Alcohol consumption and smoking have become common habits adopted by our society and seem to be accepted as normal behaviour. The use of excessive alcohol and cigarettes is escalating daily throughout the world. However most people are not fully aware of the harmful effects they can have on your health as well as the increased chances of engaging in undesired risky social behaviour when under the influence. Irresponsible drinking behaviour is also a contributing factor to the number of accidents on our roads as well as violent accidents. Responsible drinking and smoking are encouraged. Let us look at the most common harmful effects they can have on our health.
SMOKING
There has been a misconception that smoking only affects the lungs but it affects all other parts of the body too. Imagine how many lives would be saved if only people took time to learn about the risks involved with smoking:
1. Cigarettes contain a mood-altering substance called nicotine. Once nicotine reaches the brain it gives the user a moment of energy for a short period of time but when that moment ends the user feels tired and craves more of it. This is one of the reasons why people find it hard to quit. Sudden withdrawal can cause sleep disorders and headaches
2. Discoloration of the teeth, which is usually formation of brown or yellow stains which don’t come off even with regular dental care.
3. Cavity and gum inflation with tooth decay which increases risk of cancer in the mouth, oesophagus, larynx and throat.
4. Smell and smoke of tobacco which is found in cigarettes is easily absorbed in the hair which may lead to the hair breaking, dandruff or sudden premature whitening of the hair. 5. Insulin resistance or an increase in type 2 diabetes has been associated with excessive smoking.
6. It may cause a decrease in appetite or even complete loss in appetite.
7. Due to the decreased blood flow in men who smoke, it may lead to erectile dysfunction and infertility.
8. Women who smoke is at high risk for cervical cancer and developing menopause at an early stage.
9. Babies born of pregnant smoking women may develop birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weight due to the carbon monoxide and tar in the tobacco.
10. The constant stream of smoke into the lungs causes the sacs in the lungs that facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to break down. This will cause what we call “obstruction” in the lungs, which is a serious complication that makes it very hard to breathe due to the lungs not functioning properly.
11. Lung cancer is caused by the long-term inhalation of tar and coal from the cigarettes.
12. Vision disorders or difficulty in seeing clearly are due to muscular degeneration and cataracts (layer on the eye) which causes blindness, are also very common in smokers.
ALCOHOL
Everyone knows the saying „one glass of wine per day keeps body healthy‟ and that’s true, alcohol is not all bad but uncontrolled excessive drinking can lead to unwanted preventable diseases.
1. Some people who drink heavily tends to develop dependency. It may be emotional, physical or both. This will lead to withdrawal when the individual wants to stop, for example they can experience anxiety, nervousness, nausea, heavy sweating, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and tremors.
2. Alcohol can cause inflammation of the stomach which can prevent food from being absorbed and risk of cancer can be increased.
3. Continuous heavy drinking of alcohol can lead to inflammation of the pancreas due to activation of digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas, which may lead to fever, vomiting and weight loss followed by intense pain.
4. Heavy drinking can cause the intestines inability to absorb nutrients and vitamins and ulcers which may cause colon cancer
5. Alcohol is commonly known to affect the brain which can be seen with inability to balance, slurred speech and most common inability to make rational decisions and think clearly. But these are short term effects. The long-term effects may include inability to create long term memories and damage to frontal lobe of the brain and this lobe is responsible for emotional control and short-term memory. It can also cause permanent brain damage if toxic levels of alcohol are consumed.
6. Men who drink heavily are more likely to go through erectile dysfunction and low libido 7. Women are likely to stop menstruating, putting them at increased risk of infertility.
8. Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery and foetal alcohol syndrome disorders are
likely to occur in unborn child whose mother is a heavy drinker during pregnancy.
9. Fat deposits can accumulate in the liver due to high amounts of consumed alcohol and the liver may become inflamed causing alcohol hepatitis which result in liver failure and death.it may also lead to permanent scarring and death of liver causing liver cirrhosis and risk of liver cancer. It is more likely to happen in men than women.
10. There is an increased risk of lung infections leading to collapsed lung and most likely pneumonia. We are also noticing a growing trend of children, as young as 10 being exposed to cigarettes and alcohol at a very young age which is a concern. We are also cognisant of the fact that these two industries are one of the biggest in the world. Please take note of the warnings that are put on the packaging of each alcohol beverage and cigarette boxes. With every right comes a responsibility, choosing a healthy life.
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