We decided you to explain the main facts and myths about smoking. You may ask why? – Smoking habit is spread all over the world making all people addicted and unhealthy. Inhaled nicotine deteriorates all the organism’s systems that’s why it is better to give up this habit to improve your health conditions. Moreover, we may offer you medications directed to weaken your smoking habit.
Let’s speak about facts relating to smoking.
Facts about Smoking
Fact №1: Benefits of Smoking
In the XVI century, it was believed that tobacco has many medicinal properties. In 1571, Spanish doctor Nicolas Monardes published scientific research that tobacco could cure 36 different diseases. Tobacco was applied for a migraine, toothache, aching bones, and gastric disorders. Over time, many of the myths about the use of tobacco have been dismissed, but during the First World War, soldiers were recommended to smoke to calm down.
Ironically, today, some scientists claim that smoking has not only disadvantages but some advantages as well:
- Smoking helps to lose weight. In addition, people who quit smoking gain an average of 3-4 kg. In the early 1920s, tobacco companies advertise cigarettes with the expectation of losing weight in women, since it is known that nicotine suppresses the appetite and speeds up metabolism. But this quality of cigarettes is a downside: Smokers do not feel a full range of food flavor, they also have problems with digestion.
- Long-lasting smoking habit reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease development. In a study published in 2010 in Neurology journal, it was shown that the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in smokers is reduced by 44%, while the former smokers – 22%. The longer a person smokes, the lower the risks are. Why is this happening, scientists have not been able to find out.
- Smoking increases the effectiveness of Clopidogrel, which is used to prevent the formation of blood clots in patients with myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, etc. This is due to the fact that a certain substance (cytochrome P450 1A2) is released during smoking, which promotes activation of clopidogrel in the body.
Fact №2: Passive Smoking
The assertion that passive smoking is more dangerous than active one, is not satisfied. But various medical associations are unanimous: “passive smoker” is subject to the same diseases as people with smoking habit (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infertility, etc.). In smoke exhaled by a smoker and produced by a smoldering cigarette end, there are more than 7000 chemical compounds. Hundreds of them are toxic and about 70% provokes cancer. There is no safe dose of smoke. Furthermore, it may be in the air to 2.5 hours, even when the window is open. And it does not necessarily smell like we get used to.
The active fight against passive smoking began in the 1990s. In 1992, in Journal of the American Medical Association study results have been published, according to which in the early 1980s from 35 to 40 thousand deaths per year were caused by passive smoking.
Fact №3:”Safe Smoking”
Many smoking lovers are trying to protect themselves from its harm in various ways: by limiting the number of cigarettes smoked, or choose “light” cigarettes. According to the survey, nearly one-third of smokers consume less than 10 cigarettes a day and find that it is not dangerous, so do not see the ground for quitting it. Nevertheless, the majority of cardiovascular disease risks occurs with the first few cigarettes smoked per day.
As for the “light” cigarettes, they are considered by many doctors at least as harmful. In order to obtain the necessary dose of nicotine, smokers strongly inhaled, and they smoke some cigarettes instead of one. Doctors suggest that this kind of smoking is even a special type of lung cancer – adenocarcinoma. Probably, when such cigarettes are smoked and tars are inhaled deeper, resulting in developing of a malignant tumor. Adenocarcinoma is one of the most dangerous types of lung cancer (only 10% of patients live for more than 5 years).
In the US since 2010 it is prohibited to indicate cigarettes as “light” or “mild.”
Fact №4: About Fractures and Premenstrual Syndrome
There is a known fact: smoking triggers contribute to the development of various cancers, including throat, mouth and lungs cancer. Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and may also cause infertility, erectile dysfunction and affect fetus development if a pregnant woman smokes. All this can be found on cigarette packages.
But not everyone understands that smoking (including passive) also contributes to the development of skin diseases (such as atopic dermatitis). In addition, many people forget that smokers may deteriorate vision: smoking contributes to macular degeneration – the area of the retina responsible for central vision. Its damage can lead to irreversible blindness.
