Effect of Smoking on the Lungs

Smoking has a wide variety of health effects and can affect just about every organ in the body. But one of the organs that is most directly affected is the lungs. This is maybe not surprising as this is the organ in direct contact with cigarette smoke.

The lungs are organs of respiration. They are designed to carry air that contains oxygen and pass this oxygen to the blood stream. Everybody has two lungs that are divided into lobes.

When somebody starts smoking this causes irritation of the cells lining the air tubes within the lungs (the bronchi and bronchioles). One of the body's basic responses to this is to produce mucus. This mucus can reduce the diameter of the airtubes making it more difficult to breathe. Have you heard of a 'smoker's cough'? This is when a smoker coughs up this mucus.

In a healthy person, there are cells lining the lungs and upper respiratory tract that have small hair-like projections called cilia present. These beat to move dust and debris out of the lungs. They are a bit like the lung's own broom sweeping team. Smoking kills these cells so that their cleaning function is no longer carried out. Dust and particles can then accumulate which is one of the reasons that smokers often complain of respiratory diseases.

One of the gases in cigarette smoke is carbon monoxide. This gas interferes with the process of oxygenation of blood in the lungs. In fact if you inhale too much carbon monoxide you will suffocate and die. This gas is present in car exhaust fumes and is responsible for the deaths of many people each year using this as a form of suicide.

The air sacs in your lungs where oxygen is passed to the blood are called alveoli. These have a very large surface area - about the size of a tennis court. Every time that you smoke you kill some of these alveoli. These structures can't grow back, so once they are destroyed, that's it. Is it any wonder that smokers find it difficult to breathe due to minor exertion, such as walking up stairs?

The long-term effect of smoking on the lungs is quite well documented. Cancer of the lungs is largely due to smoking. It is estimated that 87% of cases of lung cancer in the US are smoking related. Smoking is the primary cause behind a condition called COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Patients with this condition find it very difficult to breathe because their airways have become so obstructed.

By Paul Elms

Current Health Articles on Second Hand Smoking

Getting rid of habits like smoking is not easy. However, people are becoming aware of the dangers of second hand smoke and are trying to keep their families away from these dangers by smoking near a window of the house or by opening all the doors and windows for better ventilation. Current health articles have mentioned very specific that this does not really function as even the slightest residual of smell in the air can affect other people and specially children.

Many people are aware of the dangers of second hand smoke, however, they are not aware of the deep effects; even the smallest of residual of that smoke that sticks to your clothes and furniture is also very harmful.

Current health articles also have mentioned that since this is such a great problem, it will be a very good idea to create a better awareness among smokers to find better ways to protect those around them to avoid the problems that they are already having. Another important fact that current health articles have mentioned also is that the children of parents that smoke are most likely to smoke themselves in their adolescent years only.

Current health articles have reported that there is no risk free level of tobacco exposure and that the smoke of tobacco contains chemicals that can create all kinds of cancers. And the worse news is that the chemicals get more concentrated in second hand smoke.

Current health articles advice for people to be extremely cautious about second hand smoke. It is very important for parents to think about quitting smoking, however, it is also understood that this is not possible so easily. Therefore there are certain measures that you can take to avoid second hand smoking especially for your children.

If you are a smoker and you have children at home, smoke outside of your house. That is the only way to avoid them from coming in contact with the deadly chemicals which will affect their health in the long run. Current health articles also advice to avoid smoking where there are pregnant women, since this is also a dangerous way of getting your future children at risk of contaminates.

Don't smoke on your car. Even if you are alone, the smoke will stick to the materials in the car and even though you may not think, the chemicals will still be there when others come and sit in the same car. This is the extent to which the chemicals are able to linger in the atmosphere and that is why it is very important to take proper precautions.

