Do you smoke or drink? Do you know that these habits are slowly killing your body? Let me show you how. The act of smoking or drinking has over the years moved from being a coping mechanism to the weather(in cold regions) to being a habit, not just amongst the aged ones but in young adults as well.
What is in alcohol?
Alcohol contains a component called Ethanol. This is the alcoholic component of what you drink and it varies in percentage depending on what you are drinking. It is made when yeast ferments the sugars in grapes, fruits, and vegetables.
What is in cigarettes?
The three main cigarette ingredients are Tar, Nicotine, and carbon monoxide.
Did you know that you do not have to be the one smoking to be called a smoker? Constantly being around smokers makes you just as vulnerable as they are. This is what is referred to as PASSIVE SMOKING.
Effects of smoking and alcohol on the brain.
The brain is the control system of one’s entire body. It receives impulses from all over, interprets them, and sends signals back to the body. Alcohol and cigarettes disrupt this pathway. Alcohol makes it harder for the brain to control balance and memory. As the habit continues neurons are damaged.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, she’s predisposing her child to developmental, cognitive, and behavioral problems, which can manifest at any time during childhood. Alcohol also disrupts fetal development at any stage in the pregnancy
Brain development can be altered when adolescents misuse alcohol.
Nicotine is highly addictive, which leads to withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. Tobacco makes the blood sticky forming clots, thus smoking tobacco could cause stroke.
Effects of smoking and alcohol on the heart.
Drinking over time increases blood pressure. With the heart doing more work to pump blood, its muscles weaken leading to cardiomyopathy, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.
Smoking raises blood pressure. It causes the formation of plaques in arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow to the heart. Carbon Monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen carried by blood, making the heart do more work to supply systems.
Effects of smoking and alcohol on the lungs.
Alcohol irritates the airway, and weakens the body’s immune system, causing the spread of infections throughout the respiratory tract, this is why persons who drink are so susceptible to lung disorders; TB, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus infection, etc.
Has anyone searched the image of a smoker’s lung? It looks grey or black, inflated and inflamed. It looks weak and dying. This is because smoking irritates the airway, impairs the functions of the lungs, and toxic substances build up that irritate and damage the lungs. It increases the risk of lung infection and symptoms like coughing and wheezing
Effects of smoking and alcohol on the kidneys.
The kidney plays a major role in excretion. Waste products are filtered from blood as they pass through the kidneys. It is now a known fact that smoking narrows blood vessels, which reduces the amount of blood going to the kidneys, altering their excretory function. Smoking also destroys tiny blood vessels in the kidneys and worsens any previous kidney disease.
With alcohol in the system, the kidneys must work overtime to excrete waste products. Overworking of the kidneys leads to kidney injury which could progress and become chronic. Alcohol also increases blood pressure which takes a toll on the kidneys as well.
Some symptoms that tell that the kidneys are injured and would warrant urgent hospital care include:
- Frequent urination or more than normal episodes
- Swellings of the knees, legs, and feet
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Vomiting
If you notice any of these, do visit the doctor.
Effect of smoking and alcohol on the liver
The liver’s function includes filtering waste from the body, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, helping fight infections and diseases, and aiding digestion by making bile amongst others.
Smoking is a risk factor for liver damage. Toxic substances from smoking lead to damage of liver cells, they cause something called ‘oxidative stress’. This exposes the liver to substances that injure the liver tissue (liver scarring), and cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, and complete damage. Smoking tones down the body’s immune system by destroying white blood cells. It stimulates tumor growth, thus predisposing one to liver cancer.
Alcohol consumption leads to the excessive buildup of fat in the liver (fatty liver disease), it causes inflammation and scarring of the liver tissue. Alcohol predisposes one to liver cancer. These all happen because the alcohol consumed became too much for the liver to break down.
Grading system:
One needs to first acknowledge the fact that they have a drinking or smoking problem. This grading system would help, Grades of smokers
- Light smokers take less than or equal to 10 cigarettes per day.
- Moderate smokers take 10 to less than 20 cigarettes per day.
- Heavy smokers take 20 or more cigarettes per day.
Those who drink are graded based on the amount they drink per day, over the number of times per week, months, and over the year. As the frequency increases so does the impact of alcohol on the individual.
1.Abstainer / Non-Drinker:
This person drinks only on rare occasions.
2. Light Drinker:
This person drinks less than 3 bottles per week, often just 1 bottle at a time.
3. Moderate Drinker:
This is when a man drinks up to 2 bottles per day (≤14 bottles per week) and a woman takes 1 bottle per day (≤7 bottles per week)
- Heavy Drinker:
When a man drinks more than 4 bottles per day or >14 bottles per week and z a woman drinks more than 3 bottles per day or >7 bottles per week.
- Binge Drinker:
When a man drinks 5 bottles or more in a single occasion (within 2 hours) and a woman drinks 4 bottles or more in a single occasion (within 2 hours).
The way out!
- Recognize you have a problem.
With the grading system, you can now tell where you fall under the spectrum and accept that you have a drinking or smoking problem.
- Decide to work on yourself.
The decision to quit these habits starts from one’s self. You have to first make the decision and start to work on it. Avoid triggers, anything that would make you want to indulge in these habits.
3. Seek help.
It is great to quit by yourself, but it is better to seek help. This help can come from family, support groups, a doctor, or a therapist. Sharing your journey with well-meaning people will ensure you are on track, and motivate and guide your journey.
4. Stay committed.
Be accountable, engage in other activities, join social groups, learn a skill, anything to keep your mind occupied. Rest more, work on your diet, and sleep.
5. Visit the hospital.
This is to have yourself checked out and see how your system is doing. It is very important to always go for a regular checkup, whether you are sick or not.
Conclusion:
Whenever you go to the hospital, a question that must be asked by the doctor is ‘Do you smoke or drink?’ And how much? This is to tell you that it plays a role in any illness that you might have and it would also affect any medication that you are to be given. The harm compared to the euphoria from these habits is way higher. Be kind to your body and your body will thank you.
