Thai people are at risk of being exposed to second-hand smoke from people around them. The harm of cigarettes has both direct and indirect effects on health.
Cigarette smoke is dangerous to both smokers and those around them due to “second-hand smoke”.
Dr. Ekkachai Satianpitayakul, a respiratory specialist at Bangkok Hospital, said that according to data from the World Health Organization in 2018, there are currently approximately 1.1 billion smokers worldwide, and at least 7 million people die from smoking each year worldwide, with approximately 890,000 people dying from second-hand smoke.
Parents who smoke are at risk of harm to their children.
Children whose parents smoke have a fourfold greater risk of developing coronary artery calcification and a twofold greater risk of developing atherosclerotic heart disease compared with children whose parents do not smoke.
Lung cancer, the danger that comes from cigarettes
Dr. Pochana Chittawattanarat, an oncologist at Wattanosoth Hospital, said that in Thailand, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fourth most common in women. Lung cancer is the cancer with the highest mortality rate. The main risk factor is smoking, including second-hand smoke, meaning you don’t smoke yourself but are exposed to cigarette smoke from others.
Early symptoms of lung cancer
Common symptoms include:
- cough
- Easily tired
- Weight loss
- No strength
- Loss of appetite
- Body or bone pain
Check first, it’s safer.
Doctors will consider people who are at high risk, i.e. smokers who smoke more than 30 pack years (calculated from the number of packs smoked per day x the number of years smoked. For example 2 packs per day for 15 years = 2×15 = 30 pack years, etc.) or those who have quit smoking for less than 15 years, to undergo a Low dose CT Chest (computed tomography of the lungs) examination once a year to detect cancer in the early stages (Lung Cancer Screening), which allows early lung cancer to be detected, which has a higher chance of being cured.
How to screen for lung cancer
If the treating doctor suspects it, he will order a biopsy of the lung to confirm the biopsy. After confirming that it is lung cancer. A CT scan or PET/CT scan will be performed along with a brain MRI to diagnose the stage of the disease.
Lung cancer treatment
If it is in the early stages, surgery will be used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy, depending on the patient, the size of the cancer, and the location of the cancer. If it is in the spreading stage or known as “Stage 4,” drug treatment will be used, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy, which is giving drugs to allow the white blood cells, Cytotoxic T Cell, to destroy cancer cells more effectively. This method is increasingly used in many โปรโมชั่น ufabet types of cancer.
Although treatment has improved and survival rates have increased, lung cancer is still the number 1 cause of cancer deaths. If lung cancer is found in its early stages, it has a chance of being cured. Therefore, smoking should be reduced, stopped, and cured.
Smoking increases the risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
In addition to lung cancer and respiratory diseases, which are the main causes of death among smokers, approximately 3 million people die from cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
Dr. Chatthanong Yodwutthi, cardiologist at Bangkok Heart Hospital, said that smokers cause blood vessels to deteriorate and become blocked 10-15 years faster than non-smokers. Interestingly, female smokers who take birth control pills are almost 40 times more at risk of coronary artery disease than other women and are 10 times more at risk of heart attack from acute myocardial infarction than non-smokers. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. In addition, smoking directly affects the heart, making it work harder. Causing a rapid heartbeat, coronary artery disease, and increased blood pressure.
Toxins from cigarettes destroy the heart.
Importantly, toxic substances in cigarette smoke that are harmful to blood vessels and the heart, such as nicotine, are a major factor that increases blood pressure. Increases heart rate, causes the blood vessels that supply the heart to contract, causes the heart muscle to lack blood. The heart needs more oxygen. Another toxic substance that is equally severe is carbon monoxide. When it binds to red blood cells, the heart muscle receives less oxygen, and the heart beats faster and works harder. Therefore, people who have quit smoking for more than 10 years have a risk of coronary heart disease equal to those who do not smoke. Therefore, being aware of the dangers of cigarettes and taking care of and protecting the heart to be strong are things that should always be aware of.
Quitting smoking… isn’t as difficult as you think
Quitting smoking is not difficult, you just need determination. Because in just a few hours of quitting smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease and there will be fewer toxins in your body. There are simple techniques to help you quit smoking, which are:
- Eliminate all smoking related paraphernalia.
- Avoid people who smoke.
- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages
- Manage stress by not smoking.
- When you first quit smoking, you may feel irritable. Take deep breaths, drink plenty of water, and take a relaxing bath to reduce irritability.
- Exercise regularly