Find out How Smoking Affects Your Digestive System, Causes COPD, Neurological Diseases and Lowers Your IQ
Cigarette disrupts digestion and can cause gastrointestinal disease
You know most of the smokers smoke just after a meal. Some say it's better for digesting, some say it’s a good feeling, pleasure. The truth is, due the increased rate of blood sugar after a heavy meal, we all have a feeling of drowsiness. Given that nicotine , like caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system, helps eliminate this sleepiness. Having this act repeated several times, we get addicted and we no longer know how to have a meal without taking a puff afterwards . Will smoking after meals make the digestion more efficient?
The answer is NO. The nicotine in the digestive system causes the decrease of contraction of the stomach hindering the digestion. Tobacco modifies the taste and induces the production of hydrochloric acid, and facilitates infection by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which causes gastric ulcer. The cigarette also stimulates way of the bile salts from the intestines of the stomach, gastric juice becoming more harmful. Therefore, the digestive tract is affected by some of the 50 different diseases that tobacco causes, according to World Health Organization (WHO) .
A good tip to the smokers is “Immediately brush your teeth after meals".
Smoking is the leading cause of COPD
Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) can be defined as the presence of obstruction to the airflow. This obstruction is usually progressive, partially reversible and may be accompanied by airway hyperresponsiveness. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease, cancers and cerebrovascular diseases. In 1990, COPD was ranked twelfth disease in terms of global impact. In 2000, WHO estimated 2.74 million total deaths from COPD worldwide. It is estimated that by 2020 it will occupy the fifth position.The two most common risk factors for COPD are smoking (responsible for 80% to 90% of all deaths related to this disease) and alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. The risk of developing COPD in a group of smoking two packs of cigarettes / day is approximately 4.5 times greater than for non-smokers. Diagnosis of COPD is made by clinical history: smoking, contact with noxious particles or gases, signs, symptoms - chronic cough, dyspnea and muscle fatigue - and additional tests such as chest radiography, spirometry. The impact of COPD on a person is not only the physical limitation, but also the emotional, marital, sexual, leisure, professional life and relationships. Due to the physical limitation, many patients become largely dependent on their families, arousing feelings of inadequacy and contributing to self-esteem problems and mood changes. With the progression of COPD, many patients may have varying degrees of hypoxemia. Research shows that this may cause cognitive deficits, which contribute to a loss in quality of life because of mental confusion or memory problems.
Smoking can cause Neurological disease
Scientists at National Brain Research Centre, India, discovered a direct link exists between smoking and brain damage. A compound of cigarette called NNK triggers an exaggerated response of the brain from immune cells in the central nervous system. White blood cells, which normally eliminate damaged cells attack healthy cells, resulting in severe neurological damage. According to the researchers, the substance is considered pro-carcinogen, which means it can cause cancer when it is modified by metabolic processes in the body, and trigger disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
Smokers have lower IQs than non-smokers
Smokers have lower rates of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) than those who do not smoke . The more cigarettes smoked, the lower the IQ of smokers. This is shown by a study of over 20,000 Israeli military recruits. The survey, conducted in the Sheba Medical Center in Israel found that young men who smoke a pack of cigarettes or more per day are 7.5 points lower IQ than those who do not smoke. Among survey participants, 28% smoked at least one cigarette per day, 3% are ex-smokers and 68% non smokers. The study showed that the average IQ for non-smokers is 101 points, while smokers since before the military service have an average of 94 and 98 for those who smoke between one and five cigarettes and 90 for those who smoke more than a pack. Between 84 and 116 are considered average intelligence. The survey did not include any subjects with psychiatric disorder, they were exempt from military service.
The information was reliable, even when the researchers compared only those with the same socioeconomic and educational level.The result of the study does not suggest that smoking reduces IQ, but those with lower index are more likely to start smoking.
Reference : http://www.foxnews.com/story/2010/02/23/study-smokers-have-lower-iqs-than-non-smokers/
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