Priya Kumari – Enigmatic Horizon Staff (Sub-Editor)
If you have been coughing frequently, getting shortness of breath, and feeling like you have a faster heartbeat, these may have been caused by passive smoking.
Inhaling the tobacco smoke that an active smoker releases is known as “passive smoking.” It can be considered even more harmful than active smoking because the smoke that an active smoker releases is the most harmful. According to a study, since 1964, passive smoking has led to 2,500,000 deaths alone.
How does exposure to passive smoking affect an adult?
Passive smoking contributes to many serious and life-threatening diseases. Here, we shall discuss some of the major issues that passive smoking can lead to.
It can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
Adults who are regular passive smokers have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease by 25-30% and having a stroke by 20-30%.
The harmful smoke that an active smoker releases gets mixed with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems, and this increases the chance of having a heart attack.
Irregular passive smoking might be dangerous too. It can destroy the lining of one’s blood vessels, causing blood platelets to get stickier.
Special precautions need to be taken for heart patients, as it can get hazardous for them if they suffer from severe breathing problems that can arise from passive smoking.
It can lead to lung disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, lung cancer, brain cancer, and bladder, stomach, and breast cancers.
Passive smokers have a high chance of suffering from lung cancer, around 20-30%.
It also damages the cells in our body.
Passive smoking can be dangerous for pregnant women and their babies.
Excessive passive smoking among pregnant mothers can lead to major reproductive health complications such as miscarriage and premature delivery. It also affects new born babies in multiple ways. If infants experience excessive passive smoking, there is also a chance of death.
Passive smoking affects children too.
They are affected more than adults. A child’s heart is more fragile than an adult’s, and therefore excessive passive smoking can damage their heart easily.
This can lead them to suffer from acute respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia, eye and middle ear damage, severe asthma, and tooth decay.
Wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath are also common symptoms of excessive passive smoking, which can be seen among children.
Remedies to get rid of passive smoking
Make sure that you don’t allow anyone to smoke in front of you and your children. Be it your peers, family members, relatives, etc.
Do not allow anyone to smoke inside your house.
Whenever possible, avoid smoking in your peer circle.
Most commonly, passive smoking is seen among children and is caused by family members. If a parent smokes, it is their responsibility to do so outside the house or as far away as possible so that the child doesn’t inhale the harmful smoke.
These are some of the most effective remedies that can help one avoid passive smoking. Yes, active smoking is indeed one’s own choice. Many people, especially those who are young, smoke just to look cool. Despite knowing it is harmful to their health, they smoke deliberately.
However, a problem arises because it also affects passive smokers. They don’t smoke intentionally, and yet they might suffer from life threatening diseases. Therefore, it is their responsibility to take care of themselves and the health of their children.
