Cigarette smoke is lethal – it can contain as many as 4,000 different chemicals which can cause irreparable damage to the cells and systems of the human body. Statistically, a smoker is many times more likely than a non-smoker to die of cancer and heart disease.
Constant exposure to second hand smoke and now to third-hand smoke has been shown to be equally detrimental to one’s health.
The consolation is that giving up smoking immediately improves your prospects…and the longer you stay away, the better they are. Here we speak with Prof. Shyam Fernando of the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo about the dangers hidden in cigarette smoke.
Toxic blends
Every time a smoker inhales, the chemicals in the cigarette are drawn down into the body where they spread out from the lungs and into the rest of body, interfering with cell function and triggering disease and death. Of particular danger are the carcinogens – substances that have been known to cause cancers. There are plenty of those in your average cigarette. Some 80 chemicals, including tar, arsenic, benzene, cadmium, cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia and formaldehyde are unleashed on your body in this way.
Inhaling disease
Smoking can cause mutations in your genetic makeup, impair your lung function and interfere with your immune system, leading to a heightened vulnerability to cancer, particularly lung, throat and colorectal cancers, as well as cancers of the gullet (food tube), stomach, pancreas and lower bowel. It is always the lungs that take the first hit. Smoking can do enormous damage to them, causing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic coughing, emphysema and bronchitis, which causes increasing shortness of breath and cough.
Bronchitis is triggered by an inflammation in the lining of the tubes that exchange air in the lungs while COPD is caused by a narrowing of the breathing tubes. In emphysema the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, resulting in breathlessness. All these conditions are associated with progressive and irreversible lung damage.
Sufferers might find it increasingly difficult to breathe.
Coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries) is also associated with smoking. Here the heart’s blood supply is reduced as arteries become narrowed or blocked. With your heart muscle starved of vital nutrients and oxygen you are many times more likely to have a heart attack.
Simultaneously, smoking also increases the risk of stroke, because of damage to the heart and arteries to the brain. Smokers have higher risk of dying after a heart attack than non-smokers who get heart attacks. Diabetics who anyway have a higher risk of heart attacks, if they smoke, increase their risk hugely.
One of the commonest cause of sexual impotence in men worldwide is smoking and it has been linked to fertility problems in women. It can also cause unborn children harm. Pregnant women who smoke are at increased risk of having a miscarriage, bearing a premature baby or one who is underweight at birth. After birth, children exposed to smoke are likely to experience inhibited child development. Pregnant mothers who are exposed to passive smoking (household or work place) are at risk too of low birth weight babies and babies with lung diseases.
Breaking the habit
According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break.
A cigarette gives the smoker 1-2 mg of nicotine per day and a little kick - more potent than alcohol or barbiturates.Nicotine can reduce anxiety and tension, suppress appetite and enhance memory, but it is also accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate.
These effects tend to wear off quickly, leaving the smoker to deal with the ugly effects of withdrawal. The list is as depressing as it is long and the symptoms include: irritability, anger, hostility, anxiety, nervousness, panic, poor concentration, disorientation, light-headedness, sleep disturbances, constipation, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, sore throat-gums- or tongue, pain in limbs, sweating, depression, fatigue, fearfulness, sense of loss, craving tobacco, hunger, and coughing (body getting rid of the mucus clogging the lungs).
These may last from a few weeks to several months. However, even after the physical symptoms subside a powerful mental addiction remains. Smokers can be as addicted to the act of smoking – the habit of starting a day with a cigarette, sharing a pack with friends or taking breaks to smoke one all become part of one’s routine and are missed. All these factors combined make quitting hard.
Third-hand smoke
It turns out you needn’t even be there when a cigarette is lit to experience some of the side effects. ‘Third-hand smoke’ refers to the smoke generated carcinogens that lodge in clothing, upholstery and other surfaces. The residue of nicotine and other chemicals is thought to react with common indoor pollutants to create a toxic mix. It is then absorbed directly through the human skin or can be inhaled in dust. Children and babies are particularly vulnerable to it.
Studies have revealed that third-hand smoke clings to hair and skin as well. In contrast to second-hand smoke which is inhaled by someone being close to a smoker, third-hand smoke continues to wreak havoc long after someone has finished smoking. A relatively new concept, third-hand smoke is still being researched, but it is believed to resist normal cleaning and can't be eliminated by airing out rooms, opening windows, using fans or air conditioners, or confining smoking to only certain areas of a home.
How to quit smoking and manage cravings
In the days after you quit smoking, you might find yourself having to cope with bouts of dizziness, irritation, and even strong headaches. You may also notice an increase in your appetite. It will take a while before your body adjusts, but in the meantime here are a few tips to help you cope:
- Set a date: Decide on a set day to quit smoking; it should not be too far away. Avoid any particularly stressful period. When the day comes, just quit. Trying to phase out your smoking seldom works.
- Clean out: Get rid of everything associated with smoking – from your ashtrays to the lighters and of course the packs themselves.
- Stay active: Get plenty of exercise and find ways to channel all that excess energy.
- Keep your hands occupied: Playing with something – whether it’s a pencil or a paper clip – will help satisfy that need for tactile stimulation.
- Find an oral substitute: For some smokers, ending a meal means lighting up. Find a way to tide yourself over that moment with something such as a simple, healthy dessert or a cup of coffee. In general, it’s a good idea to keep other things around to pop in your mouth when you’re craving a cigarette – whether it’s a stick of gum, a carrot or assorted nuts.
- Drink lots of water: Flushing toxins from your body minimizes withdrawal symptoms and helps cravings pass faster.
- Alcohol and cigarettes: Many people find the two an irresistible combination. To help beat the temptation you could consider switching to non-alcoholic drinks for the evening, or try drinking only in places where smoking inside is prohibited. Again snacking or even simply chewing on a straw or cocktail stick might help distract you from the craving.
- Ask friends for help: Enlist the support of friends and family by telling them you’re ready to quit. It might also help them put up with you while you go through withdrawal. Of course, it’s harder if all your friends are smokers. Especially initially, reduce the temptation to smoke by hanging out with your friends in non-smoking environments and don’t hesitate to request friends not to smoke when you’re together.
- Get professional help: A doctor might also be able advise you on specific medications (for example certain kinds of anti-depressants) that might help. Nicotine patches, nicotine chewing gums might also help to get out of the initial craving.
- Keep trying: If you fail to quit, don’t get discouraged. Try again. Next time you will succeed.
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