The dangers of passive smoking, especially for pregnant women and children

It is no secret that smoking can lead to various health problems. However, you also need to know that it is not only active smokers who are at risk of developing various diseases. Passive smokers also have the same chance of getting various diseases caused by cigarette smoke. Passive smokers are those who also inhale cigarette smoke from people around them who smoke but themselves do not smoke. Come on, find out the dangers of passive smoking due to inhaling cigarette smoke too often.

The dangers of secondhand smoke for secondhand smoke

Cigarette smoke contains about 7,000 chemicals which are composed of particles as well as gases. More than 50 substances contained in it can cause cancer and the rest can irritate all organs in the body including the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

There are two types of cigarette smoke, namely smoke mainstream and sidestream . Smoke mainstream is that which is inhaled directly through the mouth of the cigarette by the smoker while the smoke sidestream is what comes from the burning tip of the cigarette and spreads into the air.

Between the two, smoke sidestream is the most dangerous because it is four times more poisonous than smoke mainstream . The reason is smoke sidestream contains three times the carbon monoxide, 10 to 30 times the nitrosamines, and 15 to 300 times the ammonia.

Usually, passive smokers inhale smoke sidestream and smoke exhaled directly by the surrounding smokers. Just like active smokers, secondhand smoke also has the potential to develop cancer and heart disease. In addition, for pregnant women and children, the dangers of secondhand smoke and secondhand smoke can have fatal consequences.

Many people think that it is safe to be passive smokers. Though cigarette smoke for passive smokers is very dangerous. Therefore, this assumption is wrong. Even if you don't smoke, being in a smoke-filled environment can still have the same negative effects on your body as the smoker himself.

Although it is not always visible, the smoke exhaled after smoking has a more dangerous effect than the smoke inhaled by a smoker. This smoke is formed by tiny particles, making it easier for other people to breathe in it.

The risk of harm that lurks second-hand smoke from inhaling secondhand smoke

Directly, the dangers of cigarette smoke that can be felt directly by passive smokers are eye and nose irritation, headaches, sore throats, and coughs.

Over time, the condition will get worse and can increase various more serious problems such as:

1. Cancer

Passive smoking also has the potential to get cancer like active smokers. In addition to lung cancer, the dangers of secondhand smoke for secondhand smoke also make them vulnerable to various cancers, such as:

• Laryngeal cancer
• Throat cancer
• Nasal cancer (nasal sinus)
• Brain cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Breast cancer

Cigarette smoke is one of the many causes of cancer in humans. Secondhand smoke inhaled by secondhand smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.

Lung cancer risk increases by 20-30% in people who do not smoke but are always surrounded by secondhand smoke, compared to nonsmokers who are not exposed to smoke.

Cigarette smoke can be a cause of nasal sinus cancer and breast cancer in women who have not yet menopause. However, more research is needed to support this.

2. Heart disease

Apart from cancer, Secondhand smoke is also as at risk for heart disease as active smokers. Even though they have never smoked before, second-hand smoke can have an increased risk of heart disease by about 25-30 percent. This is of course when compared to those who have never been exposed to cigarette smoke.

The inhaled cigarette smoke will enter the blood and affect the lining of the blood vessel walls so that the blood thickens and makes it easier to clot. As a result, blood flow becomes obstructed.

The carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke then binds oxygen in the blood, reducing oxygen flow to the heart and muscles. With less oxygen, it can make it easier for short-term or permanent damage to the heart and its tissues to occur.

In a few years, passive smoking will have a buildup of fat on the walls of blood vessels which eventually hardens into plaque. Narrowing of blood vessels, aka atherosclerosis, can cause heart attacks and strokes. This makes the majority of deaths in secondhand smoke caused by heart disease.

It didn't take long, according to the Cleveland Clinic page, based on the length of exposure, passive smokers will experience the following conditions:

• Exposure to smoke for 5 minutes, tightens the aortic vessels the same as smoking
• Exposure to smoke for 20 to 30 minutes, causes excess blood clotting and increases fat buildup in the blood vessels
• Exposure to acid for 2 hours increases the chance of an irregular heartbeat and triggers a heart attack

3. Interferes with female fertility

Passive smoking is threatened with fertility problems. In women, being exposed to cigarette smoke too much can make it difficult to get pregnant. This is allegedly due to the presence of tobacco and other substances in cigarettes that disrupt hormone levels in the body.

In fact, smoking can also accelerate menopause in women. It is the various toxic contents in cigarettes that cause this. Therefore, stay away from exposure to cigarette smoke, especially if you are planning to become pregnant. Ask your partner not to smoke while the pregnancy program is being undertaken.

The reason is, a study found that women who become passive smokers have a reduced number of eggs. This number is seen when a woman is undergoing an IVF program. Unmitigated, the number of eggs decreased by up to 46 percent.

4. Harm to pregnancy

Too often inhaling cigarette smoke during pregnancy is very dangerous for the fetus in the womb. Secondhand smoke during pregnancy is very dangerous because cigarette smoke can bring many problems for babies and mothers, such as:

Miscarriage, stillbirth, and wine pregnancy

Reporting from WebMD, researchers looked at the relationship between levels of exposure to cigarette smoke. As a result, women who were exposed to secondhand smoke at home were 17 percent more likely to have a miscarriage. Meanwhile, 55 percent are at high risk of stillbirth and 61 percent are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy or pregnancy.

