Decades ago smoking was a habit that was restricted only to men, but now the criterion has changed to the core. The days have become modernized. Even women folk have started to smoke cigars and other things. The days have not become bad, but instead women have started gaining the power and are trying to be equally in par with the men folk too. This is not a bad fact instead a good one to know that women are gaining their equal rights in all the fields. But then too when seen in other aspects it is sad fact that women are trying to be equally in par with the men even in reasons like smoking and other things. These are actually considered to be very much bad for the health.

Smoking is considered to be injurious to health and there are awareness being created in many areas. Now, when the women folk also start smoking they are also easily affected by it. Let us just have fast and short over view on smoking and health issues that are caused due to smoking. One can write pages on the health issues that are caused in the human body due to smoking factors. Not only to the smoker but it has also affected the people who are near by the smoker. This is because the smoke that is let out after smoking is let out into the air. This smoke that is let out contains many harmful gases like the carbon di oxide, nitrous-di-oxide and so many gases. These gases are all very harmful one. These gases when gets mixed with the normal air in the atmosphere it pollutes the air. Thus it has also resulted in the pollution of the air in the atmosphere.

Now, after this smoke is let out, knowing or unknowingly if the person near by the smoker inhales the smoke, then this affects the health of the inhaler. Thus smoking indirectly affects the near by person too. It also affects many parts of the body. Let us just have an over view on the effects of smoking on each part of the body. It affects the hair; the hair of the smoker becomes very dry and gets stained due to smoking. Smoking may also affect the brain, as it may stop the passage of the blood to the brain cells thus affecting it. This occurs only at the later stages of the life. Smoking may also result in the eye degeneration; the ciliary muscles of eyes become weak and thus affect the eye sight. It affects the sense organs like the nose and tongue. Yes, the smoking affects sense organs. The taste and the smell of the smoker are lost due to the deposition of the nicotine on the taste bud and the smell cells of the smoker. Just think! Are these problems necessary? Not only are these but there even vital cases where it has resulted in the death of the people due to cancer and emphysema that was induced due to smoking.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Consequences of smoking range from health to our social life. Most of the people who are involved in smoking hard stuff like marijuana and cannabis become ignored and isolated because they are less productive in society.

Health

Most of the people who smoke have a bad health as their body can not be able to fight diseases because their body has a lot of nicotine elements in their blood stream and this affects the circulations of blood to the whole body making them to have ulcers which are painful. Even most of them suffer from lung cancer which interferes with their respiratory system. Loss of memory is also one of the consequences of smoking hard stuff and the victim looses dignity among the family members and the entire community at large.

Cardiovascular diseases

The diseases include atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease that is caused by the deposits on the walls of arteries, thus reducing the ability of blood to flow through them and if the blood is blocked from going to the heart it causes someone to have heart attack where the lack of oxygen to the heart damages it and begins to dry if not treated. This may also lead stroke or permanent damage of the brain or even death if blood flow is compromised from reaching the brain.

Lungs diseases

These diseases can be treated if the situation has not aggravated like the lungs bronchitis where the airways of the lungs are inflamed. Emphysema which damages the air sacs and air ways of the lungs that causes obstruction in airflow to the lungs when breathing is not curable. The most deadly lung problem associated with smoking is lung cancer, which causes chest pains, and leads a victim to cough blood and it is only a few people who have lung cancer survive for a period of five years.

There are also other related types of cancer associated with smoking and they include bladder, cervical, esophageal, kidney, leukemia, mouth, pancreatic and stomach cancers and they also make the victim at risk of dying.

Consequences of smoking can also reduce the productivity of a person in terms of having children as it causes penis dysfunction and to women it may temper with them to an extent that they can not conceive.

To avoid all this consequences of smoking we should adhere to the instructions so as to avoid premature deaths and diseases that can be avoided as most of the people can do without smoking and that is why most of the tobacco industries gives a stern warning to all tobacco users.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Over the years there has been the need to battle the problems associated with smoking. Several approaches have been applied to help smokers quit the habit but these three are the basic ones: Cognitive Approach, Coping Response Training, and Aversion Therapy.

1. Cognitive Approach: A type of cognitive approach used to break the smoking habit is covert sensitization which is a form of classical conditioning. Under this approach, the smoker is asked to mentally associate smoking with something extremely unpleasant. For example, imagine that your favorite brand of cigarette lies on your table and that a housefly lands on it hand lays her eggs inside the cigarette. The eggs will hatch and there will be little maggots crawling around inside each cigarette. If you pick the cigarette, light it and draw your first breathe with the maggots inside, the heat of the cigarette will force the maggots into your mouth and down your throat. This will definitely cause terrible health problems inside your body.

