Are E-Cigarettes Safe for Smokers?

June 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Smokers are likely to try just about anything that promises to save them from nicotine withdrawal while they try to give up tobacco. Companies that sell e-cigarettes claim that they have made a product that allows smokers to get their fix without inhaling all of the carcinogens and harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Are e-cigarettes really a safe alternative for smokers?

The Benefits of E-Cigarettes 

Electronic Cigarettes 

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There are some benefits to using e-cigarettes, especially if someone uses them to replace tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarettes contain pure liquid nicotine. That means smokers only inhale this chemical. Clearly, this is a healthier alternative to smoking tobacco because you eliminate a large number of the carcinogens and chemicals that can cause health problems.

Makers of the e-cigarette also maintain that their product is useful for people trying to quit smoking. E-cigarettes, they say, are similar to nicotine patches, except that the electronic cigarettes also help satisfy oral fixations that can make it difficult for smokers to quit.

E-Cigarettes and Nicotine Addiction

That’s where e-cigarettes become questionable. Compared to tobacco cigarettes, they are safer. Compared to not smoking at all, though, they are diseases waiting to happen. It’s dishonest to compare e-cigarettes with nicotine patches. Patches are designed to help individuals wean themselves off of nicotine. Electronic cigarettes, however, position themselves as alternatives to smoking. Users feel that they have made a healthy choice, so they are less concerned about quitting altogether.

This is one of the reasons that cities across the United States have extended their smoking bans to cover electronic cigarettes, too. What are more useful ways to give up smoking without suffering through psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms.

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Effects of Smoking over Respiratory System

May 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Inspite of several warning and advices, many people still smoke cigarettes. Other than causing irrreversible damage to their own body, smokers pollute the enviornment and also cause several diseases to non-smokers. Oxygen is very important for all living organisms and good quality of the oxygen flow decides the energy release, working of metabolism, and even burn of nutrient. The breathing of oxygen and release of carbon-dioxide is normally performed by the respiratory system.

Some Kills

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Smoking is very injurious to health and tobacco contains harmful chemicals that interrupts the respiratory system. The harmful chemicals here include tar, carbon monoxide, radioactive compounds, hydrogen cyanide, metals, and free radicals. The craving for tobacco increases and aggravated and this become really painful when a person attempts to give up smoking. Though a person may give up smoking through counseling and other ways, it takes so many years for the respiratory tract to rehabilitate.

Smoking also causes different types of cancer, especially it causes lung, mouth, and throat cancer. Studies have revealed that tobacco also causes chronic bronchitis, a condition that makes breathing very difficult. Women who have the habit of smoking especially during pregnancy have miscarriges and still birth. Smoking also introduces some tar particles inside the respiratory system and these are the sticky substance that affects not only finger nails and teeth, but also affect delicate lung tissue.

Most importantly some components in tar is found to be the cancer trigger. Other than this, hydrogen cyanide affects lung clearance system. Also, these harmful chemicals damages heart and blood vessels, and this can lead to stroke and heart disease.

 

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COPD: One of the Risks of Smoking

March 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is also referred to as COPD, is often times caused by long term tobacco use. This disease constricts the airways in the lungs, leading to a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Many that have been diagnosed with COPD will have had occasional bouts of bronchitis early in the disease.

The condition may be caused by a variety of scenarios, but smoking is the biggest cause of the disease. Other causes include breathing second hand smoke, pollution in the air and being exposed to toxins that may be found in certain work places.

Symptoms of COPD vary among those that have been diagnosed with it. One symptom is shortness of breath. This will most normally get worse as the disease progresses. Lung infections are also quite common for those that have COPD, along with fatigue.

Although there is no cure for the disease, there are treatment plans available that help ease shortness of breath and other symptoms. If smoking is the cause of the disease, the person should try to stop as soon as possible so the disease doesn’t worsen. Many types of prescription medications are used to treat the condition, including steroids to help take down inflammation. Oxygen may also be prescribed for home use. Steroids can be used by way of an in inhaler and are commonly prescribed as a treatment method for COPD. The main objective of the use of steroids is to take down the inflammation in the lungs caused by the disease.

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The Health Cost of Smoking

February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The health cost of smoking has manifold angles. It takes in the cost to society as a whole and to the individual smoker and their family on the basic level. Of course, some smokers would argue that nonsmokers also add to health care costs since they live longer.

The Individual Costs

There are many additional costs that smoking adds to an individual’s expenses. The first of course is the cost to purchase the cigarettes. Each pack of cigarette is money that could have been saved or used for something else.

