Smoking Cigarettes and chewing Tobacco remain two of the most common causes of avoidable unhealthiness and early death. In fact, Cigarettes and Tobacco are responsible for one in every five deaths in India. Furthermore, Nicotine, being highly addictive, raises the levels of dopamine and produces withdrawal symptoms while on discontinuation Consequences of Smoking:
Smokers die 5-8 years earlier than non-smokers. They have:
1. An impaired sense of smell and taste.
2. More facial wrinkles.
3. Twice the risk of fatal heart diseases.
4. 10 times the risk of lung cancer.
5. Several times the risk of the mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, bladder and cervix cancer.
6. A two to threefold higher incidence of stroke and peptic ulcers (which seldom heal in case of smokers).
7. A two to fourfold greater risk of fractures of the hip, wrist and vertebrae.
8. Four times the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease.
9. A twofold increase in cataracts.
In India, over 90% of cases of chronic pulmonary disease (COPD) occur with current or former smokers. Furthermore, both, Active smoking and Passive smoking, along with a progression in a carotid artery atherosclerosis, can be associated with deterioration of the elasticity of the aorta. Other then this liver disease which comes in body due to alcohol, has emerged as a serious public health challenge. Read Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Special kinds of Smokers:
Other than the general kind of smokers, which face the above mentioned consequences, there are some special cases, such as:
• Smoking in postmenopausal women has also been associated with increased risks of leukemia of the colon and prostate cancer.
• Patients who continue to smoke during radiation therapy have lower rates of response than who do not smoke.
• The children of smokers have
• low birth weight
• more probability of being mentally retarded
• more frequent respiratory infections
• less efficient pulmonary function.
• For those with coronary artery disease, smoking cessation
• reduces the risks of death and myocardial infarction
• lessens the risk of stroke.
• improves COPD symptoms.
The Need To Quit Smoking
Because Smoking not only hampers your physical and mental well being, buy also social bonds, it is better to quit it than to suffer. Smoking destroys your body along with your bonds with friends and families. Quitting it will save your life.
• To successfully quit, a complete abstinence is required. Simply put: not even a single puff, later.
• Drinking alcohol has a higher rate of relapse. Those who stop smoking must review their alcohol use and consider limiting or abstaining from it, during the recovery process.
• Even though, tobacco use may constitutes a major share in common yet serious medical problems, it is heavily under-treated.
• Almost 40% of smokers attempt to quit each year, but only 4% are successful.
• Even so, the persons whose Clinicians advise them to quit are 1.6 times as likely to attempt quitting.
How to Quit?
• Several pharmacologic therapies have been shown to be effective in the promotion of cessation.
• Nicotine replacement therapies double the chance of successful quitting. The nicotine patch, gum and lozenges are available over the counter, and nicotine nasal spray and inhalers via medical prescription.
• Some medicines are also easily available and can be taken under medical supervision.
• Combination therapy is more effective than a single pharmacologic modality.
• The effectiveness of an e-cigarettes in smoking cessation has not been evaluated yet but some users may find them addictive.
• The presence of other smokers in the household, particularly a spouse, is associated with lower success rates.
• Personal or group counseling is quite cost effective. Smoking cessation counseling by telephone (via “quitlines”) and text messaging based interventions have both been proved effective.
• Also, if smoking is restricted to take place outdoors only, it will limit the effects of passive smoke on housemates and co-workers. This leads to smoking reduction and quitting.
• Public policies, including higher cigarette taxes and restrictive public smoking laws have also shown encouragement towards cessation because of financial restrains directed towards patients.
Alas, smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco is a nightmare. The ones who indulge in it, need to wake up immediately. It is hoped that the above mentioned helps in the induction of an awakening.For more, contact [email protected] or login to www.AstoCare.com