Ills of Cigarette Smoking
Author: Dr.Badruddin Khan
The commonly used term cigarette refers to a tobacco cigarette but can apply to similar devices containing other herbs. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder for the purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other end, which is inserted in the mouth. There are many different tobacco cultivars which are made into a wide variety of mixtures and brands. Tobacco is often sold flavored, often with various fruit aromas, something which is especially popular for use with water pipes.
A considerable percentage of the adult population in many countries has tried smoking with smaller minorities doing it on a regular basis. Since cannabis is illegal or only tolerated in most jurisdictions, there is no industrial mass-production of cigarettes, meaning that the most common form of smoking is with hand-rolled cigarettes or with pipes. Rates of cigarette smoking vary widely. While rates of smoking have leveled off or declined in the developed world, they continue to rise in the undeveloped world.
The history of smoking can be dated to as early as 5000 BC, and has been recorded in many different cultures across the world. Early smoking evolved in association with religious ceremonies; as offerings to deities, in cleansing rituals. After the European exploration and conquest of the Americas, the practice of smoking tobacco quickly spread to the rest of the world. In Europe, it introduced a new type of social activity and a form of drug intake which previously had been unknown. The cultural perception surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to another; holy and sinful, sophisticated and vulgar and deadly health hazard. Only recently, and primarily in industrialized Western countries, has smoking come to be viewed in a decidedly negative light.
Cigarette smoke contains cancer-causing substances called carcinogens. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and emphysema (a serious disease of the lungs). People who smoke are also at increased risk for developing other cancers, heart disease, and chronic lung ailments. Cigarette smoke is called mainstream smoke when it is inhaled directly from a cigarette. Side stream smoke is smoke that is emitted from a burning cigarette and exhaled from a smoker's lungs. Side stream smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke. Passive smoking, or the inhaling of secondhand smoke by nonsmokers, is believed to be responsible for about 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke also have a greater chance of suffering from respiratory disorders.
Over 4,000 different chemicals have been found to be present in cigarette smoke. Many of these are carcinogenic, or capable of causing changes in the genetic material of cells that can lead to cancer. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, addictive chemical and carcinogenic tars. In addition, smoking produces carbon monoxide, which has the effect of decreasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. When cigarette smoke is inhaled, the chemicals contained in it are quickly absorbed by the lungs and released into the bloodstream. From the blood, these chemicals pass into the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, muscle, and fat tissue. In pregnant women, cigarette smoke crosses the placenta and may affect development of the fetus.
There is a strong relationship between the lengths of time a person smokes; the number of cigarettes a person smokes each day, and the development of smoking-related diseases. Simply put, the more one smokes, the more one is likely to suffer ill effects. Cigarette smoke weakens blood vessel walls and increases the level of cholesterol in the blood, which can lead to atherosclerosis (a disease in which fatty material is deposited in the arterial walls). It can cause the coronary arteries to narrow, increasing the risk of heart attack due to impaired blood flow to the heart. Smoking also increases the risk of stroke (a blood clot or rupture in an artery of the brain).
In addition to lung cancer, smoking can cause cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, stomach, cervix, and bladder. Drinking alcohol while smoking causes 75 percent of all mouth and throat cancers. People who have a tendency to develop cancer because of hereditary factors may develop the disease more quickly if they smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of lung disease in the United States and results in deaths from pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic airway obstruction. Smoking increases mucus production in the lungs and destroys cilia, the tiny hair like structures that normally sweep debris out of the lungs.
The nicotine in cigarette smoke causes the release of a chemical in the brain called dopamine. When the level of dopamine in the brain is increased, a person experiences feelings of extreme pleasure and contentment. In order to sustain these feelings, the level of nicotine in the body must remain constant; a smoker becomes dependent on the good feelings caused by the release of dopamine and thus becomes addicted to nicotine. The well-proven health hazards of smoking have caused many countries to institute high taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns are launched every year in an attempt to curb smoking. Several countries, states and cities have also imposed smoking bans in most public buildings.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/ills-of-cigarette-smoking-513863.html
About the Author
[TEMPLATE]cannibis[/TEMPLATE]
Here’s a Question?
