Underlying Dangers of Tobacco

mrsaepts
Jul 13, 2020
6 min read

By Apichaya Sinchaipanich, Dayada Pujchathum, Sirorat Khamwanate, Ninthira Jarupanic

Edited By Pakpop Lekawat, Punyisa Pintola

WHAT IS TOBACCO?

Tobacco is the number one cause of death in the United States with more than 7 million deaths of direct tobacco users and 1.2 million results of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. This is why tobacco is a harmful substance and we need to be aware of it. So what actually is tobacco? Tobacco is a plant originally belonging to the Americas but now grown all over the world for its leaves. Due to its high level of addictive chemicals such as nicotine and many cancer-causing chemicals, people use them as a form of stimulant through smoking, chewing, or inhaling which comes in many forms such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe, dip and many more.

Fig.1 Tobacco (conektioblog.com)

HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO TOBACCO

All forms of tobacco are carcinogenic and harmful to nearly every organ in the body. Tobacco contains substances that are addictive like nicotine, and poisonous such as tar, carbon monoxide, cyanide, formaldehyde, ammonia, butane, etc.

Nicotine is a stimulant that can cause a rise in blood pressure and increase in heart rate.
Tar is a dark, sticky substance that is produced when burning tobacco. It damages the smoker’s respiratory system, alveoli, an air sac in our lungs, and the lung tissue.
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which deprives the organs of oxygen.

Other substances such as cyanide, formaldehyde, ammonia, and butane are used to make rat poison, household products, and many more. The use of tobacco can cause both short-term and long-term effects on our health.

The Short-Term Effects

The use of tobacco may have an immediate effect on health and appearance which may include:

An increase in respiration and heart rate which may be caused by nicotine.
Changes in brain chemistry, as users may experience drug craving and withdrawal symptoms after tobacco use.
Bad oral health, for example, yellowing of teeth and bad breath, and early aging. Users could also have smelly clothes, skin, and body. If tobacco use continues, these effects may become permanent.
A reduction in appetite and dulling of taste buds.

The Long-Term Effects

Over a period of time, tobacco use can cause severe damage to body systems. Some of the long-term health issues may include:

Emphysema, a disease caused by damaged air sacs which results in shortness of breath.
Coronary heart disease, a disease where coronary arteries become too narrow which could lead to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
A weakened immune system.
Oral, larynx, esophagus, lung, stomach, pancreas, kidney, and bladder cancer.
Chronic bronchitis, a disease caused by inflammation and irritation of the bronchial tubes.
Type 2 diabetes as high levels of nicotine can lessen the effectiveness of insulin.
Gum disease, due to buildup plaque and tartar

MEDICAL TREATMENTS

COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is a disease that causes major breathing trouble, cannot be cured in the present day, but clinical and medical experts have been studying and conducting many clinical trials for people who suffer from the disease. Here are some ways to alleviate the symptoms and slow down the disease:

Pulmonary rehabilitation refers to education about how to make your lung better and to exercise. It is believed that when the body of people who have COPD gets fit, they can enjoy their lives more, and more importantly, they may not need to go to the hospital for visiting the doctor.
Supplementary oxygen from oxygen therapy as your body systems need the gas for processing. In delivering extra oxygen into your lungs, you need to use nasal prongs which bring oxygen into the lungs through nose and oxygen tanks.
Lung transplantation can be the last choice if your lungs suffer from COPD so painfully that they cannot work due to severe symptoms. However, it is extremely rare to have candidates for lung surgery.

Lung cancer also cannot be cured, but it can be mostly treated with the following treatments. You can get surgery and operation when the surgeon removes the cancer tissue from your lungs. Moreover, chemotherapy is one of the treatments that are popular among patients with lung cancer because it helps to eliminate the remains of cancer cells.. The drugs can be infused into a vein in your arm by using a tube and needle, or you can take chemotherapy pills. The method will leave some side effects on your body such as hair loss and fragile bone. Additionally, radiation therapy can also be conducted to treat cancers. High energy radiation will be delivered into your body by an accelerator from many angles as you lie on the patient table. Moreover, you can get targeted therapy, which helps prevent the growth of cancer cells. In doing this, you either get a drug infusion into your vein directly or take them as pills.

Tobacco is a major cause of coronary heart disease (CHD), so it means that smoking can attack your heart directly. If you get this disease, there are two main treatments for the symptoms:

Medications which depend on your symptoms of the disease. To prevent a heart attack from blood clotting, blood thinners such as low-dose aspirin and clopidogrel need to be taken. To lower cholesterol in your blood, you can take statins such as atorvastatin and simvastatin. Nitrates can be taken to widen the blood vessels. There are also many other medicines you can take for improving the symptoms you are suffering from CHD such as beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs.
Procedures and surgery can be taken to treat the CHD.
1. Coronary angioplasty, also known as balloon angioplasty, which is conducted to widen your arteries.
2. Cass graft or bypass surgery; the doctor will insert a vessel between the aorta and the coronary artery. In doing this, the blood will avoid transporting through the blocked area of the arteries. If your heart is severely hurt or damaged, you can get a heart transplant, but this occasionally happens.

It is hard to believe that tobacco can cause you to type 2 diabetes, but if you are unlucky having this disease, only medicines can treat your symptoms. Metformin and insulin are the two common medications to cure this disease. However, the choice of medicine also depends on the compatibility of the users with the type and dose of medicine; metformin is probably the first choice of medication to help lower the blood sugar level. Then, if metformin is not working, insulin is an alternative medication for type 2 diabetes, even though it is hardly an offer for the early years of this disease.

In some cases, people who smoke more frequently probably get cataracts and clouds on the lenses in their eyes. To remove cataracts, surgery is the only available option. The doctor will operate to remove your lenses with cataracts and replace them with new ones. After some recovery, your eyes should be able to see things as clear as before.

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING?

There are many reasons why people smoke: stress relief, pleasure, or social situation. Many smokers started smoking when they were teenagers either because of curiosity or peer pressure.

About 90% of people who try to quit smoking by themselves fail because of the inappropriate termination such as an immediate stop; they will experience nicotine withdrawal and will resume smoking with an immediate stop. If you want to stop smoking you can attend rehabilitation or you can try to stop it by yourself by setting a strong goal and inform your friends and family for support and finding someone who wants to stop smoking so that you can help each other along the way. Also, think of the situation in which you smoke the most and try to avoid them.

For people who smoke for stress relief, there are more healthier ways other than smoking. If possible, you should think about ways to deal with those unpleasant feelings that make you start smoking so you won’t turn to those tobacco again.

It is possible to face the nicotine withdrawal after you stop smoking which may last for a few days or a few weeks, but please remember that the symptoms do not last forever. So, when you are not feeling well because of the withdrawal, tell the people around you and ask for their patience and understanding to help you get through it and not resume smoking again.