Smoke on Children
BY MARCY BUREAU
Introduction
My name is Marcy Bureau. I chose this topic because I had a lot of exposure to secondhand smoke growing up as a child. It’s a sensitive topic for me because I now have a lot of health issues as a 22 year old adult. I have asthma and I have a very weak immune system.
What is secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke is also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke, or
ETS.
It’s defined as a combination of the smoke that comes from a burning cigarette as well as the smoke being exhaled by the person smoking the cigarette.
(Secondhand Smoke and Children, 2010,
December).
Information on secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke causes several diseases including asthma, heart …show more content…
One side effect is asthma.
Secondhand smoke decreases lung function and efficiency. This causes asthma in children who haven’t previously shown symptoms and also increases the risk of asthma attacks in children who already have it.
The reason as to why children are more susceptible to getting asthma is because they breathe more rapidly and inhale more secondhand smoke. Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke. (2014, March
5).
Ears
Children also get sick more often than children who aren’t exposed to secondhand smoke. They get colds, sore throats, bronchitis, and even pneumonia more often than other children.
ETS also increases ear infections in children. This is because the
Eustachian tube connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. So when children inhale the smoke, it causes swelling and can even cause obstruction.
This can also lead to fluid in the ear which causes ear infections and pain.
It can also lead to loss of hearing and possible tube insertion.
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke. (2014, March
5).
Cancer
ETS increases the risk of developing cancer by 100 times when compared to other outdoor cancer-causing pollutants.
The risk of developing lung cancer increases by 20-30%.