HAZARDOUS SMOKING

Smoking listening to this word the first thing you remember is suffocation. I think there is no need for me to tell what people use for smoking. It’s addiction to nicotine. It’s the leading cause for preventive deaths. According to WHO statistics 100 million people were dead in 20th century and also warned that around 1 billion people are going to be killed in 21st century and all the credit goes to smoking

               

                Listening to these entire data one might get a doubt "what might be the reason that makes smoking so hazardous?" and the answer goes this way, smoking affects every organ in the body. The emissions of smoking contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons , benzopyrenes , carbon monoxide and nitrosamines along with other toxic agents. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzopyrenes bind to the human DNA and cause mutations in the genes leading to cancers (Lung Cancer, Oral Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer, and Cervical Cancer)

                

                 Smoking also causes immunosuppression the mechanisms are complex but in brief smoking causes hypersensitivity  which uses up all the immunity and leaves the person susceptible to various infections like tuberculosis, pneumococcal pneumonia Legionnaires disease(a lobar pneumonia with fever, muscle and chest pain, headache, chills and dry cough),progression of AIDS, and risk of Human Papilloma Virus infection(HPV).

                 

                  Smoking causes the decrease of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) which is good for health and increases the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in blood which is harmful to health as a result the vessels are deposited with cholesterol and leads to a condition called atherosclerosis .smoking also increases the levels of fibrinogen and platelets (helpful in clotting) leading to clot formation in the vessels causing thrombosis. Due to these conditions the blood flow to the heart, brain are compromised resulting in myocardial infarction and stroke (chances of stroke are higher in smokers) respectively. The thrombosis in deep veins causes deep vein thrombosis which might be fatal with the formation of emboli, due to this mechanism there is increased chance of peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

                  

                    It also contain certain radioactive compounds (polonium formed by the disintegration of radium) and lung parenchymal irritants which cause conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, asthma

                   

                    Smoking reduces the vitamin A levels in the body which has a protective action in the skin and smoking increases the aging process of skin

                   

                    The carbon monoxide in the emissions from smoking has higher affinity towards hemoglobin than oxygen. This carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of blood

                   

                     Nicotine increases the alertness at the beginning but on a long run the person gets addicted and leads to depression

                     

                      In pregnant mothers smoking leads to abortions, low birth weight babies.

 

                      In chinldren smoking can cause asthma,and in some cases can lead to sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS).

 

                      In males smoking can reduce the sperm count and can lead to fertility problems.                                         

Clinical Feature

 

When should a person visit a doctor for the following conditions?

          

                      Lung Cancer: a person with lung cancer would have persistent cough, blood in sputum, repeated respiratory infections, chest pain and unexplained weight loss.

                       

                      Myocardial Infarction: such a person would have shortness of breathe with mild exercise, palpitations (pounding heartbeat), chest pain radiating to left shoulder and arm, profuse sweating, nausea (sensation to vomit without vomiting)

 

                      Cataract: this is due to occlusion of artery and opaque cornea. This condition causes cloudy blurred vision, changes in color, poor night vision, double vision, and a characteristic white spot on the pupil.

                       

                       Berger's Disease (PVD): the person will have pain in legs and feet with clammy cool skin, decreased sensation, and discoloration of skin and swelling of legs 

             

                       Stroke: presents with head ache, sudden difficulty in walking and speech, paralysis, numbness and dizziness

            

                        Cervical Cancers: a woman with cervical cancers will have features of abnormal bleeding, bleeding after sexual intercourse, heavy menstruation, with pelvic pain, per-vaginal discharge and pain during urination. 

                          

                     Smoking also has some pros which are masked by the cons it has .let us talk a little about them, smoking interferes with the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma which is an AIDS defining illness but at the same time smoking increases the progression of AIDS due to immune suppression. Smoking also decreases the incidence of breast cancer in women and Alzheimer’s disease ulcerative colitis but smoking is notorious to cause ulcers in the GI system and Parkinson's disease is 2 times more common in non smokers than in smokers and at the same time with every cigarette a person smokes he looses 15 minutes of his precious life

           

Smoking cessation

 

                         People who want to quit smoking can get behavioral support from smoking cessation clinics

                         Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupraprion are effective aid for smoking cessation.

 

Immediate Benefits of Quitting Smoking 

 

When a person quits smoking:

                     

  1. Within 20 minutes his blood pressure, body temperature and pulse rate returns to normal

 

  2. Within 24 hours risk of myocardial infarction decreases

 

  3. Within 1 year excess risk CHD decreases to half that of a person who smokes

                            

  4. Within 5 years risk for stroke is equal to that of a person who has never smoked

                      

  5. Within 15 years risk of coronary heart disease is same as a person who never smoked .

 

                                   

                  With all this information we provided we hope someone out there might have thought of quitting the habit/addiction

 

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