It was also found that tobacco use makes bones more fragile and brittle. And after the operation wounds in smoking patients are healed longer in comparison with non-smokers.
Smoking habit has as well psychological consequences. It is believed that smokers recovery more severe after stress. Doctors say the smoking psychological condition is improving almost as soon as they quit this deteriorating habit. Also, researchers from the University of Massachusetts found that female smokers are twice likely to suffer from premenstrual syndrome.
Fact №5: About Smoking Plants
The most famous herb for smoking, in addition to tobacco – is cannabis (substance for marijuana production). But in most countries, it is forbidden. However, besides it, there are many varieties of plants that have a similar effect in smoking and thus partially or completely legal. For example, mugwort. As you know, it was present in absinthe, but its leaves may be smoked as well. However, an overdose of this herb can be deadly.
In some countries, it is permitted to smoke sage, which contains the same hallucinogenic substance as wormwood – thujone. However, sage for a short time in some countries has entered into the list of prohibited items.
On many herbs worldwide there is no separate ban due to their small spread, but they can still fall under “Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances” law as “analogues of narcotic drugs.” For this examination, it must be established that their chemical structure and properties similar to drugs, which are in a legislative list of banned substances.
Fact №6: The Effect of Smoking on Career
Smoker has changed over the centuries. In Russia in the XVII century under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich ruling, smoking was forbidden. Smokers were beaten with rods, and after the fire of Moscow in 1634, they were executed.
Smoking was popular in the world until the end of the twentieth century. In the 1970s and 1980s, this habit is considered to be fashionable. This way a tobacco companies created advertising with movie actors and show business stars, appearing with cigarettes on film and television. Researchers believe that footage of smoking in popular films contributed to spread of this habit among youth.
West attitude to smoking have changed dramatically in the late 1990s – early 2000s. The European Commission in 2006 officially recognized the valid denial of employment or dismissal because of smoking. Some European and Japanese companies are not only allowed to smoke in the office building but does refuse to hire smokers candidates.
In many firms, non-smokers or those who have decided to quit, are paid a small monthly premium. In Germany, a non-smoker’s life insurance is cheaper. The difference can be up to 100 euros a year for thirty years and 150 euros – for forty-five years. Smoker, who at a signing of the contract stated that he does not smoke, risks to lose insurance. If he dies from disease, which is caused by smoking, his family is paid amount that would have recognized immediately, or are not paid anything at all.
Now Canadian Health and Care Mall is gong to provide you with the main myths concerning smoking habit.
Myths about Smoking
Myth №1 – Household Reason
Starts smoking from stupidity, and can not give up because of weak will. New data of molecular genetics show that smoking habit is caused genetically – the so-called “smoking gene” that prevents smokers from cancer, so that it is possible that genes will be administered to smokers deprived of this universal natural defenses. It turns out, smoking is harmful not for all, characteristics of the organism and genetic structure may allow you to neglect Ministry of Health warnings? Quit Smoking is a subject to body stress, which is similar to acute inflammation.
This is not a metaphor. According to the research of the University of Pennsylvania, when you have quit smoking it may begin depression, muscle pain, fever, appetite changes and exacerbation of chronic diseases. There were delivered compelling experiences, the aim of which was to follow what happens in the so-called “abstinence”: blood samples of volunteers showed that the level of interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6, causing depression, during the day increases. According to scientists, anti-inflammatory therapy can only eliminate these symptoms.
Myth №2 – Clinical Picture
The second myth – smokers to compensate for a deficiency of nutrients, need additional vitamins that are natural antidotes to tobacco smoke. In fact, a smoking person is a person with a special biochemistry, which is not subject to average canons. For example, not so long ago, studies were carried out, during which it became clear that “pure” beta-carotene in the body triggers the occurrence of cancer.
As stated in published New England Journal Of Medicine data, the risk of cancer when taking beta-carotene was increased by 18%. Studies were carried out almost simultaneously in Finland and the United States. According to US reports, American smokers who ate pure beta-carotene, the risk of developing lung cancer is already increased by 28%. It is almost one out of three smokers whose compassionate relatives provide nutritional vitamin supplements.
