkles.
2. After the first year, I'll have saved enough for a Caribbean cruise.
3. I save myself the embarrassment of having bad breath.
4. After the second year, I can bring someone with me for a Caribbean cruise.
5. I'll still be around to see my grandchildren.
6. I won't have to worry about early impotence.
7. I won't need to eat at a smoking section anymore.
8. There are programs that can help me.
9. I no longer need to spend time on counseling.
10. I'll live longer and healthier.
11. I won't feel like a leper in public.
12. I won't have to worry about how smoking is ruining my health.
13. The average person tries to stop smoking at least four times before succeeding. I may be on No 2 or 3, but I am better than average.
14. I won't have to lie to my children to hide my smoking habit.
15. My fingers won't get frostbites when I go outside.
16. I'll be able to exercise more.
17. I'll soon have the same life expectancy as a nonsmoker.
18. My spouse won't get emphysema.
19. I'll cough less.
20. I'll be able to taste and smell food again.
21. My children will have fewer ear and respiratory infections.
22. My lipstick won't smudge.
23. I won't have to wonder if my date is bothered by cigarette smoke.
24. My teeth will be much whiter.
25. I won't waste time looking for a smoking area all the time.
26. No more wheezing.
27. I won't have to listen to sarcastic talk like how much I taste like an ashtray during a kiss.
28. There are other safer and more effective ways of maintaining my weight.
29. My plants won't turn brown.
30. My baby is so much safer with a at lower risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
31. My fingers won't turn yellow.
32. I have more pocket space.
33. My lungs won't look like burnt BBQ beef.
34. No more burning holes in my clothes.
35. My spouse will be less likely to develop heart disease or lung cancer.
36. I'll have to pull off the road only when I need gas.
37. My car won't reek of stale smoke.
38. I won't ever need to breathe oxygen through a nasal tube.
39. My house won't reek of stale smoke.
40. My unborn child is safer from fetal defects.
41. I won't reek of stale smoke on my clothes and hair.
42. I'll be able to play with the little ones without gasping.
43. I won't have to feel isolated or unaccepted anymore.
44. No more feeling like smoking on airplanes.
45. I'll have more energy to do all the things I want to do.
46. I'll save money on lighters and matches.
47. I'll make new friends who see me as who I am.
48. I'll be taking back full control of my life.
49. I'll be a good role model for my children and others who I care for.
50. I know that I can quit smoking for life if I want to and I have the ability to choose not to smoke.
Quit Smoking Articles
Psychology of Smoking
Did you know how cigarettes triggers you to smoke? Here's a related explanation by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist who studied changes in behavior in the early 1900s. One of his observations were that dogs normally salivate just as they are given food. In one of his experiments, he rang a bell just before he fed his dogs. Subsequently, the dogs began to associate and link the sound of the bell with food. Soon, they salivated even if he rang the bell without giving them any food. The dogs had learned “The bell rings means I’m going to be fed!”. Pavlov describes this phenomenon as "a conditioned response".
The same "conditioned response" or association, the term we prefer to use, occurs with you and smoking. After smoking many, many cigarettes, your daily routine and acts become associated with smoking and triggers the urge to smoke. For example, if you smoke every time you drive, just getting into the car can activate associations to smoke, as if your brain tells you, “I’m in the car now so its time to smoke!”
Similarly, if you smoke immediately after you wake up each morning, you mind associates smoking with waking up from sleep. Even long after you’ve quit smoking, you may still get triggers to smoke when you wake up.
Understanding and dealing with these powerful associations is one of the most important part of quitting smoking.
A similar study by B.F. Skinner included a series of animal experiments to study how habits are formed. Skinner found that when behavior, good or bad, is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated and when punished, it is less likely to be repeated.
Just as in Skinner's research, smokers believe that smoking rewards by relaxing and soothing them. In addition, the close company of other smokers may also lead them to believe that smoking rewards them with social acceptance. Of course, there is no proof to these false perceptions. Still, smokers continue to smoke because they believe smoking rewards them somehow.
At the same time, smokers who try to quit smoking receive "punishment" through bad moods, irresistible urges and cravings. It is no wonder why smokers find it difficult to even consider quitting smoking.
**References
Human Psychopharmacology Volume 11
Journal of Drug Issues 31(2)
BBC Homepage
Your Medical Resource
The Quit Smoking Company
Men Health Magazine Online
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