Thursday, 29 September 2016

The effects of smoking on the respiratory system


As one inhales smoke, one takes in their body, substances that can damage one’s lungs. In time, the lungs are no more able to filter the toxins in the smoke. They lose their ability to filter the inhales air. Since coughing is not fully capable of removing all toxins, hence these poisonous components remain trapped in the lungs.


As the chemicals in the cigarette smoke interfere with the body’s method of air filtration; simultaneously the smoke also irritates the lungs and causes them to overproduce mucus. The tiny hair – like structures in the airway called cilia are also paralyzed. Since cilia are responsible for cleaning the airway, their paralysis causes the deposition of mucus as well as toxins, thus causing lung congestion.

The extra mucus over years causes high probability in smokers to suffer from chronic bronchitis and the 'smoker's cough'. Smokers thus damage their lungs and fall victim to a higher risk of colds, flu and respiratory infections.


Chronic Bronchitis causes the inflammation of the lining of the lung tubes. In time, such issues can actually develop into much aggravated COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary diseases). In a layman’s language, all diseases that lead to difficulty in breathing over a long term fall into this bracket. Of course, one cannot even dare forget the high risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer caused by smoking. Over 80% of lung cancer patients are attributed to smoking.

Similarly, chronic and long term exposure of the lungs to smoke destroys the normal structure of the human lungs. This includes the breaking down of air sacs, loss of the elasticity and thus collapse of the walls of the smaller passages within lungs.



The resultant loss of the lung tissue reduces the surface area that facilitates the transfer of oxygen to the blood from the air. The lung capacity decreases, and results into a condition called emphysema develops and the air sacs of the lungs are destroyed. As such emphysema is common in all long-term / regular smokers, but the severity usually depends on the number of cigarettes and the duration of addiction of individual smokers.

While the damage to the lung tissue is irreversible, emphysema can still be prevented by not smoking, ensuring all chest infections are properly treated and avoiding all irritants o lungs. However, withdrawal from tobacco products is often seen to cause temporary respiratory pain and congestion as the lungs start clearing out.

Similarly, cigarette smoke is also well – known to be a trigger of asthma. People that suffer from asthma, their air passages are inflamed and thus become very sensitive. Such people when exposed to cigarette smoke, suffer from an asthma attack as the sensitive airways narrow down and cause extreme shortage of breath.

Smoking affects not just the smoker themselves, but also people who are exposed to the secondhand smoke. The children whose parents are smokers, often suffer from asthma attacks, wheezing and coughing more than children of parents who don’t smoke. Such children also have a higher rate of pneumonia, ear infections and bronchitis.

Like all wise people, at Core Cancer Foundation, our experts believe that prevention is better than cure. We strongly recommend that you either don’t smoke at all or else quit at the earliest. After all, even you wouldn’t want to suffer


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ज़िन्दगी भर की सज़ा






Thursday, 22 September 2016

Effects of Smoking on Integumentary, Reproductive and Digestive Systems



While it may not seem obvious, smoking can lead to a lot of hazardous effects on almost all organ systems of the human body.


Skin, Nails and Hair


To begin with, let's look at the effects of smoking on the skin, nails and hair. The skin for instance is one of the human organs which shows some of the very obvious signs of addction to smoking. The components in tobacco smoke are actually capable of changing the structure of your skin.

Smoke causes wrinkles, premature aging as well as skin discoloration. The fingernails as well as the skin close to the fingers can show yellow stains from long durations of holding cigarettes. A lot of times, yellow or brown stains can develop on the teeth of smokers. One of the major tell-tale signs of active as well as passive smoking is the smell of tobacco held by the human hair, long after putting out the cigarette or leaving the smoking area.


Sexuality and Reproductive System

Sexuality of the human beings is one of the very important aspects of human interaction. As we already know, smoking can cause restricted blood flow. It can thus cause erectile dysfunctioning (inability of a man to get an erection). Similarly it can cause early menopause in women who smoke. It also increases the risk of cervical cancer in women.

Both men and women smokers have a higher risk of infertility as well as difficulty in achieving orgasms. Smoking also leads to more complications in pregnancy. Some of these dire consequences may include premature babies, placental problems, or even miscarriage. 

It is not just active smoing that causes harful effects to pregnant mothers. Even second hand smoke can cause low birth weight in babies, if a pregnant mother is exposed to it. Not to say that the risk of low birth weight is far higher in the babies that are born to mothers who smoke during their pregnancy. Such babies can also suffer from birth defects, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), ear infections and asthma attacks.

It’s not just the adults that suffer from hazards of smoking, but even newborns as well as unborn babies that suffer from the second hand smoke.

Gastro Vascular / Digestive System

 

Oral problems are frequently found in smokers. They are highly prone to multiple medical conditions of the oral cavity that can range from gingivitis (gum inflammation) or infection (periodontitis) to even the cancer of esophagus, larynx, throat or mouth. There’s an even higher probability of tooth loss, bad breath and tooth decay.

 

When it comes to cancers, it doesn’t stop at the oral / buccal cavity or the entrance of the gastro-intestinal tract. Smokers have an increased risk of pancreatic and kidney cancers too. Contrary to the popular belief, even cigar smokers who do not inhale have a higher risk of mouth cancer.

