Avoiding Secondhand Smoke Can Keep You Healthy

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We’ve all heard the reports about the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. Second-hand smoke can cause many serious health problems including cancer and heart disease. So what do you really know about secondhand smoke and how do you protect yourself?

Secondhand smoke contains lots of toxic chemicals including cyanide, formaldehyde, lead, carbon monoxide and benzene. Any of these toxins alone is dangerous, so imagine the danger when they are combined. These chemicals can remain in the air for many hours.

Breathing secondhand smoke, even for a short time, can lead to a reduction of oxygen in your circulatory system and can cause lung irritation. The residue of the smoke is also a concern. This is called thirdhand smoke and will cling to the hair, clothing, cushions and carpeting and is risky, especially for kids.

Serious health problems can arise from long-term exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can increase the risks of developing cardiovascular disease. It also damages the blood vessels and circulatory system. Asthma and other lung diseases can be caused or aggravated by secondhand smoke. The research about secondhand smoke also indicates that it can lead to lung cancer, as well as other types of cancer.

Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke face additional risks. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke risk delivering babies with low birth weights. The risk of Sudden infant death syndrome rises as well. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of developing infections of the ear and respiratory tract.

You can avoid secondhand smoke by not allowing smoking in your home or car. You should also make sure that any smoking restrictions at your workplace be followed. When you are in public, choose establishments that have no-smoking policies. And finally, try to keep away from smokers. If you have to share a space with them, try to stay far away.

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Smokeless Tobacco Study in Healthcare News

A recent policy statement by the American Heart Association (AHA) states that fatal heart attacks or myocardial infarctions can be a result of the long-term use of smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco. Many people use these smokeless tobacco products as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. The products are also used as a smoking cessation aid. The AHA says these products should not be used because they can become addictive or cause a return to regular smoking.

Circulation, which is the American Heart Association’s online journal, published the statement. The article states that these smokeless tobacco products that include snuff in addition to chewing tobacco can raise the probability of certain cancers, fatal strokes and heart attacks.

Examples of smokeless tobacco products include snus, tobacco gum, tobacco paste, chewing tobacco, snuff and tobacco water.

Author of the statement, Mariann Piano and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Biobehavioral Health Science department says emphatically that no tobacco products are safe.

The statement outlines the fact that the use of these smokeless tobacco products began in the United States is because of a Swedish study that showed these products reduced cigarette smoking between the years of 1976 and 2002. However, the AHA points out that the United States actually saw the opposite occur and that cigarette smoking increased among users of smokeless products.

The Association says that a safer and healthier approach to smoking cessation is the use of nicotine patches or nicotine gum rather than the consumption of smokeless tobacco products.

The Association also points out that nicotine is not generally safe in any form and can cause medical side effects. Nicotine is indicated in causing heart disease and other vascular diseases.

Finally the report emphasizes that smokeless tobacco users, as well as cigarette smokers, should be sufficiently warned of the harmful effects of these products.

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Possibly Improve Your Health With Electronic Cigarette Cartridges

Electronic cigarette cartridges are a prominent addition to the fight against smoking. These contain an atomizer that vaporizes liquid nicotine and provides a smoking-like sensation. One positive aspect of these cigarettes is that they do away with the almost 4,000 other chemicals that are present in tobacco cigarettes. Plus, these e-cigarettes let you control how much nicotine you take in to your body. They also eliminate burning tobacco, so they take care of the problem of passive smoking. So, if you must smoke, smoke an electronic cigarette. If not smoking is the best medicine for your overall health, e-cigarettes are a close second.

E-cigarette cartridges come in various shapes. There are some that look just like a regular cigarette, with the same white cylindrical look and the yellow filter; the interior of the device does not really resemble a cigarette, of course. Other e-cigarette cartridges look less like regular cigarettes. They may be dark in color, longer, or broader. They might more closely resemble a cigar, if not a cigarette. Some cartridges are called mini electronic cigarettes because they look much smaller than an ordinary cigarette. The enthusiast will find that the minis resemble a bidi.

There are other options, especially in the choice of flavor. Most store-bought electronic cigars come with a fixed number of flavors for the nicotine cartridges; however, you can custom order more flavors. These flavors help reduce your attraction to the stringent flavor of nicotine, which is a reason many people smoke in the first place.

No matter what size or flavor you choose, e-cigarettes can help you reduce your dependence on and craving for nicotine, making them a good “medicine” for anyone who’s trying to quit. You’ll also be doing something good for the health of those who are around you at home and in restaurants.

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