Let’s have a look on how “Smoking Is Cancerous to Your Health’…

HOW DOES SMOKING DAMAGE THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM?

Smoking damages the tiny hair-like structures in the airways called cilia. Cilia help to sweep the dust and mucus out of the airways. As smoking damages cilia, they are unable to work and allow the dust and mucus to accumulate in the airways. Tobacco smoke also contains many cancer causing substances such as tar, which are known as carcinogens which can accumulate in the airways due to the damage caused.

WHAT IS SECOND HAND SMOKING?

Second-hand smoke is the combination of smoke from a burning cigarette and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. It has been found that passive smoking is more harmful to the one who does not smoke but are in the vicinity of smokers. These people are at a higher risk of developing heart diseases than the smokers. This is because the smoke that burns off the end of cigarette contains more harmful substances like tar, nicotine and carbon dioxide than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. Studies have revealed that second hand smoking can be more harmful than smoking at the first place.

The two types of second hand smoking are:

• Sidestream - refers to smoke that comes from the lit end of a cigarette
• Mainstream - refers to the smoke which is exhaled directly from a smoker

Secondhand smoke is also referred to as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), involuntary smoking and passive smoking. Doctors usually refer secondhand smoking as sidestream smoke. This is because when a person smokes a cigarette, 80 percent of the smoke burns off into the room and only 20 percent of smoke is inhaled by the smoker. Therefore, sidestream smoke is more harmful than the mainstream smoke. There are more than 200 substances found in sidestream smoke that are harmful to the body. Some of them which are extremely dangerous to human body are:

• Carbon monoxide, which is also found in car exhaust
• Arsenic, which is used as rat poison
• Ammonia, which is used as window cleaner
• Hydrogen cyanide, which is referred as gas chamber poison
• Sulphur compounds, which are used in match tips
• Acetone, which is used as nail polish remover

HOW DOES SECOND HAND SMOKING AFFECT HEALTH?

• It has been found that nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke are 25 per cent more likely to have coronary heart diseases than nonsmokers who are not exposed to secondhand smoke
• Secondhand smoke has also been associated with number of cancers such as lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer and so on
• Secondhand smoke is found to be harmful to adults as well as children and even to the newborn child
• Infants are more vulnerable to the ill-effects of secondhand smoke
• Heart diseases are one of the common health problems associated with secondhand smoking
• Children are at a higher risk of developing respiratory diseases as a result of passive smoking. It is because their lungs are smaller and are in developing stage
• Studies have revealed that passive smoking is especially harmful to children who have asthma
• It can also affect the sleeping patterns in children making them cough more at night
• Passive smoking can also affect children's performance in sports and other physical activities
• Parents who smoke can bring number of health problems in unborn child
• Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of having low birth weight baby and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH HAZARDS IN WOMEN WHO SMOKE?

• Women smokers are just as vulnerable to serious health problems like lung cancer or cardiovascular disease as their male counterparts
• In women, however, smoking carries an increased risk of cardiovascular disease because it can affect their hormones, causing an oestrogen deficiency
• Women smokers are 10 times more likely to die from bronchitis or emphysema and 12 times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smoking women
• The rates of life-threatening smoker-related diseases are even worse for post-menopausal women and women taking birth control pills
• Women who smoke and are also taking oral contraceptives may have an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke
• If you are a woman smoker aged between 35 and 64 then you are statistically nearly five times more likely to suffer from a stroke than a non-smoking woman the same age
• Smoking is believed to double the risk of cervical cancer. About 30% of all cervical cancers have been attributed to women who smoke
• Smoking by women puts them at a higher risk of early menopause and infertility
• If women smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day or if they had started smoking before they were 18 years of age then they are placed at a greater risk of infertility
• Women who smoke are also put at higher risk of developing osteoporosis and other degenerative bone disorders

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY?

• Mothers who smoke carry the addictive substance called nicotine directly to the baby through her bloodstream
• Women smokers who are pregnant run a greater risk of pregnancy complications, pre-term delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death
• If a women smokes while pregnant, she is thought to have a 33% higher chance of losing her baby before or just after its birth
• Smoking can result in low birth-weight as babies born to smokers are on average 7 ounces lighter than those of non-smokers
• Even after a child is born, smoking by a parent increases the chances of sudden infant death syndrome, infant deaths, learning disorders and attention deficit disorder in young children
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of developing lung problems and asthma in children

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING?

Though giving up smoking is difficult but it can be easily achieved with a strong determination and discipline. Some of the things that you can do to quit smoking are:

• Stay away or hide your matches, lighter and ashtrays
• If you feel to smoke, take a deep breath and hold it for five to ten seconds
• Don't let anyone to smoke in your home
• Try chewing gum or eat some fruits whenever you feel like smoking
• Cultivate good habits like reading books or going for a walk to stay away from smoking
• Join a support group or talk to your health care provider
• Do regular exercise and keep yourself busy

Tests have shown that women may, on average, find it harder to give up smoking than men. This is despite the fact that women are often more at risk to develop smoking related diseases than men. A woman's menstrual cycle can affect the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Women who are pregnant, or are intending to become pregnant, generally should not use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) because of the damage that nicotine can cause to the foetus. Women who are breast-feeding should not use NRT because the nicotine that passes into the system can easily enter the breast milk.

So, dear readers, if you are a non smoker then never fall prey to this addiction anytime in your life. And if you are a smoker then quit smoking. Withdrawal sounds scary and difficult but it is not impossible. By doing so you are not just helping yourself, but also, people around you. Always remember ‘Where there is a will, there is a way!’