Tobacco smoke has hundreds of harmful chemicals in it and its effects on human health are well documented. Tobacco smoke is synonymous with nicotine, one of the chemicals in tobacco plants, which begs the question: Is it the nicotine component of tobacco smoke that is so extremely harmful? What is
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. The World Health Organization lists ischaemic heart disease as the number one cause of death in the world, followed by stroke in a distant second place. Ischaemic heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, describes the build-up of plaque (fatty material)
The medical condition Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which primarily targets the epithelial cells, lining the surface of the respiratory passageways and lungs, where it causes viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Elderly patients, people with asthma, and those
It is an illusion to think that light smoking – less than five cigarettes per day, won’t harm one’s health. Even only one cigarette a day still has nearly half the risk of smoking 20 a day. Recent research done by the University College London has analyzed 141 studies
Let’s face it, people smoke because they enjoy it. When you inhale nicotine, it immediately rushes to the brain, resulting in feelings of pleasure and reduced stress and anxiety. The pleasurable sensations result from nicotine stimulating the release of the chemicals dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain. How can something
Smoking causes about 30% of all cancer deaths in the USA, and 1 in 4 in the UK. A study done in South Africa warns that for those who started smoking in their teens, there is a 50% chance of dying of a smoking related disease by the age of
