We explain what smoking is, how to detect this addiction, and its diseases. Also, what are its features? causes and more.
Smoking is addiction to tobacco, caused mainly by nicotine, one of the substances that make it up.
Because nicotine is an addictive substance , it drives tobacco users from tobacco use to abuse.
Smoking is the leading cause of disability and premature death worldwide , as it is associated with 29 diseases, including 10 different types of cancer and more than 50% of heart disease.
Annual deaths caused by smoking are more than the sum of all deaths caused by illegal drug use .
Not all tobacco use is considered smoking, but some of the following signs should be observed:
People who live with smokers are exposed to the harmful effects of tobacco. Although they do not smoke, tobacco smoke containing toxins enters their body.
This is particularly dangerous for children , in whom sudden death, infections, developmental and behavioral disorders can occur.
Diseases that have been associated with tobacco use are:
Governments take measures to prevent the initiation of tobacco use . Some of them are: the increase in prices, the prohibition of sales to minors, the prohibition of advertising and sponsorship of tobacco companies and the requirement of closed smoke-free environments in institutions and places of recreation.
The treatment for smoking, like any other addiction, aims to eliminate consumption completely . Some smokers manage to do it on their own, although they tend to try several times before achieving their goal .
However, there is also the possibility of turning to a professional , which significantly increases the chances of success.
The most common resource used as a treatment for smoking is cognitive behavioral therapy . This treatment may also include the use of medication .
Tobacco contains more than 4,000 chemicals that, with continued use, can cause one or more of the following symptoms:
The health damage of tobacco use extends to the fetus during pregnancy . In addition, it increases the probability of suffering ectopic pregnancy, vaginal bleeding, and cardiac disorders in women.
The baby can be born with low weight , respiratory insufficiencies, increased risk of sudden death, heart attacks and childhood leukemia.
Tobacco causes dehydration. Therefore, its continued use causes premature aging of the skin , which is observed in the appearance of wrinkles.
In addition, the skin can be affected by the appearance of non-inflammatory acne .
In addition to the types of cancer already mentioned in the mouth, tongue, larynx, esophagus and pancreas, tobacco can affect the digestive system in other ways .
Smokers have been observed to suffer from gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis, and a deficit in the sense of taste caused by hypertrophy of the taste buds.
Smoking can have not only a chemical aspect but also a psychological component .
Nicotine is the main addictive substance that tobacco contains, that is, a period without its consumption causes anxiety in the person who has developed an addiction.
However, there is a hypothesis that physical addiction to nicotine, although real, is not as intense as the addictive effect caused by tobacco use.
That is why it is believed that the anxiety caused by the interruption of consumption is subjectively multiplied by certain social factors such as stressful situations , in addition to psychological factors of their own.
The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring to reliable sources and recommendations from experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.