How Does Carbon Monoxide in cigarette smoke effect the development of the fetus? How does it harm the fetus?
FYI This Is NOT my homework, i just through of this question and wanted to see if anyone knew the answer. 10 Points for best answer and a cookie.
There are some activities you should avoid all together while pregnant and smoking cigarettes is one of them. No question about it, smoking when you’re pregnant is a very bad choice. Women who smoke during pregnancy are much more likely to experience the nightmare of having a stillborn baby, to suffer a miscarriage, or to deliver a low birth-weight baby. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (or SIDS, for short), condition in which an apparently healthy baby dies unexpectedly during sleep, occurs twice as often in children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy.
Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of a wide variety of pregnancy complications including premature rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding and premature placental detachment- just to name a few. Smoking interferes with your absorption of vitamins B and C and folic acid. Lack of folic acid can result in neural tube defects.
The thousands of chemicals in cigarette smoke (including secondhand smoke) such as carbon monoxide and nicotine, are toxins that move through your bloodstream and harm your developing baby. When you smoke, your baby is confined in a smoke-filled womb and this reduces the flow of oxygen to your baby. The nicotine can cause your baby’s heart rate to increase (as well as yours) and can decrease your baby’s supply of nutrients because of your increased blood pressure and blood vessel constriction.
Smoking in the First Trimester
For some women, quitting will never be easier than in early pregnancy when they develop a sudden distaste for cigarettes. If you stop smoking now, you can decrease your chances of miscarrying and it may also lessen the likeliness of affecting your baby’s development. It is best to stop smoking before you become pregnant, but stopping now is a very smart choice and your odds of having a healthy baby are good.
Smoking in the Second Trimester
If you stop smoking now, you can decrease your chances of developing such complications as placenta previa going into pre-term labor and even stillbirth. If you tried to stop smoking in your first trimester, but didn’t succeed- at least for the sake of your baby- cut down on how many cigarettes you smoke each day. Every cigarette you don’t smoke is going to help your baby.
Smoking in the Third Trimester
It is not too late to quite smoking. If you stop now, you can still improve your chances of delivering a healthy, full-term, normal birth-weight baby. Decreased birth-weight is directly related to the number of cigarettes you smoke. There is a direct relationship between smoking and impaired fetal growth. By quitting now, you can also better your odds of not loosing your baby to SIDS. Sooner is better, but quitting even in the last month can help preserve oxygen flow to your baby during delivery.
Smoking & Pregnancy
You’ve probably heard by now that smoking isn’t the best thing for you. Now that you are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant, it’s even worse.
There are many things that we know about smoking during pregnancy. We know that the woman who smokes during her pregnancy has a baby who gets less food and oxygen than her non-smoking pregnant counterparts. We know that certain risk factors are increased for these women.
Some of these risk factors include:
You are more likely to have a miscarriage.
Your baby is more likely to die before birth.
Smoking can cause placenta previa (Dangerous situation where the placenta covers the cervix.)
It can cause a placental abruption (Where the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus denying all oxygen to your baby.)
It increases your risk of a preterm birth. Babies born too early can suffer more breathing problems and have long hospital stays.
It increases the chances of your baby learning difficulties as a child.
There is a higher incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS or crib death) in babies born to mothers who smoked or who are exposed to second hand smoke after birth.)
Now we even know that babies who have been exposed to smoking in the womb, even second hand smoke, have more genetic defects.
What happens is as the woman smokes the baby and the placenta are deprived of oxygen and nutrients. The placenta then spreads further throughout the uterus, becoming thinner (increasing the risks of a placenta previa and placental abruption), trying to seek out more surface area of the uterus from which to draw oxygen and nutrient.
Because of this depravation, the baby will tend to be smaller (low birth weight), which is associated with many problems of the baby, including poor lung functioning. This can also lead to preterm labor or premature rupture of the membranes, because the body feels that the baby can no longer be fed properly.
We also know that smoking is an addiction. Women need support and assistance to quit smoking.
There are special programs available to pregnant women and those thinking about conceiving. Talk to your doctor or midwife about using medical help like the patches, while these still have nicotine to help with cravings, you are not getting the other harmful substances associated with smoking.
