National Tobacco Day: Learn about the risks of smoking

Experts explain how this habit can affect the health of the body

Different forms of cigarettes are available on the market and are in great demand by the population. This results in a large number of patients developing some vascular disease due to the habit. National Tobacco Day, promoted on August 29, was set up to raise awareness of the health risks cigarettes pose.

The traditional cigarette is made up of tobacco and other substances, such as nicotine, one of the causes of addiction. In the so-called “natural” cigarette, the smoker makes his own smoke. However, the damage to venous health is the same in both scenarios.

“There is no difference in the form of tobacco consumption. Any type of cigarette is considered harmful,” says the director of the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (SBACV-SP), Dr. Daniel Urban Raymundo. E-cigarettes and hookahs are also harmful.

Dangers from e-cigarette and hookah

E-cigarettes have gained popularity because they promise to be less harmful to the body, What is not true. In addition to the action of nicotine, tobacco and other substances, the metals that make up the device represent a health hazard. This is the situation with the hookah (or hookah), which, because it has flavored tobacco and is filtered in water, makes some people believe it is safe.

Long-term exposure to smoking is harmful

Tobacco, however, makes carbon monoxide poisoning and other diseases possible. Research shows that as much as 100 cigarettes can be consumed in a two-hour hookah session. According to cardiologist Dr. Márcio Gonçalves de Sousa, the problem has intensified due to the long exposure to smoke.

“With the social issue, many people use [o narguilé], the user ends up consuming a large amount of nicotine because the puff is longer and more frequent than with the common cigarette. The amount of smoke inhaled is greater, and this increases the heart rate and blood pressure, “says the doctor.

Passive smokers are also affected.

The health risks extend to passive smokers, i.e. people who come into contact with smoke and end up inhaling it frequently. According to Dr. Márcio Gonçalves de Souza, a passive smoker, ends up consuming up to five cigarettes without necessarily smoking. “They will have the same ailments as a conventional smoker. What will be different is the amount of exposure that person has had,” he points out. Passive patients suffer up to a 38% risk of heart attack.

Illnesses Affected by Smoking

The consumption of tobacco, in its various forms, obstructs the peripheral arteries over time and hinders the flow of blood in the body. “Cigarettes also alter blood clotting, causing thromboembolic phenomena,” explains doctor Daniel Urban Raymundo.

Already the doctor Márcio Gonçalves de Sousa, warns about the risks of these substances. “In addition to cardiovascular disease, they can cause lung diseases, such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pneumopathy), which are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The third case is cancer, which covers 55 types”, explains the specialist.

The onset of diseases can go unnoticed, because they are silent conditions, such as pain in the lower limbs and difficulty in walking. Without the correct treatment, these symptoms can progress to severe acute conditions, such as arterial thrombosis.

The consequences can last a lifetime

Even with the cessation of the habit, the smoker can carry the consequences for a lifetime. “In arterial diseases associated with cigarettes, usually once installed, they are no longer reversible, but can stabilize after quitting smoking. Already diseases such as venous thrombosis can be reversed with treatment. If the risk factor, in this case smoking is eliminated, the possibility of the individual having new events is reduced, “informs Dr Márcio Gonçalves de Sousa.

Consult an expert

To escape the complications of smoking, the best way is not to get used to it. Smokers should visit their doctor regularly to monitor their health. “The vascular surgeon is the specialist in charge of diagnosing and treating peripheral vascular diseases that can affect the smoker”, leads Daniel Urban Raymundo.

By Elena Costola

Source: Terra

Benjamin

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