Smoking tobacco dramatically increases
the risk of developing so many diseases including lung cancer and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. The two many causes of death in smokers are
respiratory diseases or ischaemic heart disease (heart disease that develops
because
enough blood does not get to the heart).
Other cancers caused
by smoking include cancers of the larynx (voice box), stomach, pancreas and
kidneys.
Smoking also
increases your risk for peptic ulcer disease and stroke. Women who smoke when
pregnant tend to give birth to very small babies because smoking decreases the
growth rate of the baby.
Other social effects
of smoking such as inability to care for the family, violence towards a
partner, crime and aggression are also important.
Lung cancer is
something i think we should talk about. About 90% is caused by cigarette
smoking. The death rate from the disease is 40 times than in non-smokers. The
risk due to smoking lingers for many years after smoking cessation, but it
gradually falls. Lung cancer accounts for about 18% of all cancer related
deaths.
How does lung cancer
manifest?
· The earliest symptom
is dry cough (may not be dry).
· Coughing up blood.
· Breathelessness.
· Pain around the
chest.
· Headache.
· Swelling of the neck
and face.
· If the cancer spreads
to the brain, symptom like epileptic seizures and personality changes appear.
· Bone pain.
· Yellow eyes.
· Weight loss.
· Loss of appetite
· Finger clubbing (change
in the size or shape of the nail bed. This will be identified by your doctor).
Treatment with the
aim of cure is not possible in over 75% of cases. This is because the cancer
must have spread to other parts of the body.
Do smokers even want
to stop despite all these? Almost everybody knows about the dangers of smoking,
but why do people still smoke? There are a lot of factors that ‘push’ people to
smoke even when they don’t want to.
One is nicotine.
Nicotine is the addictive component of tobacco. It causes unpleasant effects in
smokers, forcing them to keep smoking even when they want to quit.
Even when smokers
finally decide to quit, there are other factors in the environment that makes
them continue the habit and reduce the chances of success with the cessation
programme. They include: peer pressure, cigarette advertising (cigarette or tobacco
is not advertised) and finding themselves in areas where they once smoked.
Enough of all the
talking, i want to stop. What should i do?
The answer depends on
the smoking habit; are you a heavy or light smoker? Are you motivated to stop
the habit? Do you have an understanding family to provide emotional support for
you?
Advice, support
programmes, counselling, nicotine replacement therapy and use of a drug called
bupropion are the methods used depending on the patient. Do i think you should
see a doctor or a psychologist (usually both)? Yes.
Will-power alone has
a very low chance of stopping smoking.
Encourage somebody
today to stop smoking because they can’t do it on their own.
I look forward to
reading your comments and suggestions on how to improve this blog. Have a
‘healthful’ life.
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