What gets a person to want to smoke? Life, stress, kids, and boredom could be the reason. Or is it because it is cool? Well trying to be cool can kill you and anyone you smoke around. I do not really understand the whole nicotine addiction, but I do understand the harmful effects it has on you and others. Nicotine is the most serious form of drug used in the U.S. In scientific measures, smokers show all the physiological signs of an addict.
Secondhand Smoke is a toxic health hazard. After 10 years of research EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) classified secondhand smoke as a “Group A Carcinogen”, meaning it causes cancer in humans, and ranks it among health hazards such as radon and asbestos. Secondhand smoke may be the cause of 53,000 deaths of nonsmokers, using blood test 9 out of 10 Americans are breathing in the smoke 2 times more than the amount predicted. Children are especially affected by cigarette smoke because there is no way for them to escape the smoke’s damaging effects. There may be 12 million American children 5 and under who are smokers but have never picked up a cigarette. Children who are exposed may cough, wheeze and have a hard time recovering from colds.
Secondhand smoke can cause Asthma, Allergies and other respiratory or Viral infections such as Bronchitis and Pneumonia. Tobacco smoke is responsible for 307,000-522,000 cases of asthma in children under 15. Children with parents that smoke are twice likely to develop asthma, children who already have asthma it can get worse when exposed to smoking. 436,000 smoke-related bronchitis cases has been reported in children under 5 and there have been 115,000-190,000 reports of pneumonia. When exposed to the smoke the children can develop bad Ear Infections, Sinus Infections, Hearing Problems, Damaged Teeth, Stunted Growth, Birth Defects, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) do to damaged lungs in infants. Between 284-360 children die from lung disease by secondhand smoke or fires.
Effects of Nicotine use: cloudy vision, cataracts, blindness, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, lung cancer, emphysema, respiratory infections, colds lasting winter season, ulcers, stomach,throat, and bladder cancers. Also heartburn, urinary incontinence, lowered body temperature, more painful menstruation, earlier menopause, fertility problems, miscarriages/ stillbirths, backaches, slower healing, insomnia, fatter belly and love handles. Smoking and cigarette smoke can cause serious damage to the body, If you smoke be careful who you smoke around. If you have the willpower to quit and have family do it for them and most importantly do it for you.
Safe and natural way to quit smoking and get your life back
Lorna Darden
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Posts Tagged ‘Tobacco Smoke’
For the younger set a sore throat often means a day off from school, a television tuned to the Cartoon Network, and an extra bowl of ice cream. It almost makes the suffering seem worthwhile. Grown-ups, of course, don’t have the time for such pampering. We go about our daily business, thinking we can tough out the rawness, burning, and scratchiness that make it painful to talk, much less swallow food. But by day’s end, the sore throat has left us virtually speechless. We do tend to think that sore throat as kid stuff. But the fact is that every year about 40 million adults come down with one. Usually it is a symptom of a viral or bacterial infection. But it can also be instigated by irritants such as stomach acid, tobacco smoke, smog, dry heat, dust, pollen, and other allergens. Overuse is also a factor. Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to relieve your soreness.
1. Address Any Allergies
Common allergies can cause postnasal drip, which irritates the throat. A throat that is itchy, not just painful, points to an allergic condition. If you have an allergy, an over-the-counter antihistamine may help relieve your symptoms. Antihistamine can have a drying effect, so be sure to increase your fluid intake while you are on the medication. They can also make you drowsy.
2. Line Up A Lozenge
Not all throat lozenges are created equal. The best ones contain glycerine. It keeps the throat tissue well-hydrated. You may find these lozenges at health food stores or specialty drugstores. It is also recommended avoiding lozenges that contain either mint or menthol. Both ingredients tend to be drying and are bad for the larynx.
3. Treat Your Beak
A stuffed-up nose can force you to breathe through your mouth, which irritates your throat. So taking an over-the-counter decongestant may help ease your sore throat as well.
4. Get Steamed
You can also keep your throat tissue moist with the help of steam. It is recommended that you run hot water in your kitchen or bathroom sink, then drape a towel over your head to trap the steam and inhale. Or you could just turn up the hot water in the shower to create a steam bath.
5. Have Some Tea, Honey
Tea with honey is a traditional sore throat remedy. You can boost its therapeutic benefits with this spicy twist. Stir into your tea 1 tablespoon of honey and the juice of half a lemon, then add ground red pepper to taste. The pepper probably has a mild anesthetic effect. It also stimulates the immune system.
6. Turn Down The Volume
If you must talk, then refrain from using your voice in an unnatural way. Do not try to talk over the loud noises. And do not try to project your voice at a pitch that is out of your range.
