Tag Archives: health risks of smoking

Using Electronic Cigarettes To Quit Smoking

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Electronic CigarettePeople have been attempting to give up smoking for nearly as long as mankind has been lighting up. Quitting is difficult, primarily because it is a two-pronged addiction, first to nicotine, and second to the habit itself, which occupies the hands, satisfies oral fixations, and provides a comforting ritual. Recently, a state-of-the-art advance in quitting smoking was developed to address both sides of the smoking addiction. This method is the electronic cigarette.

Not only can electronic cigarettes benefit wannabe quitters, but they assist those who are not quite ready to toss aside their smokes.  Smokers who find themselves craving a cigarette while in a smoke-free zone or who wish to decrease the negative health risks of smoking without giving it up entirely can also take advantage of the revolutionary electronic cigarette.


Electronic cigarettes are small, battery-operated devices that are used similarly to cigarettes. Some varieties are designed to look just like their tobacco-laden counterparts, including cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. Many sport a light to appear more like a lit cigarette. Some also emit a relatively harmless vapor to look like smoke.

The e-cigarette contains a cartridge filled with liquid. This liquid is heated by a battery-powered heating element to form a vapor. The user inhales the vapor which delivers a dose of nicotine. The cartridges are available in a range of nicotine dosages. They also come in a variety of flavors, some tasting like a more appealing version of tobacco, and others resembling food or beverages.

These smokeless gadgets are often used by people attempting to wean themselves off traditional smokes. The amount of nicotine inhaled can be adjusted by replacing the higher nicotine cartridges with lower doses, eventually opting for cartridges with no nicotine at all. The user can then focus on eliminating the oral fixation without simultaneously having to deal with nicotine cravings.

E-cigarettes are a lifesaver for smokers experiencing a craving where smoking is not allowed, such as at a smoke-free social gathering, the office, or a restaurant. It is also an option for the courteous smoker who does not want to light up around children, non-smokers, or those trying to quit.

Smokers who prefer not to give up nicotine or the physiological pleasure of smoking often turn to e-cigarettes to reduce the negative side effects of lighting up without a drastic lifestyle change. Unlike harmful tobacco products, electronic smokes do not deliver tar or release carbon monoxide into the blood. Also, secondhand smoke and burns from a dropped cigarette are a thing of the past.

Apart from the health benefits, electronic cigarettes cost less in the long run than traditional tobacco products. Most brands have reusable cigarettes with rechargeable batteries, so only the cartride needs to be replaced.

While research is still being done to make electronic cigarettes safer and more effective, they are proving quite popular with smokers and with those looking for effective tools to help quit smoking.

Smoking While Pregnant: All Risk, No Reward

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smoking while pregnantWhile the medical community generally highlights lung cancer and breathing issues as the main health risks of longterm smoking, there is far more for a woman who is pregnant to consider. If you are interested in becoming pregnant, are pregnant, or recently delivered a child, consider these alarming facts:

  • Smoking while pregnant decreases a couple’s fertility. This is true if either partner smokes.
  • Smoking during your pregnancy can (and often does) lead to birth deformities, some requiring repeated surgeries and resulting in difficulties throughout the child’s life. Consistent secondhand smoke causes the same problems, so fathers-to-be who smoke can be equally dangerous.
  • Smoking while your pregnant often results in premature or low-birth weight babies. Small or premature babies often have under-developed lungs, eyes, and other body functions. They often require expensive extended hospital care and may not be able to go home with the mother.
  • Babies in utero do not receive enough oxygen if their mother smokes, which can lead to anything from severe lifelong disabilities to minor learning difficulties. Either way, the baby is starting life behind.
  • Smoking while pregnant increases your risk of bleeding excessively during labor and delivery.
  • Pregnant women have decreased energy and have some difficulty breathing toward the end of pregnancy. Smoking accentuates these difficulties.

Even if your baby is born healthy, the little one has a greater risk of the following difficulties if you smoke during the pregnancy or continue to smoke after the baby is born.

  • 2-3 times increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Symdrome (SIDS)
  • Asthma
  • Ear infections
  • Lung problems
  • Allergies
  • Increased sickness, such as bronchitis and pneumonia
  • Increased chance of becoming a smoker as an adult

You may think it’s unfair that the woman has to quit while the man can do as he pleases. The truth is that the risks are increased not only when the woman smokes, but the man as well. Secondhand smoke as well as the smoke residue on the clothes and in the homes of smokers are all hazards with negative effects on the health and fertility of the parents as well as the health and future well-being of the baby.

The good news is that the earlier you quit, the less likely your baby will be to suffer ill effects. Also, the less you smoke, the better.

Make your baby’s future a priority and quit today. Ask your doctor for ways to quit, seek a support group, and try out our tips on ways to quit smoking. At the very least, cut back on your smoking to expose your baby to less smoke and nicotine. It may be difficult to give up this established habit, but remember that your goal is to give your baby the best start at life. Considering some complications of a smoking mother mean death to the baby (and sometimes the mother as well), you may well be weighing the importance of a pack of cigarettes against your baby’s life. Instead of smoking while pregnant, put your baby first and give up cigarettes before you get pregnant.