Smoking habit and effects to health and ways to quit

The tobacco epidemic is one of the greatest threats the world has witnessed throughout history, as it kills millions every year.

All forms of tobacco are harmful, and cigarette smoking remains the most common type of tobacco use worldwide. There are less common forms of smoking such as smoking cannabis and opium. Most of the drugs that are smoked are addictive.

Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that users get addicted to. In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain tar, as well as many other ingredients, many of which are toxic. Nicotine is also the active ingredient in some pharmaceutical products that are being used to help people quit smoking.

Effects of smoking on mental health:

Smoking is considered one of the worst habits that a person has created for himself, because of its negative effects on public and psychological health. It may be accompanied by more serious physical symptoms, the most important of which is “lung cancer” that is common among people with mental disorders.

The harmful effects of smoking vary and vary on mental health and are limited to:

-   It increases the feeling of anxiety and tension in a person instead of helping him to relax.

- Depression, because smoking helps stimulate the dopamine hormone in the brain responsible for improving mood, but this stimulus is temporary and goes away quickly.

-   Addiction occurs by linking smoking to daily events in your life.

-   Love of domination and low level of intelligence.

The effects of smoking on health :

It is divided according to body systems as follows:
1. The effects of smoking on the central nervous system:
Nicotine is absorbed by the blood, which carries it to the heart, and is pumped into the blood vessels to the brain.
The smoker feels pleasure the moment nicotine enters the nervous system, but if it fades, the feeling of pleasure is replaced by an uncomfortable one, and the harms of smoking appear, which are:
- Sleep and concentration disorders.
- Excess anxiety and nervousness.
- Severe vertigo and headache.
- Depression and excessive irritability.

2. The effects of smoking on the teeth:

Gum disease: This is due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, which affects the supply of gums around the roots of the teeth, which causes a delay in the healing of the gums.

Oral cancer: Research says that smokers are more susceptible to cancer because of cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

Tooth loss: Teeth are more likely to lose their structures and can fall out easily due to gum problems.

Teeth pigmentation: Because of the nicotine in cigarettes, the color of the teeth changes to yellow and brown.

Bacterial plaque buildup: This is due to decreased saliva flow, causing cavities and gum problems.

3. The effects of smoking on the respiratory system:

It appears in:

- Lung swelling.

- Chronic bronchitis and ear infections.

- Lung cancer and asthma.

4. The effects of smoking on the heart:

- Damage to blood vessels and this causes a disease called peripheral artery disease.

- Raising blood pressure and weakening the walls of blood vessels.

- Increased chances of blood clots, which in turn increases the risk of stroke.

5. Harmful effects of smoking on the reproductive system:

- Smoking reduces the chances of fertility, which makes the chances of pregnancy more difficult.

- Smoking affects the reproductive system of men and women, which affects their sexual performance, and may reduce levels of male and female sex hormones.

- The incidence of prostate cancer in men and cervical cancer in women.

- Erectile dysfunction and DNA damage in sperm.

Effects of smoking on women :

- It leads to the possibility of heart disease and breast cancer.

- Women who smoke are more likely to have complications during childbirth.

- It affects the regularity of the menstrual cycle and the fertility of women.

- It causes the sudden death of the child, and this is one of the things that happen to many newly born children.

- Smoking affects the milk of a breastfeeding mother, as it makes her produce an insufficient amount to breastfeed her children.

How to quit smoking :

Smoking control is a key element in preventing diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes mellitus, and others. These diseases cause premature death, and reducing tobacco use plays a major role in achieving the development goal of reducing premature deaths. .

Here are several ways to help you resist the urge to smoke:

- Doing physical activities helps distract you from the urge to smoke and even do short, sudden activities, such as going out for a walk or jogging.

-  Join an online program to stop smoking.

-  Ask for reinforcements from a family member or friend to help you quit smoking.

-  Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises.

-  Avoid stimuli and places where you used to smoke, such as in parties or cafes.

Prescription nicotine replacement therapy in the form of a nasal spray.