Posts Tagged ‘Side effects’

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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What are the health benefits of Rauwolfia Serpentina (Snakeroot)?

Rauwolfia Serpentina, commonly known as “Sarpgandha” in Sanskrit and otherwise, snakeroot, is a flowering plant and belongs to the Apocynaceae family. It is also spelled as Rauvolfia and it grows in an evergreen environment. The plant is named in honor of Leonhard Rauwolf. It consists of various bioactive chemicals such as aricine, aimaline, deserpidine, corynanthine, reserpine, yohimbine, serpentinine, isoreserpine and much more.

Origin: In India, the extracts of the Rauwolfia Serpentina has been used for millennium especially when Alexander the Great found out that the bioactive chemicals in the extract can be utilized in the treatment of his poisonous arrow. Another same story occurred when Mahatma Gandhi consumed it as a tranquilizer during his whole lifetime.

Medicinal Usage: Reserpine is an alkaloid and widely employed as an antihypertensive medicine. It has been substituted as a first-line anti-hypertensive medicine which had extreme psychological side effects, although the amalgamation of various drugs is reason behind the usage of snakeroot in the second-line anti-hypertensive tablets. It is widely used in folk medicine, Unani and Ayurveda. The alkaloid in the plants lowers down the blood pressure.
Reserpine, a compound in Rauwolfia Serpentina is also employed in treating mental disorders like schizophrenia, high blood pressure. Also, it has also been used as an antidote in opposition to the bites of venomous reptiles. When it is consumed after refining, it can be used to treat hypertension, dysentery, painful infections of intestinal canal. Sankeroot is also available in powdered form which is made up of Rauwolfia Serpentina Benth. It contains not less than 0.15% and not more than 0.2% of Reserpine-rescinnamine group alkaloids. It is categorized by slow onset of action and continuous effect both for the nervous system and cardiovascular organs of the body.

Research Facts and Figures: According to Teichmann and Vogel, 1980, many patients who have taken medicines to control hypertension still finds problems in balancing because of difficulties in circulatory regulations. Research found out that only Indian Snakeroot does not give unnecessary impact on balance. As per Weiss in 1988 and Shibuya and Sato in 1985, the mechanism of action of Indian Snakeroot changes from most other blood-pressure lowering agents which act upon the central nervous system. Again, According to the Report by Huang in 1999, the Chinese Study done on 200 patients with moderate hypertension, Indian Snakeroot lowers the blood pressure by 30-40% with minimal side effects. Rauwolfia root has confirmed extremely effectual 89% in case of chronic hives.

Precautions:
Pregnancy: Women, who are pregnant or are planning for it, may not consume Rauwolfia Serpentina plant or anything that consists of it as an ingredient.
Stomach Problems: It is also advisable for the patients who are suffering from chronic disease of gastrointestinal tract likewise gastroesophaegal reflux disease or reflux esophagitis, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and diverticulosis.
Breast Feeding: When Rauwolfia Alkaloid mixes with the breast milk then, it may bring unwanted side effects like low temperature, difficult breathing, loss of appetite in the newborns of mothers taking large dosage of Rauwolfia alkaloid because of which doctor’s consultation is necessary if the plant is given to women who are breast-feeding their children.
Dizziness: Drowsiness may attack more likely to aged people who are more sensitive to the side effects of Rauwolfia Serpentina containing alkaloid.
Allergies: It is also not suitable for the people suffering from various allergies such as preservatives, animals or food dyes. Again, it is suggested to view the ingredient list in case of allergies.

If chronic constipation is your problem..here is a solution.Some myths and facts about constipation.

Virtually everyone has dealt with an occasional bout of constipation. Sometimes, short term use of laxative such as milk of magnesia may be needed to get things moving. Some simple tips can be eating adequate fiber, avoiding dehydration and heeding the call of nature may be enough to help keep you on track after your constipation passes. But it is not always like this…For some people constipation is a complex and persistent problem requiring individualized treatment from a doctor.

- It is not correct to think that if you are not having a bowel movement every day, you are constipated. Constipation is a symptom that is generally defined as infrequent or difficult passage of stool. Normal frequency of bowel movements in healthy adults can range from three bowel movements a day to three a week. Signs and symptoms of constipation also include straining, passing lumpy or hard stools, a sensation of incomplete evacuation or a sensation of blockage.

- The myth that the body absorbs toxins from stool if someone is constipated for too long. Some people unnecessarily take laxatives and others try colon cleansing to remove supposed toxins. These habits are not actually helpful and may actually be harmful.

- It is not always that constipation occurs when you don not eat a healthy diet. Actually, a low fiber diet may contribute to constipation. Other causes may be:
=> constipation occurs as a complication of another disease or condition or as a side effect of a drug or supplement.
=> pelvic floor dysfunction in women which is lack of coordination of the complex muscular actions that allow you to have bowel movement.

- It is wrong to say that diagnosis of constipation does not require much more than a description of bowel habits. It can be a part of your diagnostic procedure. The doctor may also perform, a physical exam, discuss medication, x-rays, blood, urine and stool test.

- It is a wrong assumption that the doctor should not prescribe a laxative for long term use. Doctor can prescribe laxative for some form of chronic constipation. Side effects with long term use of laxative may occur so it should only be done under the supervision of doctor. If laxatives are important, doctor first prescribes osmotic laxatives like milk of magnesia, polyethylene glcol or sorbitol. Stimulant laxatives are used when osmotic laxatives are not effective.