7. Think Twice About Gargling
Gargling can actually aggravate and prolongs a sore throat. Doing it once or twice with salt water might make you feel better by increasing blood flow to the throat area. But doing it regularly, especially mouthwash, can be very irritating. If you opt for an occasional saltwater rinse, then it is recommended to have a solution of ¼ teaspoon of salt in ½ cup of water. Just be sure to only rinse with, not swallow, the salt water.
It is a fact that smoking during the pregnancy is not good for the baby. Yet, do you know that to be around somebody else who are smoking is not good for you and your baby? The research shows that secondhand smoker has the same impact as what the smoker has.
There are some effects of secondhand smoke on the pregnant mothers. The first effect is . Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mentions that pregnant women who are exposed to the secondhand smoke have higher risk to give birth with low birth weight baby. The risk is up to 20%. It means that there will be so many consequences for the development of the baby.
Another effect is that the secondhand smoke pregnant mothers have greater risk of delivering the baby who has died in the uteri. And, although the baby is safely born, he/she has greater risk of experiencing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Or, he/she has bad lung function. This will be so problematic for the baby who was born prematurely.
All the effects above can possibly be caused by the toxin consumption of the fetal. All the items including toxins which the pregnant mother ingests will pass through the umbilical cord and then come to the developing fetus. Those toxins include tobacco smoke which contains tar, nicotine, and also carbon monoxide. These toxins are very harmful for the development and the growth of the baby.
In addition, the toxins can also affect the mother. However, they are inhaled by the mother. It exposed the mother to the risk of suffering diseases as well. If the mother suffers an illness which is caused by the secondhand smoke during the pregnancy, it leads both the mother and the baby to risk. Long exposure to secondhand smoke can cause the mother to suffer emphysema or bronchitis which is very risky for the pregnancy. If the mother is in risk, the baby will be in risk as well.
In short, secondhand smoke is very harmful for the baby, it will be better to get away from individual who are smoking. It is to keep your baby healthy in his/her development.
Secondhand smoke poses serious harm even to non-smokers. Secondhand or passive smoking refers to the involuntary smoking or inhalation of tobacco smoke. Smoke from this process usually contains a mixture of smoke given off by a tobacco product coupled with the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. Tobacco smoke may stay in the air for hours after cigarettes have been consumed and it can be involuntarily inhaled by non-smokers. Secondhand smoke may seem harmless, but it can actually contain many toxic chemicals that are carcinogenic or and other substances that can cause cancer.
There are actually two kinds of secondhand smoke, namely the side stream and mainstream smoke. The former is the smoke that may drift in the air from a burning tobacco product. The latter, on the other hand, is the smoke that a smoker exhales. Regardless of its term, these types of second hand smoke contain 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are carcinogenic. Formaldehyde, arsenic, cadmium, benzene, and ethylene oxide are some of the substances that may cause cancer. These dangerous components may stay in the air for hours and may harm one’s health in many ways.
Shown below are some of the chemicals emitted during cigarette smoking:
Ammonia – This chemical may irritate the lungs.
Carbon Monoxide – This chemical causes breathing difficulties by reducing oxygen levels in the blood.
Methanol – This chemical is highly toxic when inhaled or swallowed.
Hydrogen Cyanide – This chemical interferes with proper respiratory functions.
In addition to these negative effects, studies show that babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have heightened risks to be born prematurely and with low birth weight. Children whose parents smoke may have twice the risk of developing getting asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, and allergies. Quiting smoking may improve the health of smokers and the people around them. Secondhand smoke may also trigger asthma attacks, aggravate allergies, and weaken the immune system, making one vulnerable to colds and other respiratory ailments like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Secondhand smoke is harmful to everyone, but it is especially hard on children. A study conducted by the American Lung Association revealed that secondhand smoke is responsible for 150,000 to 300,000 cases of pneumonia and bronchitis of children under 18 months of age yearly. About 15,000 of these infants need to hospitalized. Because of the health effects of secondhand smoke, smokers are advised to refrain from smoking near other people especially children and pregnant women. Cigarette particles may stick to clothing, smokers should change clothes before holding or hugging children.
Individuals who are having a hard time cutting the habit may try using quit smoking products that are now available in the market. These products, however, cannot do all the work. The best way to quit smoking is to avoid being with smokers or being near establishments that sell tobacco products. no doubt, quitting the habit entails determination, discipline, and commitment. Using these products, however, can help a smoker cut the habit by making them more comfortable and complacent to adjust to life without cigarettes. Many ‘quit smoking products’ are available over the counter, it is best to seek the approval of health professionals to clarify side effects and drug interactions that may be developed while under medication. With the right tools and attitude, quitting smoking and reducing the health effects of secondhand smoke can be done with ease.