The Importance of Healthy Lifestyle

How important is healthy lifestyle to your health? I t is very much important. Following a healthy lifestyle will lead you away from various health problems.

I am working in a government hospital Most of our patients are people who has no capacity to pay for their hospitalization and buy their needs. It is really a nice experience working in such environment because you will really feel that you have been given a chance of helping the needy.

What makes me sad in my work is the fact that most of the patients I encountered have failed to follow a healthy lifestyle. No, status in life does not matter, it is not necessary to have lots of money to have time for an exercise, to have enough rest and a good night sleep. They have enough space on their backyards to plant  some fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes so they cannot make money a reason why they prefer to eat preserved foods than plant foods. It is as if for them fruits and other healthy foods are just for the rich people.

If you trace what really cause their illness it usually ends up to wrong choice of food, vices like alcoholism and tobacco smoking and unclean surroundings. No, I do not have an authority to tell them directly to change their lifestyle, to choose a healthy lifestyle while I’m on duty. I am a Medical Technologist, working in the laboratory and cannot function as health advocate if I am on duty. We have doctors who will cater and are responsible in educating their respective patients about healthy lifestyle.

Why it should always end up to this? Where are the Health Workers that are assigned on there areas to tell them about living healthy? Do they exist? Did they functioned well? Why is it most of our patient’s health problems (like anemia, parasitism, hypertension (due to love of fatty and salty foods), cholesterolenemia, acquired diabetes, diarrhea and alcohol related health problems, etc.) are preventable by healthy lifestyle? When will people realize the real importance of following a healthy lifestyle?

Poisons in Tobacco Smoke

Poisons in Tobacco Smoke

Poisonous? Consider tobacco smoke  as one. It contain lots of toxic substances that is threatening not just to the smokers but to your family health as well. Did you know that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals including 200 poisonous and 40 carcinogenic compounds? It causes more than 40 diseases. No wonder, World Health Organization statistics showed that nearly 1 0f every 5 death nowadays are related to smoking. One in every seven seconds die from tobacco-related illness. It is due to either mainstream tobacco smoking or through passive (involuntary) smoking.

Here are some of the carcinogenic compounds you can find on tobacco smoke:

4-Aminobiphenyl
-It is confirmed to cause cancer in humans. Bladder, lung, colon, and breast cancers have been associated with 4-ABP.

-The worst thing about 4-ABP is it can cross the placenta & render child susceptible to bladder cancer.

Arsenic
-Inorganic arsenic is present in tobacco smoke and has been linked to lung, skin, bladder, liver, kidney and prostate cancers.

Benzene
-Study showed that high levels of benzene may cause low birth weights, delayed bone formation and bone marrow damage in animals.

-Benzene is highly toxic. Inhalation of extremely high levels of benzene may cause rapid heart rate, confusion, tremors, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, unconsciousness or even death.

-All three blood cell lines may be unfavorably affected by long term exposure to benzene. Low white blood cells or leucopenia, low red blood cells or anemia and low platelet count or thrombocytopenia may exist in varying degree. In case where there is a reduction in all three blood cell lines it is already called pancytopenia, this may happen due toxicity from long term exposure to benzene from tobacco smoking.

-Chronic exposure to benzene through tobacco smoke may also lead to increase risk of acquiring leukemia and, in many cases, is preceded by aplastic anemia.

Cadmium
-Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal pollutant that can be found in tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke is an important source of air cadmium because tobacco leaves naturally accumulate and concentrate quite high levels of cadmium.

- An average cigarette contains approximately 1.05 micrograms/g of cadmium in cigarette with filter tip and approximately 1.61 micrograms/g in regular cigarette. And, about 10% of the cadmium content in cigarette is inhaled when it is smoked.

-Exposure to high levels of cadmium may lead to high blood pressure, anemia and renal failure, lung and, or liver damage.

-It is also considered as possible carcinogen.

Chromium
-As you inhale air containing chromium, like in tobacco smoke, chromium enters your body. Did you know that some forms of chromium can remain in the lungs for several years or longer?

-When you breathe air containing chromium, some of the chromium will enter your body through your lungs. Some forms of chromium can remain in the lungs for several years or longer.

-The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that chromium (VI) compounds are carcinogenic to humans. The National Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens classifies chromium (VI) compounds as known to be human carcinogens. Inhalation of chromium has been shown to cause lung cancer.

-It can cause respiratory problems, depressed immune system- resulting to a lower ability to fight disease, birth defects and other developmental problem, infertility and tumor formation.

2-Naphthylamine
-It can cause bladder cancer.

N-Nitrosodiethylamine
-It can induce benign and malignant tumors in respiratory, upper digestive tracts, liver and kidneys.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine
-It can produce hepatocellular carcinomas, one of the top in leading liver cancer death type worldwide.

N-Nitrosodiethanolamine
-It is connected to esophageal cancer.

Nickel
-The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that some nickel compounds are carcinogenic to humans.

-More nickel is absorbed from the lungs into the body when nickel particles readily dissolve in water. If it does not easily dissolved in water, like chromium, nickel particles may remain in the lungs for a long time, and can only be excreted from lungs through coughing out or swallowing the mucus.

-Unborn child can be exposed to nickel through maternal blood supply to fetus.

-Babies are exposed to nickels through breastmilk of mother who is exposed to nickel and through passive tobacco smoking.

-It causes reduced lung function, chronic bronchitis, and cancer of the lung and nasal sinus

Lead-210 and Polonium-210 (Radon)
-Did you know that tobacco leaves used in making cigarettes contain radioactive materials? Yes, lead-210 and polonium-210 are radioactive materials.

