No Smoking Day 2021: Everyone of us in this world wants a stress free and hassle-free life but it doesn’t happen that way, but more than often people do find out their stress relief zone in something or the other. In most cases, it is music, travelling or any other hobby but in a few stress reliever also means to smoke it away. Does smoking make you feel relaxed? Smoking is way too dangerous than it seems on the packet, it is often said that it is like a prayer hoping to make life shorter. Smoking is also taken as a cool habit to flaunt your style in youngsters but do you know there is more to smoking than just a puff? A large part of it lies in the unknown facts that people generally assume to be true.
Also Read: The 'No Fizzy Drinks' Guy: He Battled His Soda Addiction & This Is How It Changed His Body
Here are some of the myths which you should know about smoking-
- Nicotine is the major toxic ingredient in cigarettes- Actually, it’s the other 7000 toxins and chemicals in tobacco that are more harmful particularly tar and carbon monoxide.
- Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is as harmful as smoking- That is so not true, NRT does have some side-effects but it is much safer than smoking for sure.
- Using more than one form of NRT is dangerous- Wrong, in fact combining two forms of NRT can help you quit smoking much quicker and is safer than smoking.
- Smoking helps to relieve stress is a myth, it is more than often assumed by smokers that it helps them to relieve stress whereas according to research, it increases the overall stress levels.
- Cutting down your cigarettes or smoking mild cigarettes reduces the harm from smoking- well cutting down your cigarettes does not improve your health or reduce the risk of diseases caused by smoking.
- Smoking a few cigarettes daily is fairly harmless, research shows that smoking even one cigarette regularly can harm the body and cause substantial risk to your health.
- Hypnotherapy or acupuncture are effective quitting strategies- These treatments do not harm some people but the major cause of the success of this therapy is only through the placebo effect, which is not a proven treatment.
- It is too late to quit, the damage is already done- This is what many people think and is a wrong concept because quitting smoking is never late, the earlier you quit, the less damage it does to you.
What are the unknown side effects of smoking?
Even though smoking as a whole is a very negative process for your body, it can have more adverse effects than what you think can happen. Dr. B.N Mishra, Physician(MBBS,MD) Indu Hopsital, Lucknow shares his views on how your health can be affected even though one puff. Dr Mishra says that apart from cancer and other chronic diseases, it affects your mental health, lowers bone density, can affect pregnancy and even fertility issues are majorly seen in men. Smoking regularly also does affect the nervous system and your response time becomes slow.
What to know more about what can happen to you because of smoking? Read the facts given below to know about the side-effects of smoking.
Also Read: E-Cigarettes Are Equally Detrimental As Tobacco Cigarettes
Some unknown diseases which occur due to smoking:
- Going Blind- You must have not thought of it before, but smoking can make you blind. Smoking doesn’t do your peepers any good; it could be a major cause of blindness over the age of 65.
- Type-2 Diabetes- Yes, not only sweets but smoking can also kill you through diabetes; it happens due to poor blood flow to legs and feet. This means you could also lose your leg because of smoking.
- Erectile Dysfunction- Male sexual function is also affected due to smoking but if you quit, it can make a big difference.
- Hip fracture- As smoking causes weakness in bones, the risk of fracture increases, putting down cigarettes can change that.
- Ectopic Pregnancy- Ectopic pregnancy is basically a complication in women that is more likely in smokers. It occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted other than in the uterus, which puts the mom’s life in danger.
- Smoking can cause painful swelling that can eventually result in bone loss and joint deformity, this is called Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is a chronic disease that happens in women.
- Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate- Women who smoke during pregnancy get affected by this. It is basically a birth deformity commonly called Orofacial clefts which happen due to smoking.
- Gum diseases- Well not the only limb, but you can also lose your teeth if you smoke too much. Smoking contributes to ‘Periodontis’ which is a gum infection that destroys the bone that supports the teeth.
- Fertility issues- Women who smoke, have a high chance of losing fertility and can contribute to other problems during pregnancy too.
What is the best time to quit smoking?
The best time is now; there is no particular time when you can leave smoking. The earlier you quit, the better it works for you. Health is something that we all need to take care of very intensely. Even though smoking looks cool and trendy, it is not worth the risk you take with your life. There are many products available in the market which can help you quit smoking, there are therapies as well which can bring down the addiction you have for a cigarette.
Conclusion: Smoking as the packet says, “Kills” and it definitely can. By leaving a small habit from your life you can improve the stature of living and your health too. It’s not just you who is affected it is your family and the people your workaround. Their risks are severe and what you just need to quit is motivation and ambition. Quit smoking today.
(Written by Puru Bansal, Sub Editor, Onlymyhealth)
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