Myth №3 – Women – Smokers
Pregnant women smoking brings only one damage, and even smoking woman is not a woman at all. Here fun part comes. It turned out that it is not always so. It happens not often, although the mechanism is not yet fully clear. Naturally, this does not mean that in maternity wards will stand hookahs and tobacco collection lie in the event of complications during childbirth … Nevertheless, it was found that pregnant women who smoke risk of developing pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (by definition this is convulsion at birth, similar epileptic, mothers have started vomiting, loss of consciousness, is frothing at the mouth) is reduced by 30 – 50%. In addition, it was found that among smokers rarer hypertension in pregnant women is observed.
Moreover, smokers are much less common so-called vomiting in pregnancy. According to data published in quite decent “Medical Journal” in an article about the benefits of smoking in black and white that “tobacco acts as an antiestrogen, in smokers, there is a state of estrogen deficiency, which has a positive effect on the diseases that occur in the background of their excess. Therefore, intensive smoking reduces, for example, the risk of uterine fibrosis (up to 50%, particularly in postmenopausal women) and, presumably, endometriosis (if smoking is started at an early age). ”
Really it is absolute nonsense to hear that smoking may be beneficial for pregnant women. There is the greatest risk for the fetus when the pregnant woman smokes.
Myth №4: Smoking Associated with Alcohol
If you combine smoking with alcohol, then thereby you apply a “double blow” to the body. In fact, smoking and – if possible drinking wine (this is important) – the probability of human intestinal polyps almost 20 percent less than a non-smoker teetotaler or a man drinking beer. If you are confused by the word “polyps” that literally it is a question that a smoker, every day drinks a glass of wine, the chances of dying from bowel cancer are less. A similar relationship is observed in cases of ulcerative colitis.
Myth №5: There is no Disease in which Smoking would be Useful
There is! In New York, an interesting study on twins was held a rather. Scientists around 30 years ago revealed the strange relationship between genetic predisposition to smoking and Parkinson’s disease, but mechanism itself based until recently was not clear.
To understand this counterintuitive connection, Dr. Caroline Tanner (Caroline M. Tanner) and her colleagues at the California Institute observed identical twins (with one set of genes) and fraternal twins. The study involved 113 pairs of twins, male, and in each pair, one of the brothers suffered from Parkinson’s disease. It turned out that “healthy” brothers smoked many times more and be more sick. And this dependence is manifested in identical twins stronger than fraternal. According to final data, among identical twins, the risk of Parkinson’s disease was almost twice lower than in those who smoked. The main conclusion to be drawn from the experiment: smoking somehow retards the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Special mention the data on the relationship of smoking and mental health deserves. In the review, within the context of clear evidence about the negative impact of excessive smoking on mental state, one idea attracts attention: In some cases, people unknowingly use nicotine to create chemical balance in the body in order to harmonize the mental state.
The most obvious example is schizophrenics. According to American data 1986, 88% of schizophrenics smoke, and more likely than healthy people: almost one cigarette after another. It is – nothing more than a self-regulation and self-medication, as nicotine “triggers” chemical mechanisms in the schizophrenic brain, which compensate for defects provoked by disease. It turns out that nicotine helps schizophrenic cope with information overload and adjust perceptions. Even more, schizophrenics smoke those who are treated with antipsychotics. From all this, in other words, it follows that nicotine is a sometimes unique natural therapeutic agent – “clean water” of herbal medicine. Naturally, it does not mean that “heavy smokers” use antipsychotics or all schizophrenics do it.
Conclusively there are proven positive effect of nicotine on the course of Alzheimer’s disease. Also, there is evidence that if you start smoking in elderly, it can protect aging body from sclerosis of vessels.
Smoking can have a positive effect on brain activity in healthy people, which is manifested recovery, better information processing, acceleration of some motor reactions and perhaps improve memory.
Impact on tobacco-smoking is poorly understood, since all studies were carried out with the participation of smokers in whom there is an increased tolerance to environmental tobacco smoke and altered receptors.