Smoking causes many premature deaths from diseases that are largely incurable, but preventable by stopping smoking. There are three main killing diseases which smoking causes or brings on earlier: Heart disease. Smoking is responsible for 30 percent of all heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths. Cancer. It is responsible for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths […]
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Tobacco smoke is a mixture of gases and small particles made up of water, tar and nicotine. The tar is a messy mixture of hundreds of toxic chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer (for example, nitrosamines, benzpyrene). Many of the gases in tobacco smoke are harmful. These include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,
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Self-help is, in fact, the only way to quit smoking. Others can give you advice and support, but like learning to ski or ride a bicycle, in the end it is up to you. To succeed you must have sufficient motivation to carry you through the task ahead. If the task is easy, little motivation
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You must be prepared to work hard at stopping smoking. You will have to plan to give quitting smoking priority over other tasks during the first three to four weeks, when it is most difficult. Here are the steps to take: Plan to stop on a particular day. Choose a time when you are not under
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However addicted or non-addicted you may be, it is your motivation and your decision to stop that are vital to the outcome. There is no single path to success suitable for everyone. People and their smoking habits vary so much that only guidelines can be given on how to set about making your own decision
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Here are some frequently asked questions related to smoking and how to stop: Q: I’ve smoked for 30 years. Will quitting do any good or has the damage already been done? A: It’s never too late to quit smoking. The benefits begin just 20 minutes after your last cigarette. After 15 years of not smoking, your
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A doctor who suspects pneumonia begins by taking a thorough medical history and performing a physical examination. Bacterial pneumonias often come on suddenly; creating a cough that produces mucous that is often colored or “rusty”, fever, and pain along the chest wall. Infections caused by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae species of bacteria and viruses tend to develop more
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Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the pneumonia. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial pneumonia but are ineffective against viral pneumonia. Treating Infective Pneumonia Although the treatment for infective pneumonia depends on the cause of the condition, some simple steps can help speed recovery from pneumonia: Medications should be taken exactly as prescribed
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Some forms of bacterial pneumonia can be prevented with a vaccine (pneumococcal vaccine). The vaccine does not protect against most types of viral pneumonia or the pneumonia that people with low immunity tend to develop. In most people, vaccination is needed only once in a lifetime. However, others, including those people at highest risk for serious disease,
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Some groups of people are more susceptible to pneumonia. The elderly, infants, and young children are at highest risk. Elderly people tend to have diminished cough and gag reflexes and weaker immune systems. The immature immune systems and narrow airways of infants and young children make them more likely to develop pneumonia. Another susceptible group
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You should call your doctor if: You have a high temperature. Your chest pain does not get better in a few days. You are coughing up bloody sputum. You develop a rash, itching, swelling, or stomach pain. Call your doctor immediately if you begin to have undue difficulty breathing (dyspnea), or your fingernails, toenails, or
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Here are some frequently asked questions related to pneumonia. Q: Can there be complications from pneumonia? A: Complications from pneumonia may occur. Secondary infections, which are usually bacterial, may require an additional course of antibiotic treatment, sometimes with a different antibiotic. Rarely, a lung abscess may result from pneumonia. Prompt medical attention can prevent or eliminate
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