Second Hand Smoke: One of the Harmful Effects of Smoking
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Smoking is has many dangerous side effects. Among the many side effects that smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products have are cancer, heart disease and lung disease. The harmful effects of smoking can be seen commonly in the respiratory and circulatory systems of our body.
Not only is the smoker the only one at risk of the harmful effects of smoking but also those non-smokers who are in close proximity to the smoker. This is because of what some people call second hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke.
What is Second Hand Smoke?
Second hand smoke is the ambient smoke which is exhaled by smokers and left in the room or atmosphere close to the smoker. Those around the smoker can not help but inhale this. Passive smoking also holds harmful effects of smoking for those who do not smoke.
The harmful effects of smoking through second hand smoke are relatively less than actually smoking a cigarette especially if the exposure is inconsistent and infrequent. The question now is what happens if the smoker frequently smokes indoors where the smoke can be trapped in a room and free to be inhaled by those in the same room?
This scenario happens frequently for those whose family has a smoker who smokes in their presence. The harmful effects of smoking will manifest themselves in the non-smokers due to frequent exposure to second hand smoke.
Children are highly vulnerable to the harmful effects of smoking through second hand smoke. This is because of their still developing bodies and their faster heart rate compared to adults. Many children and adults as well, with smokers in their families, develop cancers and other related diseases such as heart disease and lung disease. Not all the harmful effects of smoking through second hand smoke manifest themselves. This is due mainly to inconsistent exposure to it.
Some work areas discourage smoking during working in enclosed rooms and those areas or rooms that are not well ventilated. Many establishments have realized the harmful effects of smoking via passive smoking and are quite strict in their implementation that smokers use cigarettes and other tobacco products outdoors instead of indoors.
This will lessen the risk of other workers inhaling environmental tobacco smoke.
In spite of the not so great risk of second hand smoke, with the right conditions there is still a risk. Smoking is one of the leading causes of death that can be avoided.
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The Many Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy
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The effects of smoking during pregnancy are detrimental on both the woman and the child. These range from somewhat mild to very extreme. Also, the effects of smoking during pregnancy does not only effect the baby but has continual effect through childhood and possible adulthood.
Complications in the Mother
The complications that they mother may experience because of the effects of smoking during pregnancy can occur both during pregnancy and delivery. The mother can be hospitalized due to excessive vomiting, develop urinary tract infections, or have a ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg does not grow in the correct place.
Also, the placenta can separate from the uterine wall before delivery or there can be too much amniotic fluid. Since the effects of smoking during pregnancy can cause the mother to have a miscarriage or a stillbirth, psychological problems, such as depression, can arise. Finally, death of the mother can occur due to hemorrhage during childbirth.
Complications in the Child
The effects of smoking during pregnancy on a child can be assigned into four categories. The four categories are size, genetic abnormalities, illnesses possibly developed later in childhood, and death.
The size of the newborn is greatly altered due to smoking for two reasons. The first of the two is preterm delivery. Second, the size is altered because rather than nutrients crossing the placenta, chemicals such as nicotine and carbon monoxide reach the baby. Without the nutrients, the baby is often underweight, which increase his or her chances of becoming ill.
The effects of smoking during pregnancy can also cause genetic abnormalities. The abnormalities can be cleft lip and cleft palate. Also, bowel problems can be experienced. Abnormalities can also occur in sensory systems such as the eyes and ears. More severe consequences are also seen. These include spinal cord problems, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation.
Consequences can also develop later in childhood. In early childhood, respiratory problems, such as asthma, can be seen. Also, behavior disorders often times develop in toddlers. Other consequences can be seen in adolescents, which include increased likelihood of smoking themselves. The worst consequence of the effects of smoking during pregnancy is sudden infant death syndrome, which is also known as SIDS.
The effects of smoking during pregnancy is a major issue that women, men, parents, and children have to deal with. These effects not only touch the lives of mothers and the fetus but the newborn baby, toddler, and then the teenager in the future, with possible problems as an adult.
