Tobacco use has been identified as the most important source of preventable cause of death worldwide. Nationally, smoking results in more than 5.6 million years of potential life lost each year. Smoking is an addiction. Over 4000 chemicals are found in cigarette smoke, many of which are known carcinogens to both humans and other animals. Nicotine, a drug found naturally in tobacco, is highly addictive both physically and psychologically, which makes it very hard for a person to quit smoking. Smokers must overcome both of these dependencies in order to quit and stay quit.
What does nicotine do to your body? when smoke is inhaled, nicotine is carried deep into the lungs where it is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the heart, brain, liver, spleen, hormonal system and the body’s metabolism. It reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body intravenously. During pregnancy, nicotine freely crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants.
The lung is a soft spongy organ. Many millions of alveoli, where air exchange takes place, cover the inner lining of the lungs. This is where the lungs take up oxygen. With each breath, oxygen is removed from the air and transported to the bloodstream and out to the rest of the body. The deeper a person breathes, the more the lungs expand resulting in more oxygen. The more oxygen the blood carries, the more relaxed the blood vessels will be. When the vessels are relaxed, they expand, or dilate, allowing more blood to flow. Inhaling fumes or tobacco smoke can affect your lungs’ function. Instead of the blood vessels expanding, they constrict, which results in less blood flow which leads to conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
When practicing Sign Chi Do, the movements should be intentionally coordinated with breathing. When you raise your arms up, inhale. When you lower your arms, exhale. As your breathing becomes deeper, your movements should become slower.
Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of the tobacco product and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of the smokers. The mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, some of which are known to cause cancer.
Facts About Secondhand Smoke:
- Secondhand smoke is known to cause lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers.
- Exposure to secondhand smoke causes irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
- Secondhand smoke irritates the lungs, which can lead to coughing, excess phlegm, chest discomfort and difficulty breathing.
- Those most affected by secondhand smoke are children, which puts them in danger of severe respiratory diseases and can hinder the growth of their lungs.
- Ventilation systems in homes cannot filter and circulate air well enough to eliminate secondhand smoke.
Preparing to Quit:
- Set a day for quitting. If possible have a friend quit smoking with you.
- Change your smoking routines: Smoke with your other hand. Think about how you feel when you smoke.
- Smoke only in certain places, such as outdoors.
- When you have the urge to smoke, wait a few minutes. Try to do something else like chewing gum or drink a glass of water.
- Engage in Sign Chi Do techniques such as deep breathing exercises.
- Buy one pack at a time. Switch to a brand you don’t like.
- Notice when and why you smoke. Try to find the things in your daily life that you often do while smoking (such as driving, drinking morning coffee).
- Count up all the time spent by yourself smoking.
