Wow!! Goodness, gracious! This is my 100th post! I really wanted it to be significant and was kind of thinking about all sorts of topics. But as my regular readers know, this topic kept haunting me so much that I finally decided to write about the health hazards of smoking.
“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed” these golden words belong to Mahatma Gandhi. It rings true in every aspect of what we are discussing. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Why should you die before your time? Do you know men lose an average of 13.2 years and women 14.5 years of their life span due to smoking? We are going to discuss first hand, second hand and third hand smoke in this post.
Firsthand smoke; it refers to the smoke inhaled by the smoker into his own lungs. Smoking leads to kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases and cancers of the lung, throat and mouth. It may also cause cancers of esophagus, cervix, kidneys, and pancreas.
Further smoking increase the blood pressure, cause fertility problems, worsens asthma, leads to gradual loss of eyesight and increases the risk of cataracts. It also causes dementia which is an illness affecting brain cell that leads to loss of memory.
Teenage girls who are addicted to smoking accumulate less bone mass during their essential growth period. It later results in osteoporosis where the bone loses its density and becomes brittle leading to fractures. Smoking during pregnancy causes ADHD and tic disorders in kids. Maternal smoking increases the risk of obsessive compulsive disorders in children.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the chances of the kid suffering from cleft palate. Smoking by parents increases sudden infant death syndrome and also miscarriage. Women who smoke even in moderate amounts have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. Smoking lowers your IQ; increases stress levels and premenstrual symptoms. It increases the risk of psoriasis and arthritis. Can you find anything good or healthy about smoking? Think and see!
Second hand smoke; it is a mixture of exhaled smoke and other substances from the cigarette which spreads in the atmosphere and inhaled by the other people. Second hand smoke causes death due to heart attacks and lung cancer. It increases the risk of still birth and birth defects. It leads to dementia and increases the risk of meningococcal diseases in children. Do you know that when you smoke you also inhale plastic fumes? These fumes are from the plastic coating of the yellow paper and an emulsion used as glue that seams the wrapper. The plastic fumes are a severe threat to all the people around you.
Third hand smoke; it is a potential health hazard. The nicotine residue from the tobacco smoke clings to all the surfaces after the cigarette has been put off. This reacts with common indoor pollutant nitrous acid resulting in dangerous carcinogens. It poses the greatest danger to infants and toddlers.
Smoking causes harm from head to toe. I may sound a bit preachy but it is my sincere hope that you should quit this habit and lead a healthy normal life. God made us in his own image and created a beautiful planet for us to live a happy and healthy life. Why not heed to God’s purpose in your life? Leave this dreaded habit, follow a healthy life style and be a blessing to millions of people.
Take care,
Swarnam
Photo no smoking by digital art
Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net
Take care,
Swarnam
Swarnam
