I found this interesting article on the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner's (AANP) website: Tobacco Exposure in Childhood Raises COPD Risk in Adulthood.
Children exposed to tobacco smoke may be at significantly increased risk of developing chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder (COPD) in adulthood, new research suggests.
Continue reading "Tobacco Exposure in Childhood Raises COPD Risk in Adulthood" »
Women who smoke start menopause earlier than women who don't. This was reported by Reuters from an article in the journal Menopause. There are many reasons why women who smoke should give it up, but this is more evidence that smoking can affect estrogen levels.
We know that smokers also have more hot flashes and night sweats and that smoking can induce a hot flash. We also know that smokers have more risks of many types of cancer. Quitting is difficult, and most smokers need at least 3 attempts before they're successful.
There was a recent report that reported Sex can Kill You.
But before you avoid fun time in the bedroom, let's look more closely at the study. It was reported that sudden exercise and sex can increase the risk of sudden death within the first 1-2 hours after finishing exercise. The most important thing to remember is that regular exercise is beneficial to help decrease the risk of heart attack and heart disease. This probably represents the people who don't exercise regularly or at a mild or moderate level and suddenly exercise at a rigorous level after being inactive for a while.
I was just at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner conference in Las Vegas and listened to Kathleen Sebelius address our members about health care. I was very impressed with her commitment to improve the health of our nation and her recognition of the vital role that nurse practitioner have in caring for about 2 million people every day; that's 600 million each year.
We know that women experience symptoms of heart attack differently than men do. Where men often have crushing chest pain, women may feel an overwhelming sense of fatigue or break out into a cold sweat. Women's warning signs of impending heart attack are also different from mens.
Sometimes we forget that it's not just our plumbing that's different. Our brains, our hormones, and yes, even our hearts are different from men's. While many men have some slight chest pain, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In the study, functional MRI was used to monitor brain activity in 17 smokers and 17 nonsmokers as they watched movie scenes that featured smoking. When they saw those scenes, the smokers' brains showed increased activity in areas involved in movement of the hand they use to smoke.
Continue reading "Smoking Scenes in Movies Light Up Smokers' Brains" »
Nicotine Addiction
It's not pretty watching a loved one die from lung cancer brought about from over 50 years of smoking. Even with one lung left and a growing tumor in what's left of the remaining lung tissue, my mom still smokes every few hours because of the cravings for nicotine.
Women smoke because in lots of ways it makes them feel better. Some to get a feeling of calm, some to have something to do with their hands instead of eating, some to quiet anxious thoughts and some to fit in.
Whatever the reason - soon, many women find that they are addicted and the costs are far higher than the temporary jolt of nicotine.
