Effects of smoking on health

This is an automatically translated article.

Article by Dr., Doctor Nguyen Hong Son - Department of Examination and Internal Medicine, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year. Of which, more than 7 million people die from direct tobacco use and about 1.2 million people die even though they do not smoke but are exposed to secondhand smoke.

1. Why is smoking so harmful?

Smoking is a risk factor for respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases. A review by a panel of public health experts convened by WHO on April 29, 2020 found that smokers are at a higher risk of serious health complications from COVID-19 than smokers. non-smokers.
There are more than 5,000 chemical components found in cigarette smoke and hundreds of them are harmful to human health. Some of the main substances found in cigarette smoke are:
1,3-Butadiene is a chemical used to make rubber. It is considered a carcinogenic chemical and may cause some blood cancers. Arsenic is used to preserve wood. Certain arsenic compounds have been linked to lung, skin, liver, and bladder cancers. Benzene is used to make other chemicals. It can cause cancer, especially leukemia in humans. Cadmium is the metal used to make batteries. Cadmium and cadmium compounds can cause lung cancer and have been linked to kidney and prostate cancer. Chromium VI is used to make alloy metals, paints and dyes. Chromium VI compounds cause lung cancer and have been linked to cancers of the nose and sinuses. Formaldehyde is used to manufacture other chemicals and plastics. It is also used as a preservative. Formaldehyde causes leukemia and cancer in respiratory tissues. Polonium-210 is a radioactive element that has been shown to cause cancer in animals. Tar is made from certain chemicals found in tobacco smoke. It leaves a brown, sticky residue on the lungs, teeth and tissues.

2. How does smoking affect health?

Smoking can cause cancer to every organ in your body: lungs, bladder, blood, cervix, colon, esophagus, kidney, nasopharynx, liver, pancreas, stomach.
Smoking also causes: Cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis.
Smokers are more at risk:
Get TB. Have colds and flu. Yellow teeth, gum (gum) diseases and tooth decay. Develop more wrinkles. Have osteoporosis. Difficulty conceiving. Have cataracts. Having impotence Having diabetes

3. What are the dangers of smoking to pregnant women?

Your baby may be too small to be born. Secondhand smoke slows down a baby's growth before birth. Your baby may have been born too early (preterm). Premature babies often have health problems. Smoking can damage a baby's lung and brain development. Smoking increases the risk of having a baby with birth defects. Babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy and infants exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

4. Are there any safer cigarettes?

The answer is NO
Light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes cause 15 times more cancer than cigarettes. Cigarettes labeled "additive-free" or "natural" have the same cancer-causing ingredients as regular cigarettes. Filtered cigarettes do not block all the harmful chemicals in cigarettes. Pipe tobacco is as toxic as cigarettes. All types of tobacco are harmful, and any exposure to secondhand smoke can damage the body. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and there is no such thing as safe tobacco.

5. Is exposure to secondhand smoke dangerous?

Smokers are not the only ones affected by secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke and vapors are a serious health hazard to non-smokers, especially children. Non-smokers with high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even higher risk of heart disease from breathing secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke contributes to thousands of premature deaths from heart disease and lung cancer. Studies show that the risk of heart disease in people who breathe secondhand smoke at home or work is about 25-30% higher. Passive smoking also promotes disease. Children born to smokers have a higher risk of respiratory infections than children born to non-smokers.

6. Why is it difficult to quit smoking?

Tobacco contains nicotine. Nicotine is a strong addiction Smoking is also a very difficult habit to give up

Is there any benefit to quitting when I have smoked for a long time?

It's never too late to quit smoking. It doesn't matter how old you are and how long you've smoked, stopping smoking will improve your health.
Immediate benefits after quitting:
Within 8 hours, you breathe easier. Within 2 days, your sense of smell and taste should feel better. Within 2-3 weeks, your body's circulation improves, you can walk more easily, and your lungs start to work better. Within 3 months, your body is better able to fight off infections. Within 1 year, your risk of a heart attack is halved. Within 5 years, the risk of stroke drops to the same as a person who has never smoked. You will clearly feel the recovery of your body after quitting smoking.

Doctor's Advice: Regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes or any other tobacco products contain many dangerous toxins. The best thing you can do to protect your health is to quit smoking altogether. Don't spend the rest of your life addicted to nicotine. Thousands of people kick this habit every year and you should be one of them. This may not be easy, but you will!
Periodic health check-ups help to detect diseases early, so that there are treatment plans for optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy.
The patient's examination results will be returned to the home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

References:

Startling numbers about the harmful effects of tobacco: http://vquit.vn/tac-hai-cua-hut-thuoc-la Y ves Martinet, Nathalie Wirth: Nicotine and tobacco: The dangers: http://www.cnct.fr