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Learning About the Harmful Effects of Smoking
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Smoking is one of the most dangerous habits you can have and definitely one of the worst things you can do for your health. There are a number of short and long term effects of smoking, all of which should be well understood not only by smokers but by non-smokers as well so that they will understand what the dangers are and be sure never to start smoking.
Short Term
There are many short term and even immediate effects of smoking that a smoker will experience. In fact, just from one cigarette alone, even if it is the person’s very first cigarette, can cause their blood pressure to elevate and their heart rate to quicken.
Their blood flow to body extremities will be decreased and they may also experience dizziness and nausea. Smokers have to deal with a lot of aesthetic issues as well, as they typically experiences reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth, and smell like smoke even though they may not be able to smell it themselves.
Long Term
There are also many long term effects of smoking. This includes shortness of breath, increased nervousness and tension, agitation, trouble concentrating, changes to sleep pattern, and various cancers, namely lung cancer. Emphysema, heart attack and coronary disease, cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach, all of these are long term effects that many smokers will experience.
Everyone knows how bad smoking is, but it is incredibly addictive and so even people who want to quit find it very difficult to do so. If you are one of these people then you should know that you do not have to go it alone. There are many stop smoking aids available these days that you can use to help you through this, including the stop smoking patch, gum, and pill.
The effects of smoking will vary from person to person but all you need to know is that there are no good effects of smoking. There is nothing positive that can come from smoking and so if you do already smoke you should consider quitting as soon as possible.
Besides the stop smoking aids that you can buy there are also stop smoking courses and classes that you can attend which will be useful to you here, and hypnosis is also a very popular option. Whichever method of treatment you use to help you stop smoking, the main thing is that you are taking steps towards quitting and this is what really matters above all else.
Stop Smoking Aids: Some Popular Ways to Quit Smoking
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Stop smoking sounds very easy, however it is not so easy for those who actually try quitting. Many smokers try to stop smoking several times with their full wisdom, however once again get back to the old habit because of common side effect such as weight gain or withdrawal symptoms like irritability, anxiety, and depression. With the help of stop smoking aids, people who wish to quit smoking can experience several potential benefits at the time when they try doing the same.
Smoking is an acceptable social habit, which makes it even so tough to quit. However, if we can not stop smoking, it aids several potential damages such as serious complications in heart and lung, accelerating ageing process, diminishing natural skin quality, bad breath problems, weakened immune system and many others. Although smokers consider smoking as a great stress reducer, the fact is smokers are more susceptible towards higher level of anxiety and depression.
Practically, there is a huge variety of stop smoking aids available in today’s market such as nicotine gum, Nicoderm (a nicotine patch), stop smoking hypnosis, and many others. Each of them functions in a highly individualized way, however, with the same purpose to help people stop smoking. Among them all, nicotine gum and nicotine patch are popular as great stop smoking aids among the masses due to their potential benefits.
Benefits of Stop Smoking Aids
When a smoker plans to quit smoking, one of the greatest fears becomes weight gain. Different types of stop smoking aids work fantastically here and offer an excellent benefit by preventing this from occurring simply by substituting the nicotine component that actually holds back the appetite with natural, helpful and non-addictive botanicals. In fact, natural stop smoking aids help in the management of the functioning of appetite in the best possible fashion, during which a smoker does not really need to bother that he or she is living his life without nicotine.
When someone is using stop smoking aids, it also enhances the level of mental functioning including a prominent improvement in clarity and focus. The use of stop smoking aids ensures the immediate relief from the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, which in turn, offers the individual to enjoy the experience of non-smoker without delay. If you would like to use stop smoking aids, you can easily buy it at a grocery store, pharmacy or online.
