Assessing Health Problems Caused by Smoking - Essay Example

Assessing health problems caused by smoking Introduction Smoking, while one of the most common activities worldwide, has been proven to also be one of the most dangerous acts that a person could subject their body and health to. Despite the easily accessible knowledge about the harms of smoking, millions of people still willingly engage themselves in it on a daily basis. This is due in part to the fact that smokers and non-smokers alike call into question the addictiveness of cigarette smoke. Many believe that it is not as harmful as others claim. Furthermore, there is a commonality between the many health problems associated with smoking and health problems that arise without needing to touch a cigarette, such as heart disease, cancer, and birth defects on unborn babies. The similarity between diseases have led many smokers to believe that developing the disease is coincidence, or that they are not risk for it happening to them. This paper explores the addictiveness of cigarette smoke, as well as the potential risks that smokers are setting themselves, and others, up for. Addictive properties of cigarette smoke It is common knowledge that cigarette smoke is addictive, given the fact that it contains nicotine, which is, by nature, an addictive drug. However, while many cigarette smokers show signs of this addiction, there are still a decent-sized population that do not. The latter consists of those that are able to quit “cold turkey” - being able to give up smoking when they want to, without having to wean themselves off of them. There are also smokers that do not require cigarettes as constantly as others might. It is because of these aspects that have caused many to question the validity of the addictiveness of cigarette smoke. Simply put, yes, cigarette smoke is addictive. The most active ingredient in cigarettes is nicotine, which is an addictive drug by itself. Nicotine “causes changes in the brain that make people want to use it more (American Heart Association, 2010).” Furthermore, nicotine triggers the function within the brain that allows feelings of pleasure and euphoria (Bevins, 2008), which prompts people to continue smoking, as they can begin to depend on those elated feelings. Beside nicotine, acetaldehyde is present in drugs, which has the same addictive effects of nicotine. When they two are together in one cigarette, their effects are multiplied (Smith, 2007). People are able to overcome the addiction by not depending on the feelings that come with the drugs in cigarettes. There is evidence that supports that there are psychological and physical addictions and dependencies on cigarette smoke. When a person becomes addicted to smoking, it becomes difficult for them to quit. They are not keen on giving up the elated, calming feelings that come with smoking; it is not so much as a dependency on smoking as it as dependency on the feelings associated with nicotine (Frenk, 2007). Smokers that are trying to quit, or are unable to obtain cigarettes, experience withdrawals that are both physical and mental. Physical withdrawals include sweating, headaches, signs of a cold, and intestinal disorders. Mental and emotional disorders include insomnia, anxiety, irritability and impatience, depression, and a state of near paralysis (Simon, 2009). When smokers are taken from their high, they do not know how to cope, and thus experience the various physical and mental symptoms of withdrawal. Smoking’s association with heart disease and cancer Health problems that smoking causes that may be linked with heart disease are coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Heart attacks, while common in situations outside of smoking, are more likely to cause death in a smoker, usually within an hour after the heart attack (American Cancer Society, 2009). The carbon monoxide and tar within cigarettes cause blockage to the heart, lessening the amount of oxygen that the heart intakes. Experts agree that smoking causes a variety of health diseases, as well as others. Bjartveit (2005) goes into detail about the harms of smoking on the heart and lungs. The main ingredients in a cigarette, as well as the combination of some of the lesser ingredients, causes tar to build up on the heart and lungs, limiting their functions. The limiting of these functions can lead to a heart attack, as the heart struggles to work the way it should, fighting against the tar buildup and the presence of carbon monoxide, or to heart disease, due to the amount of tar and drugs in the system that cause damage to the arteries. While many people associate cancer, especially lung cancer, with smoking, there are many professionals who disagree. Nicotine is the key drug in cigarettes, but it does not contribute to the formation of cancer or any other lung-related diseases (Eysenck, 2000); therefore, many professionals have come to the conclusion that cigarettes cannot