Some common questions about smoking and pregnancy:
What if I’m already well into my pregnancy, is it worth it?
Yes. No matter point in pregnancy you stop there are always great benefits to the baby and you. When the baby is born don’t start back up, remember that second hand smoke can lead to increased risk of crib death, more frequent colds, and ear infections, to name a few complications.
What if I quit and my partner doesn’t?
Encourage them to quit with you, be support for each other if possible. If your partner doesn’t quit then request that they smoke outside or away from the baby or areas where the baby dwells.
Don’t I want a smaller baby, and won’t smoking help me have a smaller baby?
Smoking will help you have a smaller baby. However, we do know that smaller babies have more problems, even when they are born close to their due dates. They tend to need to eat more, they sleep less, and will require more frequent hospitalization. It is also associated with Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR).
What about breastfeeding and smoking?
Breastfeeding is so wonderful for your baby that it is generally recommended to continue breastfeeding even if you smoke. Although there are still risks to you and the baby from smoking. Quitting can be a wonderful gift for your baby. The patch is also approved for use during breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or midwife for more information.
We just started planning for a baby. We are going to quit but how long should we wait?
There are no clear cut answers here. My recommendation is three months. That way you are over the more intense cravings during the rough first trimester and are feeling a bit more healthy in general.
Where can we get information or help?
http://quitsmoking.about.com/library/blsmokeout.htm Great American Smokeout from About Guides
March of Dimes: http://www.noah-health.org/english/pregnancy/march_of_dimes/substance/nosmoke.html Quit Smoking Guide
http://www.aap.org American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.doit.it/Partosoft/trial/bb112.htm Strategies for Reducing Smoking During Pregnancy
10 Reasons to Quit Smoking in Pregnancy
Save your baby and yourself.
1.Placenta Abruption
This condition is where the placenta pulls off the wall of the uterus either before or during labor, necessitating an immediate delivery, usually via cesarean. A smoker’s placenta is thinner, making it more susceptible to an abruption.
2.Placenta Previa
Again because of the smoker’s thin placenta, it is more likely to cover the mouth of the uterus, the cervix. This can cause bleeding during the pregnancy. It also makes vaginal birth dangerous and a cesarean becomes necessary due to the risk of hemorrhage of mom and baby.
3.Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Babies born to mothers who smoke are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
4.Preterm Labor
If you smoke your body is more likely to try to end your pregnancy sooner in an effort to protect your baby from the harmful smoke.
The problem? Babies born even slightly prematurely have a greater risk of death and other complications. The sooner the baby is born, the more likely you baby is to die or have serious complications, including mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
5.Stillbirth
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of your baby dying during your pregnancy.
6.Low Birth Weight
Birth weight is an important factor in your baby’s health. The smaller the baby, the more at risk for many problems. In fact, low birth weight is one of the top reasons for babies to be ill and die in the first months of life.
7.Colic
Recent studies show that if you smoke your baby is more likely to have colic.
8.Respiratory Infections
If you smoked during pregnancy or if your baby is surrounded by second hand smoke, your baby will be more likely to be ill, have asthma and other respiratory problems.
9.Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM)
Your water breaking too early is another risk of smoking in pregnancy. It can also lead to premature birth.
10.Miscarriage
If you smoke, you could have trouble staying pregnant. It can also decrease your fertility.
Smoking During Pregnancy: The Risks to Our Children
When a woman continues to smoke during pregnancy, the risks to the unborn child are great. These statistics come out of the 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking*:
•Research has shown that women’s smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of pregnancy complications, premature delivery, low-birth-weight infants, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
•The nicotine in cigarettes may cause constrictions in the blood vessels of the umbilical cord and uterus, thereby decreasing the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Nicotine also may reduce the amount of blood in the fetal cardiovascular system.
•Nicotine is found in breast milk.
•Babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower birth weights. Low birth weight is a leading cause of infant deaths, resulting in more than 300,000 deaths annually among newborns in the United States.
•In general, pregnant smokers eat more than pregnant nonsmokers, yet their babies weigh less than babies of nonsmokers. This weight deficit is smaller if smokers quit early in their pregnancy.