By Deep Gajiwala 

Smoking Fetish Of Women

According to one of the researches, it has been found that the smell and taste of cigarettes play a greater role in women's smoking behavior than in that of men. Another study found that cognitive-behavioral therapy aimed at changing attitudes about weight promotes smoking cessation by women. Even if we compare their stats with men, we'll be surprised to know that the guys who smoke are one out of every three. However, while smoking as well as smoking-related deaths from such diseases as lung cancer have been falling in men, they have been increasing in women. Smoking, in fact, takes a greater toll on the health of women than men; a smoking woman loses, on an average, 15 years of her life while a smoking man loses just over 13 years.
In the first half of the 20th century, lung cancer in women was extremely atypical. In addition to that smoking wasn't very ubiquitous. Unfortunately, that soon changed when the tobacco industry started targeting women. In 1964, the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health was released and it became clear that smoking was a deadly habit which engulfed 45 percentages of women all over. A media campaign followed and smoking rates began to fall, as did tobacco industry profits. But the rates declined more in men than women; the tobacco industry had started their own media campaign, once again marketing directly to women.
Lung Cancer
By 1987, lung cancer had outdone breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Today, more women die each year from lung cancer than breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancers combined. In fact, lung cancer among women is now considered a scourge, killing almost 75,000 in the US last year. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lung cancer than men, and they tend to get it at younger ages.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
o Shortness of breath
o Fever with an unknown cause
o Hoarseness
o Chest pain
o Wheezing
o Coughing up blood
o Chronic cough
o Weight loss & loss of appetite
o Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia
Other Smoking influenced Diseases in Women
While lung cancer might be the most lethal disease caused by smoking, it's not the only one. Smoking doubles the risk of having a heart attack, and increases the risk of dying from a heart attack within the first hour. This is an especially serious problem for women since women are more likely to die after a first heart attack than men. Women who use birth control pills; and smoke are at especially high risk of having a heart attack.
Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers, including breast, uterine cancer, bladder and oral cancer. Smoking also increases a woman's risk of low bone density and osteoporosis.
Smoking-Related Disorders in Women
o Heart disease
o Stroke
o Lung cancer
o Emphysema
o Oral cancer
o Uterine cancer
o Breast cancer
o Bladder cancer
o Rectal cancer
o Colorectal polyps
o Osteoporosis
o Infertility
o Early Menopause
o Miscarriages
o Stillbirths
Family Matters
Smoking is not just bad for women; it's bad for their families and future families as well. Smoking can cause infertility in women. If a woman becomes pregnant, smoking increases her risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are also more likely to have babies with asthma, sleeping disorders and chronic ear infections than non-smoking mothers. The menstrual cycle phase has an effect on both mood and tobacco withdrawal symptoms for women trying to quit smoking -- a finding that clearly suggests that women could improve their success rate simply by starting their quit attempt during certain days of their cycle.
Cosmetic and Other Considerations
Ironically, teens and young women often think smoking is sexy and glamorous. However, the consequences -- such as stained fingers and teeth, tooth loss, gum disease, bad breath -- are anything but sexy and glamorous. Smoking also hastens the aging process most likely because of its adverse effect on estrogen. It can cause early menopause, facial wrinkling, and permanent voice lowering and urinary incontinence.
Old Habits Die Hard
Women and girls are not only more susceptible than men to the negative consequences of smoking; they are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes even when smoking comparable amounts.
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to a man...and woman. Researchers are studying gender differences in smoking behavior and working to develop treatment plans that will help more women end their nicotine addiction. In fact, nicotine is considered more addictive than heroin or cocaine. And nicotine is more addictive for women than men.
The highly addictive nature of nicotine is a major reason why most people have difficulty quitting smoking, and women have a harder time quitting than men. Another thing that makes quitting difficult for women is the weight gain that, unfortunately, often accompanies quitting smoking. On the other hand, the weight gain, which rarely exceeds five pounds, can be reversed by a healthy diet and exercise.
More importantly, quitting smoking can also reverse many of the deadly consequences of the habit.
Weighing the Benefits
A woman who stops smoking reduces her risk of stroke to pre-smoking levels. Within a year, her smoking-related risk of heart disease drops by 50 percent. After three years, the risk of a heart attack is no greater than for a woman who never smoked. Within five years, her smoking-related risk of heart disease can disappear altogether. Clearly, the benefits of quitting outweigh the possibility of any weight gain. So think again...Are we going the right way?

Chris Read

Smoking in Teenagers and Its Effects of Their Health

Estimates suggest that thousands of teenagers the world over have their first smoke each minute, and a significant percentage of these go on to become habitual smokers. Fact remains that a large majority of the adult population which smokes stared smoking in their formative years; and the fact that the numbers of teenagers who continue to get hooked is only on the rise isn't really helpful.

Well, just what makes cigarettes so appealing to the youth? Apart from the fact that the tobacco industry leaves no stone unturned in trying to attract young probable smokers, a number of teens also start smoking owing to factors like peer pressure and looking at smoking as a form of rebellion. Inadequate knowledge about the perils of smoking coupled with instructions of 'don't smoke' and 'don't hang out with smokers' only makes things worse.

The Effects of Smoking on the Health of Teenagers:

A number of studies have revolved around the effects that smoking cigarettes produces on teenagers, and the findings clearly show that the signs are anything but good. Given below are some common health problems associated with smoking in teenagers.

Firstly, there's the fact that a significant percentage of teenage smokers go on to become chronic smokers, and this exposes them to all adult related smoking problems down the line.

Smoking a pack of cigarettes a day will reduce your life span by around seven years.

Smoking in your formative years will increase your chances of contracting lung cancer, and this probability will continue to rise as you continue to smoke.

Smoking affects the growth and functioning of lungs, and as a

smoker, you'd have a lower lung functioning level as compared to a non-smoker.

Teenage smokers are thrice more likely to suffer from 'shortness of breath', and also produce twice as much phlegm in comparison to non-smokers.

Smoking will affect your endurance and performance levels, and this holds true even for teens that are otherwise physically fit.

The heart rate of a smoker is comparatively faster when compared to the heart rate of a non-smoker.

While strokes and heart diseases are generally linked with adult smokers, data suggests that teenagers who smoke also display early signs of these conditions.

The probability of seeking psychological or emotional assistance is also more in teenagers who smoke.

Tobacco - The Gateway Drug:

There are many proponents of the 'gateway drug' theory which states that nicotine works as a gateway drug, increasing the probability of a one's exposure to higher drugs. Various studies have gone to show that teenage smokers are more prone to using alcohol and marijuana, and even harder drugs like amphetamines, heroin, and cocaine. For those who feel that their smoking habit will not lead to anything else, know that it's not going to be easy; and like smoking is not bad enough.

Teenagers who've had trouble quitting smoking will vouch for how difficult the process can be. The good this, though, is that there's help at hand. In today's world, teenagers have the luxury of going through counselling meant especially to deal with any kind of addiction, and when it comes to nicotine addiction, help is also available in the form of nicotine replacement therapy and various medication programs. In addition, alternative methods like hypnotherapy are also known to work.

Smoking makes you unhealthy, costs you a fortune, and its probably going to kill you. It really is a good time to quit smoking cigarettes - Most of all QUIT for YOU, and your family will thank you.

by NIGEL MARTIN