- Lead-210 and polonium-210 are toxic radioactive heavy metals. They build up over time in delicate lung tissue and are a key risk factor for lung cancer. How? Tar from tobacco smoke builds up in the bronchioles; accumulated tar traps lead-210 and polonium-210 against the tissues of the bronchioles. Most of what is deposited in the bronchioles is lead-210 which has a half life of 22.3 years; eventually it decays and become dominant radionuclide. On the other hand, polonium-210 has only half life of 138 days but it quickly increases in concentration, thus, over the time, as its concentration rises, an intense localized radiation doses may occur in the bronchioles.

-Researchers believe that lead-210 and polonium-210 in tobacco smoke are significant factors for lung cancer in smokers.

Vinyl Chloride
-Inhalation of high levels of vinyl chloride may cause dizziness, drowsiness or even death.

-Chronic exposure to vinyl chloride may cause severe nerve damage and immune reactions.

-The World Health Organization has determined that vinyl chloride is a human carcinogen.

-Vinyl chloride, has also been shown to have an effect on human reproductive system.

Properties of Tobacco

Properties of Tobacco

What are the properties of tobacco that made it the number one killer nowadays? Tobacco is a slow poison that has harmful effect on the physical, mental, and moral powers. In general, cancer deaths are declining but, lung cancer deaths are rising because of tobacco smoking. Nicotine keeps people to smoke despite its harmful effects. Research showed that nicotine, like many other drugs, causes physical and psychological dependence.

Nicotine is the drug in tobacco leaves. It belongs to the category of stimulant drugs. How someone can deliver nicotine to the brain? Simply by smoking, chewing, or sniffing the powder form of tobacco leaves, you can deliver nicotine to your brain. Each cigarette contains approximately 10 milligrams of nicotine. Nicotine is a powerful drug that if pure nicotine content of two cigars were injected into bloodstream, death would result. Smokers can absorb 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine to its lungs from each cigarette they smoke.

Did you know that lots of young people nowadays have an alternative to cigarettes? They call it “bidis.” It is popular to young people because they think it is less harmful compared to cigarettes. And, it comes in attractive packages, lots of color and flavor to choose from, which attracts the consumers to smoke more. Behind its attractive color and flavor is a much more harmful effect to the lungs, because bidis has more nicotine content compared to cigarettes.

In tobacco smoking, nicotine stimulates the flow of saliva, raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, causes narrowing of blood vessels, lowers the skin temperature and dulls the appetite. Like other stimulants, the aftereffect is depression of body functions. Like caffeine ingestion, smokers also develop a tolerance to nicotine.

Like nicotine, tar is a harmful by-product of tobacco. It is a yellowish brown sticky residue formed when gases and tobacco smoke particles condense. It bears carcinogenic hydrocarbons that have tumor promoting activity. It can cause cancerous and, or non-cancerous tumors in the lungs. Therefore, tar may be the primary cause of smoking-related cancers.

Are you familiar with carbon monoxide (CO)? Tobacco smoke contains high level of carbon monoxide (CO) that can affect the smoker and those who can inhale the secondhand smoke. High carbon monoxide level in the blood is one of the main factors why smokers suffer from heart diseases. Nicotine and platelet aggregation due to cigarette smoke are some of the factors too.

Did you know that tobacco smoke contains approximately four thousand chemicals? Two hundred of those chemicals are known poison and about 60 are suspected to cause cancer.

The Importance Of Temperance To Our Health

Temperance, what is it? Why we need to know about it? Is it really necessary? Temperance is self-control or moderation in the things good for our health and abstinence from the things that is harmful. We need temperance in food, water, exercise, sunlight and even on sleeping. This means, we have to avoid excess in amount even that which is good.

Temperance on diet. Whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables are food we’re promoting in healthy lifestyle. However, it does not mean that since it is good for our body we can it as much as we want on the food mentioned. Too much of good things can be harmful to us too. Let us have carrot for example. Carrot is a good source of vitamin A, which is essential for our health. Carrot also contains phytochemicals aside from vitamin-A, that are both known for its anti-cancer effect. Too much intake of carrots, especially when it is taken it as juice your skin will become jaundiced, it appears yellow.

Overeating even of variety of healthy foods may also cause obesity, that’s why we have to be moderate in taking food even it is considered good for our health.

Temperance on water. We need water for our body to function properly but too much of water intake may drown you and cause water intoxication.

Temperance on exercise. Exercise is good for our physical and mental health but too much of it may cause injury. Cessation of menstrual cycle in women is an example of bad effect to our body due to excessive exercise.

Temperance on sunlight. Sunshine converts vitamin D to its active form, it also helps us feel happy and energized but too much of sun exposure may lead to sunburn, skin aging and even skin cancer.

Temperance on sleep. Sleep is necessary for our health. It is like charging your cellular phone battery when it is ‘lowbat’. Excessive charging may shorten the life span of your battery, right? Too much sleep will not energize you but let you feel weak and exhausted, and double your risk of death while lack of sleep can cause weight gain and double your risk from cardiovascular disease.

What are the harmful things that most people take in? It is tobacco smoking and alcoholic drinks. We all know that tobacco smoking and drinking of alcoholic drinks results to various disease. Let’s completely avoid these things.

Things that are mentioned above are just some of the things that needs temperance. Let us practice moderation in ALL things that are good and completely avoid the harmful ones.