Text credits: Silpa Anil

Tobacco consumption in any form is capable of harming almost every organ in the body. Saying ‘no’ to tobacco does not only mean quitting cigarettes but also includes other common forms of tobacco consumption like hookah (shisha), chewing or ‘dipping’ tobacco which are equally harmful. It not only affects your lungs, but also give way to heart diseases.

Source: urdupoint.com

One out of five fatal heart diseases is caused by tobacco consumption. Smoking tobacco narrows the arteries causing trouble in the transfer of blood and oxygen to the heart. Creating awareness about the serious affects of tobacco on health especially through social media is one effective way to curb it.

Source: world-heart-federation.org

Smoking rate in adolescents is alarmingly increasing. Some of the reasons for this could be; their ignorance about the serious health hazards, peer pressure and their idea of considering the act of smoking to be something cool. The addictive nature of cigarettes and other forms of tobacco makes it hard to curb.

Tobacco consumption also poses risk to reproductive health of both men and women. It affects sperm and egg maturation, embryo transport, uterus environment and may also damage the DNA in both sperm and eggs. In men, it poses a risk of imbalance in hormones, low sperm count and sperm mobility, weak sperms and erectile dysfunction.

A social media awareness poster on World No Tobacco day.

Source: lemonteacreative

Some simple and effective tips to resist the urge to smoke include brushing of teeth or chewing mint, celery sticks or gum when temptation arises. Taking in a lot of liquids and sticking to mild green tea instead of black tea or coffee may also help in flushing out nicotine. Intake of dried ginger with lemon is also a way to keep nicotine away.

Let’s take into account the serious and fatal health hazard caused due to tobacco consumption and be inspired  by this day to urge one’s self and others to abstain from the use of tobacco.

The post Say No To Tobacco: Healthy Heart For A Happy Life appeared first on FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine |.

Words: Devika V Menon   Images: Various Sources

Throughout my life, “Smoking is injurious to health” is something i’ve heard at least a billion times, no exaggeration! Yet, I’ve seen people across the globe smoke one, and as they exhale their first drag, i’ve also seen how the stress leaves their face! I’ve always wondered, is smoking that bad? But then the movies always have ‘Mukesh’, who’s suffering from lung cancer due to excessive smoking, and that kinda puts me off!

It’s ‘World No Tobacco Day’, today. If you need reasons to stub that smoke right now, here are a few:

• The nicotine found in cigarettes and in smokeless tobacco is a powerful, addictive drug that acts on several parts of the body. Once addicted, it becomes difficult, but not impossible, to quit using smokeless tobacco or to stop smoking.
• It takes eight seconds for nicotine to reach the brain where it affects chemicals called dopamine and noradrenalin, changing your mood and temporarily reducing feelings of stress. Studies have shown that the younger you start smoking, the harder it is to quit.
• At least 19 different types of cancer-causing substances, called nitrosamines, are found in tobacco products.

• Oral cancer is serious. When it spreads to the lymph nodes in the neck, it is often deadly.
• The risk of developing lung cancer is 10 times greater for smokers than for non- smokers. Also, breathing secondhand smoke (someone else’s smoke) can be as dangerous as smoking.
• Smoking causes more deaths than road accidents, and every cigarette you smoke reduces your life expectancy by 11 minutes and tobacco is the world’s biggest avoidable cause of death.

• Lots of people smoke because it helps them relax but studies show that the habit has the reverse effect. As nicotine wears off, smokers become more stressed and anxious than they were before the last cigarette and begin to crave another. It’s a vicious cycle.
• Once you stop using tobacco products, your blood pressure, pulse rate and skin temperature will return to normal within 20 minutes. Within eight hours, high levels of carbon monoxide in your blood will return to normal and, within a few weeks, your circulation will improve, your sense of taste and smell will improve, and you will have fewer colds and more energy. It is never too late to stop!

• Whether you’ve smoked for four years or 40, it’s not too late to quit and, by doing so, you’ll dramatically increase your odds of a healthy life. Here’s what happens when you stop smoking:

– 24 hours after quitting: Carbon monoxide and nicotine have left your system.

– A month after quitting: You’ll notice a visible difference in your skin.

– A year after quitting: Your risk of heart attack is now half that of a smoker.

– Two years after quitting: Your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker.

– 10 years after quitting: Your risk of lung cancer is now half that of a smoker.

– 15 years after quitting: Your risk of heart attack is now the same as someone who has never smoked.

The post Tobacco; a silent killer on the loose appeared first on FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine |.