What Smoking Can Do To A Woman's Health
Recent decades have witnessed the increasing number of women who smoked, regardless of age and race. Today lung cancer kills
more women than breast cancer. Millions of women have died - and will die - because of tobacco use. A sad reality tells us that while cigarettes offer a temporary relief, its health risks last much longer.
I. Statistics
Smoking is a major public health concern among women in the United States. From 1997 to 2001, it resulted to an estimated annual average of 178,000 deaths among US women.
Since 1980, nearly 3 million women died prematurely due to smoking-related health problems. Lung cancer is now the number one
cause of death, even surpassing breast cancer. It is predicted that lung cancer will kill nearly 68,000 women this year, much
higher than breast cancer (41,000).
Women account for 39% of all smoking-related deaths each year, a figure that has more than doubled since 1965.
Among ethnical races in the US, smoking is most prevalent in American-Indian women (28.5%), followed by non-Hispanic whites
(20.4%), and non-Hispanic blacks (17.2%). It has the lowest prevalence rate in Asians (4.8%) and Hispanics (10.9%).
When it comes to educational achievements, it has the highest prevalence rate among women who had a GED diploma (39.6%),
followed by women who have 9 to 11 years of education (34%), and lowest among women with 16 years of education (11.2%).
II. Factors That Drive Women To Smoke
The tobacco industry has creatively marketed cigarette brands to women, thanks to clever marketing strategies.Ads featuring beautiful women with cigarettes imply independence, glamour, and social desirability, driving women to think that it will greatly enhance their lifestyle.
Environmental and social factors come to play in influencing women to smoke. Those who get into the habit have parents who smoke and who have weaker bonds with them. These
women generally have weak performance in school, are less attached to religion, and belong to peers who smoke.
Musical, artistic, and social events targetted at women like fashion shows and concerts have tobacco companies as their sponsors, thus, presenting themselves to the public in a more presentable fashion.
III. Health Risks Of Smoking To Women
Smoking has been a leading cause of preventable death in The us. Women who smoke increase their risk of various types of cancers, like cancers of the lung, lip. oral cavity and pharynx, cervix, urinary bladder, kidney, liver and pancreas.
They are 2-6 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack, and these chances increase depending on the intensity and the number of cigarettes they smoke each day.
The risk of dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increase ten fold, and 90% of these deaths are associated with smoking.
Smoking damages the skin. It's because it narrows the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin, reducing the supply of oxygen. It also damages collagen and elastin, two fibers that give your skin elasticity.
Female smokers greatly increase their risk of developing hip fracture, ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, ischemic stroke
and subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, women who abstain from the habit reduce their risk of developing stroke. After5-15
years of abstinence, their risk is almost the same as those of non-smokers.
Female non smokers are likely to suffer from the dangers of tobacco use as well, due to their exposure to secondhand smoke.
Women are likely to die from lung cancer due to passive smoking. Approximately 3,000 of them die annually from lung cancer,
while 35,000 of them die due to cardiovascular disease.
Children exposed to secondhand smoke have 50% greater chances of developing lung cancer later in life, compared to those who were not. This is according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. A team of researchers led by Professor Paolo Viners of Imperial College of London tracked more than 123,000 non-smokers but were exposed to secondhand smoke as children and compared their health status to those who had not been exposed to passive smoking. They found out that 97% of passive smoking youngsters suffered from lung cancer, 20 others had upper respiratory cancers and 14 of them died from COPD, also caused by smoking.
IV. How Women Can Quit Smoking
But there is hope to women who want to quit. Quitting at any age is beneficial. Women who abstain from smoking reduce their risk of heart disease, regardless of age. This will be reduced within 1 to 2 years of quitting. They also decrease their risk of dying prematurely.
1. Get as many support as possible. Be part of social network groups of smokers who want to quit, and interact with former smokers and ask for advice.
2. Do other things that will divert your attention from smoking. When bored, you'll likely get a pack of cigarettes. In this case, enjoy another hobby.
3. Quit slowly. Reduce the number of sticks you smoke each day. Completely withdrawing will make you look for a whole pack and destroy your plans.
Tobacco use is not good to everyone. Much studies have been done in the past. But the question is, are you ready to quit?
Dulce Azogue is the owner of 450 Health Topics. 450 Health Topics is the latest word cloud page where you can improve your link popularity by linking your favorite word to your websites. Visit us now to claim your health-related word or phrase for only $0.10 a day for a limited time.
The Health Benefits Of Ginger
Ginger is a culinary spice known to add its pungent taste and aroma to whatever dish it is added to. It has a long history as a culinary spice and medicinal herb for thousands of years in Asia, and has been exported to the West thanks to Eastern traders. Since then it has become a staple in most kitchens around the world.
I. History Of Ginger
Ginger or Zangiber officinale in Latin, is an aromatic underground stem or rhizome. This plant has a long history in Asian cuisine for thousands of years. Indigenous to China, it was used as a culinary spice for more than 4,400 years. Its medicinal value was sought after; for more than 2,000 years it has been recognized as a cure against diarrhea, nausea and stomach upset. Its use became widespread in India, under the
Muslim rule, when it was used in preparing meat dishes, and even buttermilk and curd products.
During the time of Roman Empire, ginger was brought by Eastern traders to Rome for its medicinal properties. Even when the
Roman Empire fell, and when Arab merchants controlled the trade of spices and herbs, it was constantly exported to Europe. By
the 16th century the Arabs brought the rhizome to East Africa to plant it there, and introduced it to the Carribean.
II. Culinary Uses Of Ginger
You may be wondering about the taste and smell of ginger. It has phenylpropanoids (gingerol and zingerone) and diarylheptanoids (gingeroles and shoagoles) - compounds that are responsible for its distinct taste. When cooked, gingerol transforms into zingerone, which has a less pungent, spicy-sweet aroma.
Ginger is a common ingredient when meat dishes are cooked, as it acts as a tenderizer to soften the meat. In the West, ginger acts as a flavoring in baked goodies like ginger cake, ginger biscuits, and in drinks like ginger ale.
II. Health Benefits Of Ginger
Modern medical science has proven its efficacy in treating nausea and motion sickness. In one study, for example, 80 novice sailors prone to motion sickness were made to take powdered ginger. The subjects showed significant reduction in cold sweating and in vomiting.
It is also seen as a more effective aid for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting compared to placebo. In one large study composed of 70 pregnant women with severe vomiting and nausea, those who took 1 g of ginger each day had reported less vomiting and being less nauseous, against those who took placebo.
Ginger contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in certain food like garlic, green tea, coffee, red wine and apples.
These are responsible for fighting free radicals which naturally occur inside the body, and which contribute to the development of health problems such as heart disease and cancer.
Aside from that, it acts as a natural anti inflammatory in health problems like arthritis, ulcerative colitis, bursitis and bronchitis.
While no major side effects are associated with taking ginger as a medicinal herb, caution is advised to those with gallstones. Consult your physician first before taking it.
Dulce Azogue is the owner of 450 Health Topics. 450 Health Topics is the latest word cloud page where you can improve your link popularity by linking your favorite word to your websites. Visit us now to claim your health-related word or phrase for only $0.10 a day for a limited time.
Bad Breath And How To Tell If You Have It!
How to check if your breath is kiss-able fresh or is bad enough to stop a clock on the other side of the world no matter how clean and white your smile
OK, here's the scoop on bad breath or as it's more formally called, halitosis. Smelly breath has ruined more romantic evenings than your white and bright teeth will ever make happen. It's not to the point where I would say that if you ever hope to have a romantic, hot, passionate night with your favorite loved one, you're got to have a fresh mouth, but it's close.
Notice this will NOT be a typical spiel saying that breath doesn't matter considering what's done during those romantic adventures. Considering where our mouths usually end up during those trysts with our significant other, I can hear some guys say what's the difference?
The difference is that someone with clean and fresh breath has a much greater chance of being kissed than someone with halitosis. To get interest from someone, we can't offend them! This means clean is preferred to smelly, and this goes especially for your mouth and fingernails. A clean mouth with white teeth and a great smile suggest a healthy person. Odors, especially here in the United States have a negative connotation and are not considered positive.
So without further ado, let's take a look at how we can check our breath.
One of the best ways to tell if you're breath is "less than great", is to ask a friend or close relative to just smell your mouth. Have them check to be sure the smell is coming from your mouth and NOT your nose.
If the odor is from your nose, it's probably coming from your upper nasal passage. This can indicate an infection or sinus problem that should probably be looked at by your doctor.
If the odor is from your mouth, chances are that a good cleaning can make your breath smell fresh and pleasant. An effective halitosis treatment is good dental health. Good breath by the way is actually neutral in smell.
The main causes of halitosis is poor dental hygiene. Food particles get stuck between your teeth then start to rot and smell. By regularly seeing your dentist and keeping up a regimen of brushing and flossing daily, halitosis will disappear as if by magic.
Assuming the odor is coming from your mouth, the next question would be what kind of odor? If the smell is a definite food type odor, a good brushing, flossing and mouthwash will do the trick. If however, the odor is more of rotting or definite unpleasant smell, it's time for a more comprehensive cleaning.
Now if you don't have a good friend to check you breath, I have another idea that works almost as good.
Stick a clean finger in your mouth and rub your tongue as far back as possible WITHOUT making yourself gag. This will collect the saliva, bacteria and odor from your tongue. Next, run the saliva on the back of your hand and wait about a minute then smell your hand. If not something YOU would like to kiss, time to get out the toothbrush, dental floss and mouthwash.
You can have the whitest teeth and a bright smile but without dealing with bad mouth odor, no one will want to get around you. don't let dull teeth or smelly breath lower your kiss-ability potential!
Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subjects which include family, Health, and Home. For more info on bad breath and other oral hygiene issues go to http://www.4-home-teeth-whitening.com/halitosis.html and http://www.4-home-teeth-whitening.com
