QUIT SMOKING

By Dr. Mark Clayson




Passive smoking is also known as second smoke, involuntary smoking, and exposure to environmental smoke snuff - or ETS. Eighty-five percent of ETS consists of sidestream smoke - the smoke that is exhaled by a smoker or released from the burning tip of a cigarette or snuff product. Health effects of passive smoking are many, but not trivial. Ranging from eye irritation to worsening of asthma and allergies to cancer. Although they have not been established as the main cause is an association between certain diseases and exposure to ETS.


Short-term effects

The short term effects of passive smoking are normally associated with the induced or exacerbated asthma and allergy attacks. This is because the smoke is an allergen snuff. A number of non-smokers complain of headaches, eye irritation, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, cough and other respiratory tract infections from exposure to sidestream smoke or ETS. In almost all cases, eye irritation was observed that the main symptom of exposure to cigarette smoke.

People with allergies may experience the following: watery or irritated eyes, itchy or runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, a feeling of suffocation, and other typical allergy symptoms within a few minutes to get exposed. Some, with no history of allergies or asthma may suddenly cough in rooms filled with smoke snuff. Get other headaches, feeling nausea, drowsiness, and experience other adverse effects, when a lack of smoke does not present these symptoms. It can also lead to cravings for those who are in the process of quitting.

In people with asthma, an attack can be induced or exacerbated by the current exposure to ETS, or faster with the sidestream smoke. Some have reported cases in which a significant decrease in lung function occurred in adults with asthma.

An effect on the heart of passive smoking has also been observed and measured. Just thirty minutes exposure to smoke from snuff can reduce coronary blood flow.

Short-term effects of passive smoking may cease when the exposure ends. However, repeated short-term and long-term exposure can cause serious long-term effects