Smoking can go beyond lungs, impact quality of life

NEW DELHI: May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is responsible for 13 per cent of all new cancer cases and 19 per cent of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The most significant risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking.

Vijith Shetty, MD DM, Consultant Medical Oncologist, K.S. Hegde Hospital, Mangalore, tells IANSlife: "Tobacco consumption is often perceived as safer than cigarettes or smoked tobacco products. However, chewing tobacco is a risk factor which leads to the development of oral cancers and precancers (abnormal cells which have undergone some changes and can become cancerous)."

Adding, Adithya Murali, MD DM, Consultant Medical Oncologist, ASTER CMI Hospital, Bangalore iterates that tobacco causes 8 million deaths every year.

Cigarettes contains multiple chemicals including something like Cadmium which is used in car batteries, or tar which is used on the roads, warns Anil Heroor, Head-Surgical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, Mulund and Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi. Heroor lists the benefits of quitting smoking:

Quitting smoking lets you breathe more easily: People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10 per cent within 9 months. In your 20s and 30s, the effect of smoking on your lung capacity may not be noticeable until you go for a run, but lung capacity naturally diminishes with age.

Gives you more energy: Within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.

Reduce mental stress: There are scientific studies that show people's stress levels are lower after they stop smoking. If you find that you are prone to stress, replacing smoking with a healthier, better way of dealing with stress can give you some real benefits.

Stopping smoking improves fertility: Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb and can make men's sperm more potent. Most importantly, it improves the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

Quit smoking to live longer: Half of all long-term smokers die early from smoking-related diseases, including Cancer, heart disease and Chronic Lung Diseases. People who quit smoking by the age of 30 years, add 10 years to their life. People who kick the habit at 60 years add 3 years to their life. In other words, it is never too late to benefit from stopping. (IANS)

Also Read: Municipalities Should Provide Licenses Only to Shops that Exclusively Sell Tobacco Products: Dr. Mazumdar

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