There are no less than 13 million smokers including active and passive, a third of the population aged between 15 and 75 years. Active smoking is thought to be responsible for more than 78,000 premature deaths and 90% of lung cancers are attributable to tobacco use. A plague linked to a physical, psychological and behavioral addiction that is still difficult to stop.
In addition to behavioral and psychological addiction, tobacco is partly characterized by a physical dependence directly related to the action of nicotine; one of the substances of which it is composed, which has an instantaneous effect on the brain by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter manufactured by it and guaranteeing a sensation of well-being.
Beyond addiction, smoking has adverse health consequences in general. Composed of tobacco, nicotine, tar, arsenic, acetone, additives and other toxic substances such as nitrogen oxide, benzene, ammonia, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, mercury and other metals such as mercury and chromium, smoking and its consumption significantly favor the appearance of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke or heart attacks, cancers such as that of the throat and tongue and in particular that of the lungs , and ENT disorders among others.
Nurse tends to raise awareness of tobacco risks through shock videos
Amanda Eller, an American nurse wanted to alert public opinion on the effects of tobacco by posting two videos on social networks revealing the lungs of a patient smoker of the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years, died as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease characterized by the effects of smoking.
She wanted to highlight the state of the lungs of the deceased patient with healthy lungs by experimenting a comparison of their operation via an air insufflation test. And the report is clear, blackened and dried up, the lungs of the deceased smoker deflate almost immediately after being loaded with air, while the healthy lungs having for their part, undergone any alteration of their color, swell then take off at a much slower pace; typical feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused in part by obstruction of the airways.
According to some statistics, 1.7 million people are affected by this pathology attributed in 80% of cases to active or passive smoking. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can not be cured and its treatment is based on the management of symptoms in order to reduce them and stop the progression of the disease.
This pathology is only one of many consequences of the harmful effects of smoking. Hence the importance of becoming aware for smokers of the notorious effects of this moment "pleasure" that is the consumption of a cigarette.
How to quit smoking and maintain your health?
Obviously stopping smoking, causes unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms related to weaning as for any other dependence.
There are alternatives such as patches, gums, inhalers or other tablets containing nicotine. These nicotine substitutes increase the chances of successful smoking cessation in the short term. Acupuncture or even hypnosis are also used as part of smoking cessation.
But the best way to stop smoking is to associate with the practice of regular physical activity that significantly helps to combat the behavioral, physiological and psychological states of lack, as well as the stress associated with it.