If smokers use this imagery anytime they have the urge to smoke, then they have a good chance of combating some of the positive association of cigarette smoking.

2. Coping Response Training: This technique is also used to eliminate the positive reinforcements of smoking. With this technique, smokers are helped to indentify the stimuli, situations and circumstances that make them feel like smoking so they can avoid them. This is done in two ways. (a)Cognitively (b) Behaviorally.

A. Cognitive Response: This consists of refocusing the attention of smokers on some things other than smoking. It is possible for the person to reappraise the stress-producing problem and decide that it is not a bad thing after all, or the person might keep reminding himself/herself of all the benefits of not smoking.

B. Behaviorally: the person might go for activities other than lighting a cigarette, such as chewing gum, doing exercises, or pick his teeth after a meal. The smoker might also decide to talk to a counselor, family or friends about the situation instead of smoking to put off his problems. He may even decide to face the problem head-on. Another great alternative might be just to avoid the situations that bring on the urge to smoke (Marlette, 1990).

3. Aversion Therapy: This is a behavioral therapy that pairs an aversive stimulus with a maladaptive behavior. It has been used successfully to help smokers quit the bad habit. With this technique, the smoker is asked to pair smoking with some kind of aversive stimulus such as extremely heavy cigarette smoking. The most popular procedure under this technique is called rapid smoking. This will make the smoker take a puff every six seconds (10 puffs per minute) while concentrating on the negative sensations produced by the rapid smoking. If the smoker gets sick, then it is better. The success of this procedure is dependent on two things:

A. Temporary alleviation of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms, because smokers inhale some amounts of nicotine.
B. Associating smoking with highly negative side effects like nausea, dizziness, burning mouth and accelerated heartbeat.

Application of this technique (rapid smoking) has a major effect in that it can produce moderate amount of stress on the heart and lungs. It is therefore necessary to use it only under the supervision of a medical professional.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Smoking has been tagged the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. It contributes to many health problems -lung cancer, stroke, heartburn, loss of sense of taste, cosmetic problems, infertility, and many others. Even among non-smokers, exposure to burning cigarettes and exhaled smoke (referred to as passive smoking) increases the risk of having these health problems.

If you decide to quit smoking however, there is good news for you as some of the damage caused by your smoking habits can be undone. Your risk the major health problems such as cancer is diminished.

If you are really serious about quitting your smoking habits, you should understand that it takes a lot of determination. Quitting is tough but achievable. In fact, studies show that smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to break, even harder than heroin. The good news for you is that, there are many strategies that have been applied that have given tremendous success.

Here are a few things you can do to increase your chances of quitting smoking successfully and not relapsing during the crucial first few weeks:

1. Monitor Your Progress: in doing this you should first of all set a deadline up to three weeks away from the last time you smoke. But in the meantime, log each cigarette you smoke- where you smoke and under what conditions or circumstances (Don R. Powell, PhD). This will help you identify situations that cause you to smoke and then find alternative behaviors other than smoking cigarette.

2. Delay the Desire to Smoke: Quitting is supposed to be gradual and it is recommended that each time you have the urge to smoke, you should hold off lighting the cigarette for up to five minutes. Extend this time to ten minutes after some days, fifteen minutes for the next few days also, and so on. As time goes on you will find out that you are able to hold on for longer periods of time, and finally quitting.

3. Drink a Lot of Orange Juice: For those who want to quit cold turkey, getting through the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal is the hardest part. These withdrawal symptoms usually last about two weeks. Drinking a lot of orange juice during these two weeks will help you get over the irritability, anxiety, confusion, lack of concentration and troubled sleep that come with nicotine withdrawal.

Orange juice makes your urine more acidic and this clears nicotine from your body faster (Thomas Cooper, D.D.S). The citrus taste in your mouth will make the thought of smoking disgusting. For those who are quitting with the aid of doctor-prescribed nicotine gum or patches, avoid orange juice and other acidic drinks because these products keep nicotine in your system.

4. Picture it in Your Mind That You Have Flu: Many experts say that nicotine withdrawal symptoms are similar to the symptoms of flu- you have trouble concentrating, your energy levels are depleted, you get headaches, and so on. There is little you can do about the flu other than letting it run its course. You will certainly get over it. The withdrawal symptoms will cease in about two weeks if you don’t relapse and have a cigarette.