Smokers generally have to pay more for health insurance. They are considered high risk by insurers since smoking is known to cause some forms of cancers. Often their premiums far exceed what non-smokers pay for coverage.

The Cost to Society

Because smokers tend to have poorer health than nonsmokers, they place greater burden on the health system. Many of them develop cancers, heart disease and respiratory diseases. These lead to extended hospitalization and surgeries, and more often than not, they have to be on medication for life. The cost is mind-boggling considering the number of smokers as well as nonsmokers affected by passive smoke.

In 2009, figures reportedly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the cost of smoking for direct health care was $96 billion annually. Added to this was the projected loss in productivity of $97 billion per year. It is easy to see that this can have a negative impact on any economy.

In addition to the financial costs, there are also the emotional costs resulting from smoking. Many families have been destroyed after losing loved ones to smoking related illnesses. Children have had to see parents suffer from various illnesses that are directly related to cigarette smoking such as emphysema.

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Women and Smoking: The Added Risks

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Women seem to face more risks from smoking. They are exposed to all the known health risks that men face such as cancers of the lung, throat, mouth and larynx, heart and circulatory diseases. However, they have to deal with unique situations as well.

Women who smoke could have fertility issues and problems while giving birth. It has been reported that smokers will generally take over a year to conceive in comparison to nonsmokers. Published reports suggest that the fertilization process in smokers can be impaired.

Babies of smokers are more likely to develop colds, allergies and respiratory illnesses than babies of nonsmokers. These babies may be born prematurely and even when they are full term, babies of smokers tend to be of low birth weight which can have health implications.

Women who use birth control also face certain dangers from smoking. Many ads for birth control products warn that women who smoke may be at increased risks of certain conditions such as blood clots and stroke. According to some of these ads, the danger increases after age 35.

Pre and post-menopausal women also have increased risks of some health conditions if they are smokers. Osteoporosis, bone density loss among older women, can be compounded by smoking. Female smokers lose more bone density than nonsmokers especially as they reach menopause.

It would seem that the cards are stacked against women smokers. The health risks discussed are just a few of the the known dangers when it comes to women and smoking. Thankfully, there are now many ways for women to get help to quit smoking.

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Naturals Ways to Quit Smoking

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Every day people try to quit smoking without success. There are many products on the market that are designed for helping people quite the habit, but some want to do it naturally. There are lots of natural methods that smokers can try to help them get over the habit for good.

Herbs

There are many herbs that have been used for years as aids to help people quit. Some of them are quite popular such as St. John’s Wort, Lobelia and Ginseng. Some can be had as pills while others are used in powder form to brew tea.

Acupuncture

This ancient Chinese treatment has helped some smokers quit. The treatment is said to help by changing the taste of cigarettes, which result in the smoker not wanting to smoke. Some acupuncturists use herbs in conjunction with acupuncture to hasten the process of withdrawal and cessation.

Hypnotherapy

Many people who have quit smoking swear by this method. It may not be for everyone, but it may be worth a try.

Just Stopping

For many people it is hard to quit abruptly. However, this has been the route taken by many former smokers who have given up the habit. This is a good method for people who are strong willed as it is easier for them to stop cold turkey, that is, without the use of any other methods. This may have to be tried repeatedly before success is finally achieved.

These methods have proven successful for some smokers, but not everyone will succeed at the first try. Like all addictions, support and encouragement is needed to help the smoker start the quitting process and to stick to it.

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The Relation Between Smoking And Cancer

January 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Smoking and lung cancer are terms that are commonly used in various situations. There are many people who have been suffering from diseases of the lungs and some of them suffer very severe problems and a very few of them may even suffer from lung cancer. The truth is that the relation between smoking and lung cancer is very high.

There are various reasons for this. The first important factor is that the smoke from the cigarettes contains nicotine that is released from the tobacco. The nicotine is a very addictive substance and at the same time, it is also a carcinogen. A carcinogen is a substance that can cause cancer in a person. Since the nicotine is a carcinogen, it can cause cancer in the person.

The nicotine enters the lungs of the person with each breath when the person draws in the smoke. Once this occurs on a regular basis, the person will start having changes in the tissues of the lungs. The lungs start collecting fluids and there is also infection. The air that enters into the lungs is also not to the full amount. This decreased air entry into the lungs will cause the person to suffer from breathlessness.

