Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable diseases and deaths in the world. Though a majority of people understand the dangers associated with tobacco use, many still find themselves in hopeless bondage to nicotine addiction. Understanding the health risks associated with tobacco use is critical for making informed decisions related to your well-being. In this blog, we are talking about the different health consequences of tobacco consumption and emphasizing cancer and some other serious conditions. We also include seeking professional help from a cancer doctor in Ahmedabad or a cancer immunotherapy specialist in Ahmedabad.
Dangerous Tobacco
Tobacco is used in many forms: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and the smokeless varieties of chewing tobacco and snuff. All different types have various risks associated with their use, yet all have one common factor: harmful chemicals. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals; many of these chemicals are toxic and carcinogenic—that is, cancer-causing.
The most significant health risk of tobacco is its very strong linkage to cancerous diseases. According to the WHO, about 22% of the deaths from cancers around the world are attributed to tobacco use. Here are some types of cancer that are most associated with the use of tobacco:
- Lung Cancer: Tobacco smoke is the major cause, accounting for about 85% of lung cancer cases. Smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer compared to nonsmokers. The carcinogens in tobacco smoke damage lung tissues, leading to the growth of cancerous cells.
- Oral Cancers: Tobacco products taken without combustion are reported to extremely increase the risk of cancers in the mouth, throat, and esophagus. The continued exposure to tobacco chemicals has also been known to cause precancerous conditions such as leukoplakia.
- Bladder Cancer: Smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer due to substances ingested from tobacco into the bloodstream, then excreted through urine, that might be potentially damaging to the lining of the bladder.
Tobacco-related cancer also includes the pancreas, stomach, kidney, cervix, and many others. Even non-smokers are affected due to secondhand smoke.
The consultation with the cancer doctor in Ahmedabad will help in advising on and delivering appropriate treatment, keeping in mind that either you or your loved one is afflicted with a diagnosis of cancer through tobacco use.
Respiratory Diseases
Tobacco use ranks as one of the top contributors to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis. Smoking specifically irritates the airways and can destroy tiny air sacs in the lungs, which eventually cause breathing to become increasingly difficult. Symptoms of these diseases include chronic coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Over time, COPD can even cause respiratory failure and may necessitate long-term oxygen administration.
Use of tobacco creates health hazards other than cancers and respiratory diseases; tobacco is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Smoking promotes atherosclerosis—or the hardening of arteries—and increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease. According to estimates by the American Heart Association, smokers are between two and four times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers.
Impact on General Health
This has affected almost every organ in the human body and hence carries along several adverse effects, which include
- Weakened Immunity: Tobacco weakens the immune system and strains the capability of the body to fight off infections.
- Reduced Fertility: Smoking reduces fertility in both men and women. It may further cause complications during pregnancy, such as premature birth and low birth weight.
- Skin and Dental Problems: It results in premature skin wrinkling and gum diseases related to dental disorders and loss of teeth.
- Other Complications: These patients carry a high risk of acquiring diabetes and eye-related disorders, including cataract problems and osteoporosis.
The Role of Cancer Immunotherapy
For those who do develop cancer from using tobacco, chemotherapy and radiation treatments just won’t work as well. That’s where innovative treatments—things like immunotherapy—may be employed.
It works its way by utilizing the body’s immune system to kill the diseased cells. So far, it has shown immense promise in treating several forms of cancer, including those related to tobacco consumption. If you are considering advanced treatment options, then a visit with cancer immunotherapy in Ahmedabad can enlighten you on recent therapies that are at your disposal.
Benefits of Immunotherapy
- Targeting the Approach: Unlike conventional treatments, which always damage healthy cells, immunotherapy has a targeted approach in picking out cancerous cells, thereby minimizing damage to the surrounding tissues.
- Long-term Immunity: Some of these immunotherapeutic modalities may be capable of providing long-term immunity against the tumor and may even lead to long-term remission.
- Combined Modalities: More often than not, this modality of treatment is combined with other treatment modalities in a way to achieve an integrated approach to cancer management.
Getting Help and Support
Being able to quit tobacco can be the toughest but also the best thing you will ever do for your health. The following resources and strategies could help you:
- Individual counseling and support groups, either separately or in a group, are available through numerous organizations to help people quit tobacco.
- Nicotine Replacement Therapies: Products such as the patch, gum, and lozenges reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Prescription Medications: Prescription medications lessen the urge and withdrawal symptoms and hence help to quit more easily.
- Professional Advice: Individual ways of quitting tobacco and lessening the health risks associated with it can be opted for through consultations with health professionals and cancer specialists in Ahmedabad.
Conclusion
Tobacco use has great far-reaching impacts on health, affecting not only the smoker but even those around him. Risks associated with tobacco use range from different kinds of cancers to respiratory and heart diseases. Being a consumer of tobacco, it is now most important to seek help from proficient persons in cancer immunotherapy in Ahmedabad, since this becomes one way to better health.
The majority of these deteriorating elements of overall health and well-being can be avoided, provided one is aware of these risks and cautiously takes measures. Keep in mind that quitting tobacco is a process, and any move toward cessation is a step forward in living a life free of cancer.
You can always speak with a health professional or a specialist who will further be in a position to advise and assist you in quitting tobacco and managing your health risks accordingly.
For any further questions, related queries, or information on options to treat cancer, one should not hesitate to contact Dr. Vikesh Shah. Your health is an investment worth making; recovery begins with making the right decisions.