5. Stay Away From Bars: Several studies have shown that the greatest chances of relapsing occur in bars. According to Dr. Jorenby, for many people, having a drink in one hand means having cigarette in the other. It is therefore recommended that that you stay away from bars (or drinking at home) for a few weeks after you stop smoking. You can visit other places instead, like museums, cinemas, and other public places where smoking is prohibited.

6. Seek Support and Professional Advice: Whatever the quitting method you wish to employ, you have greater chances of success if you seek support from your family and friends. They will offer you a great deal of encouragement. Your doctor or counselor can also offer expert advice on the best way to go about it.

All these strategies can help you quit your smoking habit faster than you think. But remember that you need to put in a lot of effort and determination.

Source:ezinearticles.com

As we all know there are many disadvantages to smoking tobacco, it can cause serious internal diseases or infections and cigarette smoke causes various types of external side effects. Right now I will be talking about the bad effects smoking can have on your appearance.

Common areas of the body that are effected by tobacco are your Teeth, Hair, Gum, Nails and Skin.

Hair: Research shows that cigarette smoke contributes to the weakening of your hair strand. It causes your hair to break, turn Grey before its time and can also contribute to hair loss in both men and women. The smell of tobacco when smoked will also saturate the hair, leaving a heavy smell of smoke.

Skin: Tobacco smoke also starves the body of oxygen, every part of the body needs oxygen to keep your blood flowing, healthy skin and to avoid bad blood circulation. Smoking can be very damaging on the skin, many smokers suffer from dry, scaly or discolored skin and premature aging, this is mainly caused by the lack of oxygen carried around the body.

Nicotine reduces the oxygen in the blood which results in the yellowing of the skin and nails, it also attacks other systems such as the collagen in your skin (this help you maintain your youthful look.) These effects are from the inhalation of nicotine, but remember, these are only a few of the problems that arise from tobacco. Smoke that rises into the atmosphere can cause skin irritation such as dry skin or rashes, it deepens wrinkles, and gives an ugly sunken skin look and its harmful to others.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Being placed under anesthesia, especially generally anesthesia, where a person is made unconscious and temporarily paralyzed, can put a lot of stress on a patient’s body. It is well known that anesthesia can be just as, or in some cases more, dangerous than the surgical procedure being performed. When the patient has a pre-existing medical condition, the dangers of anesthesia can be further elevated. Heart problems are one example where the increased risks are twofold: anesthesia can cause circulatory and cardiac issues, and surgeries where the patient’s heart is the target are already serious without the added potential for anesthetic complications.

In the United States, 25% of surgical patients suffer from some sort of heart disease (regular culprits include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure). Patients with existing heart problems are almost always more likely to suffer from anesthesia-related heart complications during or following an operation. As expected, the more serious the person’s preexisting condition, the more elevated the risk for complications.

Various agents can be used to send patients into an anaesthetized state. Many of the most common varieties can increase the probability that a person’s heart will begin to beat in an arrhythmic manner. In minor, temporary instances, this may not have serious medical consequences, but it can cause serious health issues, particularly in patients who may have already been suffering from chronic arrhythmia. A patient with heart problems may also need additional medications during a procedure to make sure there are no problems. When more medications are required, there is obviously an increased risk for dangerous drug interactions.

When a person’s heart is the subject of an operation, anesthesia can pose other types of risks. Monitoring a patient’s vital signs, including pulse and blood pressure, are very important to assure that anesthetics are not having a dangerous effect, and procedures involving the heart can obviously complicate taking these measurements. Special devices may have to be needed in order to get accurate readings.

Doctors have a responsibility to vigilantly protect the wellbeing of their patients. This includes fully discussing existing medical issues and potential risks before an operation takes place. If a patient is injured due to a medical professional’s negligent actions, there may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Physicians recommend compression stockings for patients experiencing edema and vascular problems. There are several types of stockings that aid in patient recovery. Designed to increase circulation and reduce swelling in the legs, they are excellent for patients experiencing chronic venous problems.

Different Types

Compression hose, compression socks, knee-high, pantyhose and thigh-high are different types of compression stockings available. Other terms are anti-embolism, circular knit, custom, flat knit, lymphedema, silver and support socks.

