Posts Tagged ‘Facts’

What are the side effects of smoking? Difference between active and passive smoking?

Smoking is injurious to health. There is hardly a part of the body that is not affected by smoking.
Immediate side effects of smoking a cigarette includes:
- raised blood pressure
- decreased blood flow.
- nausea and dizziness.
- Hyper-acidity
- Loss of appetite
- Chronic cough
- Breath shortness
- Yellowish teeth and fingers

The withdrawal symptoms include:
- lack of concentration
- coughs
- headaches
- strong cravings
- changes in sleep patterns

How smoking affects different parts of the body?
- If we start from the top, risk of developing mouth cancer is increased. Tobacco can cause mouth ulcers, bad breath and tooth decay. Headaches
also caused by smoking.
- Chemicals like hydrogen cyanide and others damage the bronchi causing inflammation which results in cough. In lungs, the mucous secretion is affected causing chronic cough.
- Nicotine present in tobacco affects the heart as it raises the blood pressure and carbon monoxide leads to the development of cholesterol deposits on artery walls.
- Smoke tars can cause esophagus and throat cancer. The stomach acid increases which leads to ulcers and heartburn.
- Carcinogens in tobacco case damage to genes that control the cell growth.
- The chemicals present in smoking affects the immune system of the body and makes it weak.
- Smokers have low level of anti-oxidants in blood as compared to non smokers.
- Heart diseases and heart attack are very common among smokers as compared to non-smokers.
- During pregnancy, the risk of premature baby, low birth weight, spontaneous abortion are observed.
- Tobacco is responsible for cancer of lungs, mouth, pharynx, larynx, stomach, urinary bladder, gall Bladder, penis.
- Tobacco consumption reduces estrogen levels in women.
- Vitamin D metabolism decreases resulting in slow absorption of calcium in the body. Deficient calcium absorption can lead to osteoporosis or thinning of the bones.
- Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids help the body fight off diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease, and help stave off the degenerative effects of aging.

TYPES OF SMOKING
In active smoking, the person is lighting up the cigarette actively and smoking it.
Passive smoking is also called involuntary or second hand smoking as it involves people in your surrounding to inhale certain toxic gases which in turn could harm more than active smoking. In this type of smoking, people are forced to smoke.

The health risks that a passive smoker may occur are considerably less than those of an active smoker, secondhand smoke still contains many of the chemicals and carcinogenic compounds that are also breathed in by the active smoker.

Indoor air pollution is ranked as one of the top five major environmental health risks that affect us today.

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Some facts about vegetarianism, its types, advantages and disadvantages of vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism facts include the types of vegetarianism and vegetarianism pros and cons in regards to its health benefits.

TYPES OF VEGETARIANS

- Vegans only eat food that comes from a plant.
- Lacto Vegetarians do not eat meat or eggs but they do eat dairy products.
- Ovo Vegetarians do not eat meat or dairy products but they do eat eggs.
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarians do not eat meat but they do eat eggs and dairy products.
- Pesco Vegetarians eat fish, eggs, and dairy products. They do not eat red or poultry.
- Fruitarians eat only fruits, nuts and seeds. They do not eat meat, eggs, dairy products, or the roots of any plants such as carrots.
- Pollo-Vegetarians eat poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck.

ADVANTAGES OF A VEGETARIAN DIET

- Vegetarian diets are low in calories. Not all vegetarian diets are low in calories.
- Vegetarian diets are high in fiber.
- Research has shown that a low-fat vegetarian diet helps to stop progression of coronary artery disease or prevent it altogether.
- Health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, gallstones, kidney stones are much less common in vegetarians.
- A vegetarian diet relies on beans and lentils for its source of proteins.
- Soy products, such as tofu and tempeh, are used to provide isoflavins, such as genistein and daidzein, which help to diminish bone loss, inhibit tumor growth and lower cholesterol.
- Vegetarians develop strong immunity in them.
- Green leafy vegetables have ample supply of calcium.

ADVANTAGES OF NON-VEGETARIAN DIET WHICH IS NOT FOUND IN VEGETARIAN DIET

- Vegetarians face inadequate intake of proteins and B12.
- B12 on the other hand cannot be sourced from plants, only from animals, hence a vegetarian needs to eat foods that have been fortified with B12 vitamins, this is especially recommended for vegetarian children.
- The essential amino acids that the body requires are contained in a diet rich with red meat.
- Red meat contains very high quantities of iron as compared to vegetarian diet.
- The phosphorus content of meat is much more easily absorbed than the phosphorus in cereals and legumes.
- Vitamin D is not found in a plant based diet.

Lyme Disease – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

FACTS ABOUT LYME DISEASE

- Lyme disease is a bacterial infection.
- Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
- Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in North America and Europe.
- Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the skin, which permits the bacterium to infect the body.
- Lyme disease is not contagious.
- Lyme disease is often associated with heavily wooded or grassy areas where mice and deer live.

SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. It can affect nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. The early symptoms include:
- circular rash after 1-2 weeks of infection which looks like a bull’s eye. It can also appear as an expanding ring of solid redness. It may be warm to the touch and usually is not painful or itchy.
- fever.
- headache.
- swollen lymph nodes.
- fatigue.
- headache.
- muscle aches.
- affects the heart, leading to an irregular heart rhythm or chest pain.
- can affect nervous system, causing facial paralysis, or tingling and numbness in the arms and legs.
The last stage of Lyme disease occurs if the symptoms of early stages are left un-treated. Symptoms may include arthritis, particularly in the knees, and memory lapses, trouble concentrating, changes in mood, changes in sleep habits, muscle weakness.

PREVENTION OF LYME DISEASE

- Protect yourself from tick bites.
- Avoid heavily wooded areas.
- Wear light colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
- Apply tick repellent.
- If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers, making sure to remove the head as well as the body.

DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE

- Physical examination and medical history.
- Laboratory tests like Enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western Blot – this test is more sensitive that ELISA and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) help to confirm the disease.
- Oral administration of antibiotics is used for the treatment of lyme disease. This is effective in treating the infection, although the symptoms may persist for a while. This mode of treatment may cause certain side effects, such as, gallstones, diarrhea and low WBC count.