Smoking While Pregnant: A Selfish Act
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Perhaps one of the most irresponsible things you can do while pregnant is smoking. Smoking has extremely dangerous consequences, regardless of whether you are pregnant or not. However, for pregnant women, smoking holds additional consequences. Furthermore, it can severely damage the health of the unborn child! If you will not quit smoking for your own sake, then do it for the sake of the innocent life inside of you.
Extended Effects
For women who smoke while pregnant, the dangerous effects of smoking are even greater. It can lead to a numerous amount of complications related to the pregnancy. For example, women who smoke while pregnant are much more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, which is where the egg is implanted in somewhere other than the uterus. In some cases, this requires for the baby to be surgically removed very early on in the pregnancy!
Another complication that can occur as a result of smoking while pregnant is placental complications. The risk of having placental complications doubles if the mother is a smoker. Such conditions include placenta previa and placental abruption, both of which can endanger the life of the mother and the life of the baby as well. Other pregnancy complications that can occur as a result of smoking while pregnant include: increased risk of miscarriage, increased risk of stillbirth, and increased vaginal bleeding.
A Baby is Born
A newborn is the most innocent creature of all. Of all people, they deserve to suffer the consequences of smoking while pregnant the least. However, they will suffer if their mother smokes during her pregnancy. Many of the consequences of smoking while pregnant are not just for the mother, but for the baby as well! A baby whose mother smoked while pregnant is more likely to be at a low birth weight. Smoking can also increase the risk that the baby will be prematurely born., and babies of mothers who smoked while pregnant are more likely to have birth defects such as a cleft lip.
Even if the baby is born on time and with no birth defects, they are still not out of harm’s way. Babies who have a low birth weight are more at risk during their first few moths of life, and babies of smokers are more likely to die of SIDS than other babies. Additionally, studies have shown that smoking while pregnant can cause the child to have behavioral problems later on in life.
A Selfless Act
When you are the only person that you have to worry about, saving yourself from the consequences of smoking is not considered to be a noble or exceptional act. However, the minute you save the life of an innocent child by quitting the habit, you have performed a selfless act.
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What Else You Should Know About the Stop Smoking Pill
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When you smoke cigarettes for a longer period of time, you simply become addicted. It is mainly because of the nicotine content which has a highly addictive property. Additionally, cigarette smoking contains various harmful chemicals and prolonged use of cigarettes may even turn to be fatal.
The complexities of cigarette addiction may involve its legal and social acceptance, so it needs a carefully designed plan and meticulous effort if you are serious about quitting your cigarette smoking habit. However, prior to designing any plan for yourself, it is essential to consider looking over the factors that you find logical to quit this habit and the long-term benefits associated with quitting.
A stop smoking pill that aids in reducing cigarette craving can also help in minimizing the withdrawal symptoms. Zyban and Wellbutrin are the names of two popular stop smoking pills. Zyban functions as an antidepressant medication which helps in stimulating the endorphins secretion. Endorphins have the ability to improve the energy level of an individual, which eventually makes the individual feels good. An essential component of the stop smoking pill is Bupropion hydrochloride which aids in combating against withdrawal symptoms.
General Instructions
When the stop smoking pill is administered, it needs to be used for more than 8 to 10 weeks. People who use it irregularly or who do not complete the course have the higher probability to return to the same using pattern or even worse. Typically the first week of the stop smoking pill therapy, you may continue smoking fewer cigarettes as you may have planned to completely stop from the second week after administration. However, if you have not stopped even after several months, this therapy is not for you. So, it is better that you should stop taking the stop smoking pill immediately.
Possible Side Effects
The most common side effects associated with the usage of Zyban are insomnia, dry mouth, bizarre dreams, and atypical libido. Other psychological side effects are depression, anxiety, irritation. Most of these side effects overlap with the symptoms of withdrawal and make it utterly complicated. So, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the side effects occurred from the usage of the stop smoking pill and the withdrawal symptoms. People suffering from anorexia or bulimia are not prescribed to use this medicine. Apart from that, individuals who are on monoamine oxidase inhibitors medication are typically not advised to take a stop smoking pill.