Premature birth

Premature birth is another danger of secondhand smoke for pregnant women who are second-hand smoke. One of the causes of premature birth is placental abruption. Placental abruption is a condition when the placenta is separated from the uterus before delivery either partially or completely.

Though the placenta is responsible for supplying the baby with nutrients and oxygen. When this happens, the baby's oxygen and nutrient intake is hampered. As a result, your little one's growth and development can be stunted. Apart from that, it can also cause heavy bleeding in the mother.

Low birth weight

Scientists have found a causal link between smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy and low birth weight babies.

Low birth weight is not a trivial condition that can be ignored. In the United States, this condition is one of the leading causes of infant mortality up to about 300,000 each year.

Not only from cigarette smoke directly, pregnant women can also be exposed to cigarette smoke from third parties. The third party refers to the residue or residue of smoke that sticks to nearby objects, from carpets, sofas, and so on.

This smoke can last for months or even years. Therefore, if you come across a place that smells like smoke, it's best to stay away and find a place where the air is cleaner.

The reason is, the toxins that stick to objects can still enter the bloodstream when you inhale them. When toxins enter the body, these substances can reach the baby.

Reporting from the American Pregnancy page, a study determined that this residual smoke from third parties has detrimental effects on the fetus. In the future, the poison from the smoke that sticks to this object can cause breathing problems.

Therefore, stay away from smoke-smelling places whenever you go outside. If your partner smokes, ask him to smoke outside and change his clothes when he walks in.

The dangers of cigarette smoke for the health of babies and children who are passive smokers

When children become passive smokers, there are many health problems that lurk. Here are the various risks:

1. Chronic respiratory problems

Children who become passive smokers are at risk of developing respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. In addition, children who become passive smokers are prone to catching colds, coughs, wheezing (low-sounding breath like giggle) , and shortness of breath. For children, the dangers of cigarette smoke can certainly interfere with activity and development as a result of being passive smokers.

2. Aggravate asthma

Having a history of asthma and being secondhand smoke is a bad combination. The reason is, when children become passive smokers, their asthma becomes easy to recur.

In addition, children are at risk of taking asthma medications for a longer period of time. Especially if one of the family members in the house is smoking in the room, so the smoke tends to stay and stick.

3. Sudden infant death syndrome

Unexpected sudden death in infants or sudden infant death syndrome is one of the dangers of cigarette smoke when the baby becomes a passive smoker. This condition usually occurs when the baby is sleeping without being sick whatsoever.

In fact, babies can die suddenly while they are in the mother's cradle while sleeping. This syndrome tends to affect babies who are less than one year old. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, babies who live with people who smoke are more at risk of developing this one problem.

4. Middle ear infection

Middle ear infection or otitis media is a condition that occurs when the eustachian tube becomes blocked and swollen. The eustachian tube is a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat.

This trapped fluid can cause infection over time. Well, cigarette smoke is quite dangerous because it can cause this infection in children who are passive smokers.

From the page of The Cancer Council Victoria, children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at a 35 percent higher risk of developing this disease. The risk will increase if the mother also smokes.

When your little one often experiences ear problems at an early age, the risk of hearing loss later in life increases.

5. Decreased lung function

In childhood, the lungs will continue to grow and develop. The time span from birth to four years is a very vulnerable period for lung growth and development.

Now, when children are exposed to cigarette smoke at this age, lung function will decrease. This disorder has the potential to increase susceptibility to other lung damage. Later, children will be more susceptible to lung problems in the future due to air pollution or other things.

6. Cognitive disorders

Exposure to secondhand smoke and secondhand smoke can damage a child's ability to learn and this certainly brings long-term harm to his or her future. More than 21.9 million children are at risk of experiencing delays in reading due to secondhand smoke.

High exposure to cigarette smoke is also associated with delays in reasoning in mathematics and visuospatial lessons. Visuospatial is the ability to place objects in a place or room. The dangers of cigarette smoke of this one will certainly interfere with the development of children in school due to being passive smoking.

7. Behavioral disorders

Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are at high risk of suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a condition when a child's brain development and activity is impaired which affects the ability to listen to commands and control oneself.

Generally, children with ADHD have a very difficult time paying attention, listening to and following the instructions given. His attention is easily distracted and it is difficult to focus on one task or one thing. In addition, children with ADHD also tend to be confused or forgetful about their own things.

Children with ADHD also sometimes tend to be hyperactive, aka they can't stay still. They can do many things from climbing, jumping, and many other things. They don't care about the people around them so they tend to disturb them without meaning to.

Another characteristic of ADHD children is acting impulsively or too fast without thinking first. A child with ADHD may interrupt, push, or grab a friend's belongings a lot.

Stay away from cigarette smoke from now on

The more a person is frequently exposed to secondhand smoke and becomes a passive smoker, the higher the risk of harm to his health.

The only thing you can do is keep yourself and your family away from secondhand smoke as much as possible.

If someone near you smokes, ask them to smoke in an open area away from other people. The reason is, the dangers of cigarette smoke for passive smokers can be very fatal and have long-term consequences for health.