 

 

Smoking has an effect on insulin. It increases the chances of insulin resistance, thus causing an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Smoker diabetics tend to develop complications at a faster rate. Smoking can also suppress appetite and thus causing malnutrition.

 

This month’s series of articles are intended to highlight upon how smoking causes not just the lungs and moth to be harmed but almost all organ systems of the human body. This is despite the fact that we haven’t even taken into account various other forms of tobacco consumption yet. At Core Cancer Foundation, we will continue to bring to you information regarding cancers, smoking, tobacco and how to stay safe. Do share your inputs with us!

 


Thursday, 15 September 2016

Smoking and Your Cardiovascular System


As many other side effects as smoking may have, it affects not just the respiratory system. The components in cigarettes and tobacco are responsible for damaging multiple other organ systems equally well.

In this small article let’s talk more about how smoking can damage the entire cardio vascular system of the human body. Smoking is hazardous as we know already, specially for the harmful component called nicotine. Nicotine does not only alters the state of the mind, but it also gives a boost to the blood sugar level the minute it hits one’s body. Such a boost to the blood sugars fades after a little while as it is artificially induced due to nicotine and then leaves one feeling extremely tired. The sense of tiredness makes one crave for another boost in the sugar levels and accordingly, more nicotine; thus the addiction.

Similarly, nicotine is also responsible for vascular constriction. It causes blood vessels to get tightened and thus the flow of blood is restricted in the body. Commonly known as peripheral artery disease, this can lead to multiple other medical conditions. Smoking also raises blood pressure along with lowering the levels of good cholesterol. As a result, the arteries can get stretches and there can be a buildup of bad cholesterol (thus causing Artherosclerosis). Not just this, but it can also lead to causing of blood clots to be formed.

The increased blood clots and the weakening of the blood vessels in the human brains increases the risk of a stroke to a smoker. Similarly any smokers that undergo a bypass surgery for their heart are at an increased risk of coronary heart diseases recurring. Similarly, smokers also face a higher risk of leukemia (blood cancer) in the longer run.

So effectively it is not just the heart, but also the blood vessels, and the blood itself that get affected by smoking. The entire cardio vascular system of a smoker is at a highly increased level of risk as that compared of a non smoker. However, the nonsmokers are not entirely safe either.
While non smokers may not directly get affected by the chemicals in cigarettes, they are still exposed to second hand smoke. This breathing of the second hand smoke leads to an immediate effect on their cardiovascular system. This exposure increases the risk of a heart attack, a stroke and coronary heart disease even though they are not smoking.

At Core cancer foundation, we understand the risks of smoking. We understand the difficulties in quitting and hence we work towards the empowerment of those who want to prevent these diseases from happening to them. Together, we aspire to work with you and we’re just a click away!



Thursday, 8 September 2016

The effects of Smoking on the central nervous system



We’ve all seen cancer patients. We’ve seen cancer patients who got it as a result of their smoking / tobacco habits. But cancer is at the end of it, just one of the diseases caused by the menace of tobacco. It doesn’t stop there. Nor does tobacco stop at affecting your respiratory tract or oral cavity.  Tobacco is far more lethal than what we understand and imagine it to be. 

In this series, we’ll bring to you posts around what parts of the body can tobacco affect and how. Believe me; our volunteers were as shocked as you will be, when we first started researching the subject.

In this post let’s look at the harmful effects of tobacco on the Central Nervous System ( the organ system that includes your brain)

As all of us know, one of the most well-known, key ingredients of tobacco is a drug called nicotine. To those of us who have smoked or have smoker friends, have experienced first / second hand how nicotine can alter moods. We’ve seen chain smokers getting cranky if they can’t find cigarettes around.

Nicotine tends to reach the human brain, merely in seconds. It’s a stimulant to the CNS and hence makes the consumer feel energized for a while. However, as the effect fades out, we feel tired and crave for more nicotine. In fact a lot of us have commonly heard an argument - “It gives me energy and makes me feel fresh!” Now we know why! However, this is also why nicotine is addictive, habit forming and reaches a point of abuse very fast.

Further, this isn’t where smoking stops to show its effects. The human body has some stress hormones. That means the body secretes them to cope up with stress. They are the body’s natural defence mechanism against stress. One of these hormones is called corticosterone. It lowers the effect of Nicotine. This explains why people need to smoke more cigarettes when they are under stress. Actually, nicotine / tobacco / cigarettes aren’t helping you deal with your stress, but are in fact, weakening your body’s natural defense mechanism against it.

Similarly, smoking can also weaken the sense of smell and taste and makes food less enjoyable. It can increase the risk of poor eyesight, cataracts and macular degeneration. Withdrawal from smoking as a result makes you feel that your cognitive functioning is impaired and you may start feeling anxious, depressed or cranky. Sleep problems and headaches can seem obvious.

The crux of the matter is, that in essence rather than supporting your body, smoking damages it in multiple ways; not limited to your lungs or oral cavity. It’s also a proven fact that withdrawal symptoms may be tough but are short lived. Hence, the sooner one quits, the better it is!

At Core Cancer Foundation, we understand quitting smoking isn’t easy. But we’re here to support you in any possible way. Let us know if we can help!