Designed to promote circulation and reduce swelling, each one is valuable in the health and well-being of patients.

Why Are Stockings Used?

The decision to use a support hose on a patient is based on the type of illness they have. How long the support remains in effect depends on when or if the patient shows signs of improving. Regular check-ups will help determine whether they are helping enough or if other avenues, such as surgery, might be needed.

A physician or physical therapist determines the extent of the condition and makes an evaluation before recommending any support hose method to prevent further complications.

Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are often problematic for older patients and pregnant women. In the elderly, these types of veins can be troublesome and disabling. They often experience poor circulation and painful cramps because of improper blood flow. Characterized by unsightly and enlarged spider veins, the legs appear lumpy.

Support hose increase proper blood flow, which decreases the appearance of varicose veins. The hose will also prevent the condition from worsening as well as providing relief from pain.

Lymphedema

Lymphedema is extreme swelling within the body. It most often affects the legs and exhibits an abnormal bloated appearance. Compression hose eases the swelling by influencing proper lymph circulation. They also help contain drainage of lymph fluid.

DVT

Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of leg clots. Compression devices increase circulation while preventing clots from forming.

Leg Sores

Venous ulcerations are open sores on the lower legs. They are extremely painful and can discharge fluid. Stockings and other methods contain the fluid and promote healing.

Poor Circulation

Orthostatic hypotension results from pooling of blood in the lower extremities. Patients feel light-headed and dizzy. Compression treatment reduces the pooling and promotes fewer symptoms.

Compression stockings can be purchased online or at a pharmacy. Patients should consult the physician on the type of stockings that should be worn. Frequency and duration of wearing compression socks should also be discussed. There are special varieties made for pregnant women, as well as men’s.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Athletic taping has long been used by players to help improve their grip – particularly in baseball and hockey. But it truly shines when it’s used to support overworked or inflamed muscles, as any training athlete can tell you. Traditional tape generally overlaps gauze and helps keep it in place to prevent additional movement of the injured muscle, tissue or tendon. The theory is, the less the muscle moves, the less it can be strained and therefore the faster it will heal. While this idea has been the main point of most athletic tapes for decades, new findings are beginning to support more flexible brands of tape which include elasticity and breathable fabric to allow mobility even for sore or injured muscles.

What Parts Of The Body Can Benefit Most?

Athletic taping can be done just about anywhere on the body where you have pain. Medical researchers have discovered that the tape is useful for shoulder and rotator cuff injuries, as well as wrist, knee and ankle problems. No matter where you place it, it’s important to allow the taped area to “breathe” in order to avoid a buildup of sweat and dead skin cells which can be the perfect breeding ground for certain types of fungus and bacteria and can turn your injured area into a hotbed of infection. Most doctors advise that muscle injuries be worked out gradually – using as much weight as you are comfortable placing on the affected area. If you’re beginning to exercise moderately – a buildup of sweat under the athletic tape means you should continue to apply fresh tape every few hours as needed. Even if you’re resting, be sure to change the tape every 2-3 days.

Athletic Taping Techniques

Athletic tape is very easy to apply. You can cut or tear off small strips and apply them to the length of the muscle to hold it in place. For injuries such as arms or wrists, make sure not to apply the tape to the extended part of the body, otherwise this could exacerbate the injury and slow healing time. Be sure the muscle you are applying the athletic tape to is fully relaxed. You may wish to use some pre wrap if you don’t like the stickiness of the tape and the difficulty of removing it. Wrap the tape snugly but not too tight that it completely restricts movement or cuts off circulation. Again, this can further stress the tissue, tendon or muscle that’s healing.

Which Athletic Tape Should I Buy?

When utilizing athletic taping methods, you may have gotten recommendations from your trainer or coach, or you may not have a preference. Some people find tape that fits their team colors, and it’s comfortable for them to wear all day. Others prefer breathable cotton tape or the Olympic favorite, Kinesio tape. Experiment with different brands on different areas of the body to find one you like the best. Once you find one, stick with it (no pun intended!) and you’ll be taking the right step toward keeping your body in peak shape.

Even if you’re young and have a sharp memory, you might still benefit from a medication schedule if you have more than one vitamin or medication you’re taking. Old or young, with the advancements in technology these days, there are medications and treatments for everything. There are a number of options available when it comes to finding a medication reminder, but how do you find the one that’s right for you?