•Smoking by the mother causes SIDS. Compared with unexposed infants, babies exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at twice the risk for SIDS, and infants whose mothers smoked before and after birth are at three to four times greater risk.
•Mothers’ smoking during pregnancy reduces their babies’ lung function.
•In 2001, 17.5% of teenaged mothers smoked during pregnancy. Only 18% to 25% of all women quit smoking once they become pregnant.
•Smoking by children and adolescents hastens the onset of lung function decline during late adolescence and early adulthood.
•Smoking by children and adolescents is related to impaired lung growth, chronic coughing, and wheezing.
I smoked pot during my first trimester and am concerned about effect on fetus?
I am not looking for any judgement here– just advice and facts. Up until the end of my first trimester, I was smoking pot on a moderate/frequent basis (anywhere from a couple of times per week to four or five times per week.) I was not smoking it out of a bong/joint/bowl, but was rather vaporizing it so at least I know it wasn’t cutting off the baby’s oxygen supply. I was not drinking, smoking cigarettes, or doing any other drugs during this period. I was able to quit pot at the end of the first trimester and have since not smoked at all. I eat very well, exercise, get lots of sleep, take vitamins, etc. etc. My question is, has anyone else been through this same experience, and how did it affect your child? I have done a lot of research on this topic and have found many conflicting answers. I am looking for first hand information from people who have dealt with this issue, either as parents or healthcare practitioners. Thanks in advance.
I know many women, (at least 5) that smoked pot throughout their pregnancies, and all had healthy children with no problems. In some countries, they even suggest using it for your morning sickness…. I think your baby will be perfectly fine!
I read one answer that said to tell your doctor about it, but honestly they can’t tell you anything more, and you will risk losing custody of your child as soon as it is born.. especially if they test you for it and it is still in your system. (and I’m sure you know it takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks to leave your system) So I would not recommend telling your doctor.
Don’t worry, all the women I know that did it each had at least 2 children, some 3-4, and they were ALL healthy…..
Good Luck!
I’m doing a research assignment on the effects of smoking while pregnant, can you help?
As the question says, I’m doing a research assignment on the effects of smoking on the fetus. I am looking mainly for mum’s or doctors or any other people who have experience with this issue for information. If you can help can you please let me know approximately how many cigarettes you smoked p/day, for long during your pregnancy, what effects did it have on you and your baby?
I know this is sort of a personal thing to ask but if you can help I would really appreciate it.
Thank you in advance
(you can email the information if you prefer to zooey.taylor@yahoo.com also can you please state if I am allowed to refer to what you say in my report, no names will be used unless express permission is given.)
My Dr. told me not to quit. Quitting causes stress and will harm the baby. So I cut back to 5-7 a day. The result. 3 pregnancies, 3 big and healthy babies. All because I listened to my Dr. His advice benefited my children.
What is “Teriary Smoke” ? I can’t find a definition on Google anywhere.?
Someone told me it’s “What the fetus of a smoking mother injests” but I know the fetus gets it’s oxygen from the mother’s bloodstream, not directly from the air. Some other genius told me it’s “The 3rd-hand harmful effects of cigarette smoke such as smoke in clothing or even pictures of people smoking” . THE REASON I AM WONDERING is because they passed an anti-smoking ordinance in my city but never define tertiary smoke in the ordinance (weird for a legal document!)
Do you know?? Best answer will have a source…
Bobs, just a typo in the question, Y!A doesn’t allow anyone to edit a question once it’s posted. I google’d the correct spelling…
Here ya go bud, a whole article on it.
from the NCBI
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1060736/pdf/jepicomh00215-0078.pdf
What is “TERTIARY” cigarette smoke? Can’t find it on Google.?
Someone told me it’s “What the fetus of a smoking mother injests” but I know the fetus gets it’s oxygen from the mother’s bloodstream, not directly from the air. Some other genius told me it’s “The 3rd-hand harmful effects of cigarette smoke such as smoke in clothing or even pictures of people smoking” . THE REASON I AM WONDERING is because they passed an anti-smoking ordinance in my city but never define tertiary smoke in the ordinance (weird for a legal document!)
tertiary is 3rd hand smoke like someone else said but I cannot define the types of 3rd hand smoke