Category Archives: Smoking

Health Dangers of Tobacco

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Health Dangers of Tobacco

The health dangers of tobacco are becoming more and more well-known. Smoking tobacco is a health danger because so many people lose their lives due to tobacco related diseases and these deaths are preventable.

Tobacco harms all different parts of the body such as the heart, lungs and brain. The chemicals and poisons in tobacco can cause emphysema, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. One in two smokers will die prematurely from smoking. But what are the specific health dangers of tobacco? Here are some for starters:

The health dangers of tobacco start somewhere in between the 4,000 chemical components found in cigarettes. Somewhere around 250 of these chemicals are harmful to human health according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some examples of health dangers of tobacco due to the chemicals:

  • 1,3-Butadine is a chemical used to manufacture rubber that is also in tobacco. According to the CDC this can increase risk of cancer in the stomach, blood and lymphatic system.
  • Acrolein is a gas linked to lung cancer also found in tobacco. Acrolein inhibits DNA repair and can destroy the lining in the lungs that protects you from lung disease
  • Arsenic is used to preserve wood. In humans, it can cause heart disease and cancer.
  • Benzene is used to manufacture other chemicals. Benzene can cause cancer, particularly leukemia in humans.
  • Cadmium is a metal used to make batteries. Cadmium can interfere with the repair of damaged DNA as well as damage the kidneys and linings of the arteries.
  • Chromium VI is used to make alloy metals, paint and dyes. It has been proved to be linked to lung cancer.
  • Formaldehyde is a chemical used to kill bacteria and to preserve human and animal remains. It is a known cause of cancer and one of the main substances linked to chronic lung disease and is what is in secondhand smoke.
  • Polonium-210 is a radioactive element inhaled directly into the airway. It has been shown that people who smoke a pack and a half of cigarettes a day are receiving the same radiation they would get from 300 plus x-rays per year.
  • Tar is solid and inhaled chemicals linked with an increased risk of cancer. Tar also leaves a sticky brown residue on the lungs, teeth and fingernails.

Some other health dangers of tobacco include the mixture between carbon monoxide and nicotine. Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas you inhale when you smoke. Once carbon monoxide is in your lungs it enters the bloodstream and decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried by red blood cells. Carbon monoxide can also lead to the hardening of arteries. This can lead to heart disease, artery disease and possibly heart attack. Nicotine is highly dangerous and highly addictive. Nicotine can increase blood pressure, heart rate and the flow of blood to the heart as well as narrowing of the arteries. Nicotine can also contribute to the hardening of arterial walls which can also lead to a heart attack. Nicotine can stay in your blood for up to eight hours depending on how often you smoke.

There are not good health effects of tobacco. The health dangers of tobacco are numerous and deadly in the long term. Quitting smoking can help with reversing some of these health dangers.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers

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Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers

The other morning I woke up with what felt like a massive hangover. My head hurt, my eyes were grainy, and I felt sick to my stomach. The funny part was-I hadn’t had any alcohol the night before. I’d stayed out late, and I’d smoked a lot of cigarettes, but I didn’t have an alcoholic drink. I’d never thought about it before, but that morning I realized that part of the reason I felt so terrible after a night of drinking was the fact that I got very little sleep and smoked a lot of cigarettes.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: The Research

A lot of people smoke and drink at the same time. Even many nonsmokers will have a few cigarettes when they are out on the town. But studies suggest that smoking and drinking together cause massive hangovers. Findings published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that at the same number of drinks, people who smoke more have been shown to have more intense hangovers the next day. Smoking itself was shown to increase chances of a hangover more than nonsmoking. The subjects in the study were asked to rank hangover symptoms like nausea, headache, and difficulty concentrating.

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: What causes a hangover?

Alcohol is broken down in the liver first to acetaldehyde, then to harmless acetic acid. Acetaldehyde is the main chemical that is responsible for the symptoms of a hangover. Smoking also increases your acetaldehyde in the body and this is why smoking and drinking together causes massive hangovers. The severity of a hangover is directly connected to the amount of alcohol an individual drinks and how much sleep he or she has gotten, and according to this new study, whether or not the person smoked a lot of cigarettes.

The hangover symptoms that individuals feel can be caused by:

  • urination (resulting in dehydration)
  • immune system response
  • stomach irritation
  • poor sleep quality
  • drop in blood sugar
  • dilation of blood vessels

Smoking and Drinking Together Cause Massive Hangovers: Prevention and cures

There is no real “cure” for a hangover. Most of the classic hangover cures really don’t work. The only really cure is time or preventing the hangover in the first place. Obviously, if you want to lower your chances of getting a hangover you can cut down on the amount that you smoke while you are drinking or not smoke at all. Also, getting adequate rest and drinking a lot of water have been shown to reduce your chances of getting a hangover. The main cause of hangovers, however, is binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as having more than four drinks in a sitting for men, and five drinks for women. This type of drinking, where your blood alcohol content increases quickly in a short amount of time, is the most important factor in getting a hangover. This is because your body gets overwhelmed and cannot break down the alcohol as quickly as you are consuming it, causing a buildup of acetaldehyde.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.