It’s important to take your medication on time, because of the different effects it has on you. Some medications should be taken with food, at night, with other medications, without other medications. Some medications require you not to drive for a certain amount of time after you take them. Even vitamins react with your body in different ways, and it may be more beneficial to your health to take certain vitamins at certain times of the day.

Now that you know why it’s important to take medication on time, you need to find a medication schedule that works for you. If you’re the kind of person that is attached at the hip to your cell phone, there are programs or applications available to help you remember when to take your medication by sending a medication reminder to your phone. It can come in the form of an alarm, or you can even set your phone on vibrate to keep the medication reminder more discreet.

If you’re not keen on keeping up with the latest in technology, you can use a paper schedule to help you remember your medication schedule. This way, you can also take it to the doctor’s office with you and have your doctor make sure you’re doing everything correctly. If you need assistance remembering when to take your medication, you can have someone else fill out the schedule for you. You just need to make sure that you remember to fill out the schedule when you purchase your new medication.

Computer technology has really revolutionized how people remember to take their important medications. If you’re a caretaker, you can use a computer program to make a medication reminder for your sick family member. You can track when it’s time to refill medications, how much medication should be taken every day, and when it should be taken. Anywhere you have the internet you can access your medication information.

Look at the other ways you remind yourself of things that are important. This is probably going to be the best way to set up a working medication reminder. If you stick post-it notes all around your house, a simple post-it note on the bathroom mirror could help you remember to take your medication every morning. If you can’t remember things very well, you could put the bottle of pills in your shoe every night, so you literally trip over your medication in the morning and remember to take it. It’s important to use whatever method works best for you.

Source:ezinearticles.com

Collectively the revenues generated by statin cholesterol lowering drugs, like Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and Pravachol are in excess of 10 billion dollars a year!

Is taking these drugs a risk unto itself? The answer is a resounding….YES!

Though these drugs are shown to reduce certain cardiovascular risks in people who have cardiovascular risk factors such as; hypertension, low HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, physicians are now recommending these drugs to people who don’t have any of these risks despite the fact that few if any studies show that there are any long-term benefits in people who have no cardiovascular risk factors.

The way statin drugs work is by blocking an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that interferes with the synthesis of cholesterol. The fact that cholesterol is an essential building block of cellular membranes and that the average person who lives to be 100 years old or more, usually has much higher than recommended levels of total cholesterol, raises some very interesting questions and will be addressed in a subsequent article.

So where does the risk come in? Well, in blocking the action of HMG-CoA reductase, the statin drugs also block the synthesis of a compound necessary for production of energy in the muscles (including the heart muscles) and for other crucial bodily functions!

The compound, Co-Enzyme Q10 is an essential nutrient that is involved in energy production that occurs in the mitochondria. (The energy producing factories in our cells). The heart requires high levels of Co-Q10.

Side effects of CoQ-10 deficiency

Statin drugs often cause muscle pain and weakness. This is a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. Often because many people taking statin drugs are older, they think the pain is due to something else like arthritis, or soreness from exercise and very often goes unreported.

Rhabdomyolysis, if severe, can result in death related to acute kidney failure. The statin drug, Baycol, caused dozens of deaths due to rhabdomyolysis and was taken off the market.

Though not present on the labels of statin drugs when they were first released, all statin drug labels now carry the following warning – “Unexplained muscle pain and weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away.”

Not So Rare

Dr. Beatrice Golomb of San Diego, California, reported in her study findings, that contrary to the 2-3 % that the pharmaceutical industry reports for occurrence of muscle pain, that as many as 98% on some statin drugs experience this problem.

Memory Loss

Some patients taking statin drugs report memory loss and inability to concentrate. Accumulated data indicates that 50% of these cognitive issues occur within 5-60 days of starting statin treatment. Though most patients seem to recover after stopping the drug, it seems a small percentage may not. The actual percentage of statin users who experience these cognitive issues is not well established.

Nerve Pain and Dysfunction

It is estimated that 10-20% of people taking statin drugs will get neuropathy, resulting in feelings of fatigue, pain while walking and nerve tingling. A study from Denmark reported that long-term use of statin drugs (2 years or more) could increase the risk of developing neuropathy from 400-1400%. Individuals who are highly susceptible could experience neuropathy much sooner.

I urge my readers who are taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol to supplement a minimum of 100 mg. per day of Co-Q. For those of you who are in major discomfort or have other heart issues regarding function or blood pressure, 300 mg. per day of Co-Q-10 is recommended.

Source:ezinearticles.com