possibly be at fault for cancer in a smoker (De Stefani, 1992). There are others still that claim that smoking does not cause lung cancer, but is one of the risk factors for lung cancer (Siepmann, 1999). However, there are more professionals that believe, based off of extensive research, that smoking is a direct link to all forms of cancer, but more commonly cancer of the lungs and of the mouth (Powers, 2008). The same damage that the nicotine, acetaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and tar cause to hearts and brains can be attributed to lungs and mouths as well, thus causing a variety of cancer. Oddly enough, there is insufficient proof that smoking is a direct link to cancer; tests and studies that have been done have shown that smoking is a risk for lung cancer, but is not necessarily the key cause of it. As it stands, smokers have a ten percent chance of developing lung cancer during their lifetime, which suggests that smoking is not in correlation with lung cancer. This does not apply to cancer of the mouth or larynx, where a direct link can be found (Kozlowski, 2001). Negative effects on unborn babies When a pregnant woman smokes, she is smoking for two. What the mother allows into her body is shared with the fetus. The infant mortality rate is fifty percent higher when the mother smokes; children of smokers are also two and a half times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, which also goes by the name of crib death (Miller, 2006). The baby not only inhales the firsthand smoke, but the secondhand smoke as well; furthermore, the chemicals that the mother receives from smoking also enter the body of the baby. The health of the baby is effected, and the baby can face all sorts of diseases and illnesses, such as brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. The baby could also die in the womb, be born prematurely, or be born with a mental or physical disability. The mother also puts herself at risk when she smokes while she is pregnant. The mother sets herself up for respiratory problems, blood clots, vomiting, and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Smoking can also cause a variety of pregnancy complications, such as stillbirth, premature birth, and an early detachment of the placenta from the uterus well before the baby is supposed to be delivered, which can cause heavy bleeding, leading to further health problems for the mother and the baby. In summary, what the mother subjects herself to during pregnancy will also be passed along to the unborn baby, causing numerous health problems. Conclusion Regardless of how many diseases are linked with smoking, or how people feel towards subjecting themselves and their unborn children to cigarette smoke, there are still possibilities that a smoker will develop a life-threatening disease. Information about the dangers of smoking, including possible diseases and their risks, are easily obtainable. The harsh reality is that smoking is dangerous and potentially deadly, and the more aware smokers and non-smokers are of the health problems caused by smoking, the more illnesses and deaths that can be avoided altogether. References American Cancer Society (2009). Questions about smoking, tobacco, and health. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2x_Questions_About_Smoking_ Tobacco_and_Health.asp American Heart Association. (2010). Nicotine addiction. Retrieved from http:// www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4753 Bjartveit, K. Health consequences of smoking 1-4 cigarettes per day. Tob Control. 2005; 14:315- 320. Bevins, R.A. (2008). The motivational impact of nicotine and its role in tobacco use. New York: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC. De Stefani, E. Hand-rolled cigarette smoking and risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx. Cancer. 1992; 70:679-682. Eysenck, H. (2000). Smoking, health, and personality. United Kingdom: Transaction Publishers. Frenk, H. (2007). A critique of nicotine addiction. New York: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC. Kozlowski, L.T. (2001). Cigarettes, nicotine, and health: A biobehavioral approach. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Miller, M.W. (2006). Brain development: Normal processes and the effects of alcohol and nicotine. New York: Oxford University Press, USA. Powers, E.N. (2008). Smoking and lung cancer. Los Angeles: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. Siepmann, J.P. (1999). Smoking does not cause lung cancer. Retrieved from http:// www.journaloftheoretics.com/Editorials/Vol-1/e1-4.htm Simon, H. (2009). Nicotine addiction and withdrawals. Retrieved from http://health. nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/nicotine-withdrawal/symptoms-of-withdrawal.html Smith, J.P. (2007). How cigarettes are made more addictive. Retrieved from http:// www.selfgrowth.com/articles/How_Cigarettes_Are_Made_More_Addictive.html Read More