Other than the person who smokes, the people who live around the smoker can also be affected by smoking and this is called as the passive smoking. Since the affected individual is not an active smoker, the inhalation of the smoke that is exhaled by a smoker is called as passive smoking. The passive smoking also has the same kind of effect as active smoking. The family members or people living with a smoker are prone to this condition and may also suffer from lung cancer. Cessation of smoking decreases the chances of a person suffering from lung cancer very drastically.

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Quit Smoking The Self-Inflicted Punishment

January 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of the biggest health challenges facing mankind is unfortunately of their own making. As it is, the world is becoming an unhealthier place to live in because of pollution and environmental degradation. Added to this the menace of smoking is snuffing out many valuable lives in the prime of their youth.

It is unfortunate that millions of people across the world continue with this life-threatening practice even though they are very much aware of the risks associated with it. Smoking is an almost certain route to cancer and a host of other diseases. Though a plethora of laws are floating around in various countries, it is very difficult to implement them unless the end users of cigarettes, i.e. the consumers themselves realize the dangers they are bringing upon them and to society at large

One more dangerous consequence associated with cigarettes is passive smoking or exposure to second-hand smoking as it also called. Imagine a situation in a small apartment where the parents are smokers. They are surely damaging their health irretrievably but what they may not be realizing is that they are also seriously damaging their family members’ health. Passive smoking is as big a health challenge as active smoking in many parts of the world, especially in poor countries where the living conditions are very bad, unhygienic and with lack of ventilation.

To combat this menace, there are many initiatives taking place out there but more needs to be done. There are many ways to quit smoking provided there is a determination and will power amongst the users. More importantly there should be a mass uprising to get the world rid of this menace and a long fight is ahead, especially with the biggest vested interest, i.e. the tobacco manufacturing companies and tobacco cultivators. These people tout death and destruction in the name of creating jobs and opportunities.

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Health of a Smoker

January 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

You must have heard that smoking is bad for your health and that there are many risks associated with it both for you and those near you. There are people who don’t quit in spite of being aware of the consequences of continuing the habit. They simply can’t get away from it. They would continue the habit no matter what anybody tells them.

When you look at the risks that the smokers face, you find that all the major diseases are associated with their habit. In fact most people would be overwhelmed by the list. The first health risk would be respiratory diseases. The smokers would undoubtedly experience respiratory diseases at least once in their life. The cough and breathing troubles would be their companions for life.

The respiratory diseases also include the throat infections and the nose troubles. This is mainly due to the particles that enter the body through the cigarette smoke. There may be many particles that enter the body and some of them might prove to be irritants of a very dangerous type. Also you would have the clinging smell of the smoke when you use a cigarette.

Another major risk is the possibility of oral cancer. This is a very common and increasing form of cancer. It can be avoided if the smoking habit is avoided, but people seem to favor the disease than stop smoking. This attitude has made the elimination of this disease quite tough. Also there are other risks such as the infections and ulcers.

Stopping the habit of smoking is the best way to eliminate all these risks from the world. If not from the world, at least it would reduce the risks of such diseases by stopping the use of tobacco. Tobacco is the main carcinogenic substance in most types of cancers.

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Benefits of Quitting

January 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances, which upon ingestion gets distributed rapidly in the bloodstream, crosses blood-brain barrier. Nicotine inhaled can reach the brain in about 7 seconds. Nicotine has a half life of 2 hours in the body. Nicotine is ingested in various ways which include smoking, chewing tobacco etc. Once people get addicted to smoking they find it hard to quit unless they are determined to do so.

Once a person stops smoking, his pulse rate and blood pressure returns back to normal range and the hand and feet temperature also increases and returns to normal. The Carbon Monoxide levels in the blood drops and as a result the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood increases and the risk of heart attack decrease. Along with it the nerves starts regenerating and in turn improves the sense of smell and taste. The cilia lining the lungs start to re-grow and assist in keeping the lungs healthy and prevent any foreign particles from entering the respiratory tract. There will be an improvement in the circulation of blood to the lungs increasing the lung function and allowing efficient transfer of oxygen to the blood. The risk of getting a coronary also drops drastically compared to that of a smoker.

Even though a person can’t quit smoking in a day, it will take some time to get over the habit. To achieve it, the person should have a strong will, determination and focus. Once it is achieved, it does more good than one can realize. Once the person quits smoking, his life expectancy increases, the person lives longer and also have a healthy body, skin and mind. It is never late for anyone to kick a habit that causes more harm than benefit. And here smoking causes only harm without any benefit.

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