How To Quit Smoking

One of the most vicious diseases in today’s times is smoking. It makes a person baffle for air 3 times more than a non-smoker. It has very many repercussions on the life of the smoker and those around him. It leads to lung cancer and various heart diseases like asthma and emphysema. We should thus abhor this deadly disease and quit smoking.

Quitting is not easy

But to actually quit smoking is not easy, because it is an addiction. However there are very many ways and methods that help us to quit smoking for instance we can opt for acupuncture therapy or aromatherapy. We can also opt for non-nicotine cigarettes or go for precise prescription by a doctor.

But first and foremost we need to decide in our heart to stop smoking 

and should also fix a day for the same. Inform your family about your decision and seek for their help and assistance. Throw away all the cigarette packets, ashtrays and lighters. Stop buying any more cigarettes. Rather think of the more useful and better things that you can buy with the money thus saved. Ask the other family members also, who smoke, to stop smoking. Keep yourself busy. Exercise regularly and meditate occasionally. Eat healthy food.

After doing all this you may still feel severe urges to smoke. You may also actually retort back to it, but that’s no problem, just be persistent and bring back your decision on to the right track after this break, because most of the people are successful only after 2-3 attempts.

Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms

About 80% people retort back to smoking after once leaving it and only 20% successfully accomplish the task. People retort back due to many reasons. Some say they feel agitated. Others say that the aroma when someone lights up is irresistible. But most of them do so due to the fear of symptoms that appears after that last puff viz. weight gain, aggressive thinking, dry throat, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, dizziness, hypersensitivity to stimuli, etc. but these are all just temporary symptoms and disappear in a few days. In fact after the initial bout is over the blood pressure, heart rate, pulse arte all get back to normal. You thus need to keep your will power strong and stick to your decision for a few more days.

Some people are not able to continue with the smoke cessation programs because they say that they are costly. But this is a wrong perception because they are not costlier than the price spent for buying cigarettes. And then isn’t it more logical to spend on your health rather on a disease.

by: Rob Mellor

Best Known Ways to Quit Smoking

When you realize that your health is in danger because of smoking or that your budget is very much affected by this or you were just struck by the idea of giving up this vice you are very fortunate to know that there are a lot of ways to quit smoking.

When you have finally come to see that your smoking habit has caused damage to your health, and wallet, and general well being, and you have decided that you would like to quit it is good to know that there are a lot of ways to quit smoking. 

Quitting smoking depends on many things. It can be fast, or slow, but one thing for sure is that quitting rely on your determination, as well as the help of others. Whatever method you try, you should be mentally prepared for the difficult period that follows your last cigarette. This difficult period is caused when the nicotine your body is addicted to is withdrawn from your body. Withdrawals occur when your body reacts to the lack of nicotine that it has become reliant on. 

The sudden impulse to give up smoking is known under the name of "cold turkey" and it is the result of a personal choice. Among the gradual ways to quit smoking may be enumerated the nicotine replacement therapy, the individual or group therapy, some modern and non-medical methods such as acupuncture, kabala practices and others but also physical exercises. 

It is incorrect to say that you are addicted to smoking because in fact you are addicted to nicotine and to the idea of a routine. The moment you try to provide the required quantity of nicotine to which your body was used while you were a smoker all you have to do in rest is to keep your hands busy and to work on your psyche. This way you'll certainly quit this vice.

Acupuncture, hypnosis, laser therapy are some modern methods that come in the help of those who want to quit smoking. Due to the fact that they are rather modern tools their efficiency for a one hundred percent success has not been completely demonstrated. 

The first step towards a successful decision to give up smoking is to find a strong motivation. This must be sought in your own person, inside you. Nobody can convince you that you should quit your vice if you are not really determined that you actually want to do this. And also it depends on you which of the ways to quit smoking best suits you, if you think that you are able to do it on your own or to ask for assistance. If you want to choose the latter variant you have several alternatives.

For best results font give up. If one way doesn't work for you, try another. Everyone is different, and so are the methods of smoking. What works well with one person wont necessarily work well with another.

4 Tips For Smoking Cessation

Tip 1: Rise above the cravings

Imagine the cigarettes as crutches. You’ve always had these crutches to lean on and soon, it becomes impossible to walk without them. The important thing to learn is that as soon as you walk on your feet again, they’ll quickly regain strength. It may be a little known fact, but about half of what a smoker inhales from his cigarette is pure air. The next time you’re hit with a craving, take some deep breaths and relax. You will soon be able to rise above the craving, feel refreshed, and move on.

Tip 2: All the reasons to quit

Why do you want to quit? Do you have children? Do you want to live to see your grandchildren? Are you sick of the smell? Whatever your reasons are, write them down. Keep a daily journal of how you feel and in the very first entry list in bold letters every reason you have for quitting. List things like health reasons, expense, inconvenience, bad breath, or other reasons and make the list as long as possible. Also be sure to list how you WILL feel when you’ve kicked the habit. 

Tip 3: The good, the bad and the ugly

After you complete your lists of reasons you want to quit and how you’ll feel after you’ve quit, make a list of the consequences of not quitting. Have other smokers in your family gotten cancer? Have they died? Do they have to speak through a hole in their neck? Will you be unable to pay off debt because you’re always buying cigarettes? Whatever you consequences, be sure to list all of them. As above, be sure to list the consequences (good consequences, of course) of quitting. Keep them to look forward to.

Tip 4: Break time!

Most smokers agree: a cigarette is a break. When quitting, give yourself breaks, but do something. Go for walk, eat a piece of fruit or drink some juice. This is critical because the body will be going through changes expelling all the accumulated poisons. The fruit will aid this process in many ways. 

Good luck!

Smoking and Heart Disease Development

This article talks about the smoking and its contribution to the development of heart diseases. The development of heart disease due to smoking does not occur quickly but actually entails a long yet equally harmful process. Quitting smoking may lessen the development of heart disease and other ailments and also improve overall health.

 Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and disability around the world. Surprisingly, the number of people who smoke is still very high perhaps due to the little factual information they have about the dangers of tobacco use.  Cigarette-smoking is one of the major causes of heart disease and the number of deaths associated with smoking has been consistently on the rise. In the United States alone, cigarettes are responsible for majority of the deaths from heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, about 440,000 of all annual deaths of heart disease are because of smoking. Just a few sticks of cigarettes a day may double the risk of the development of heart disease. Because of the harm that smoking may do for the heart, the need to quit smoking has become an important health issue that could possibly save millions of lives.

 Many of the deaths and ailments caused by smoking do not occur quickly. It may take awhile before the chemicals in cigarettes takes its toll on certain individuals. Heart diseases caused by smoking can be a slow and painful process. Smokers may develop heart disease because smoking causes the body's bloodstream to be contaminated with nicotine, the active component of cigarettes which stimulates the brain and provides a rush of adrenaline. A rush of adrenaline may provide a “high feeling” or a sudden rush or shot of energy. However, while these moments of being high are being enjoyed by a smoker, he or she may already be exposing the heart to serious risk. Adrenaline caused by nicotine may speed up the heart rate, tighten the arteries, and strain the heart. 

When the nicotine levels of regular smokers falter, they usually experience withdrawal symptoms that may include restlessness, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and craving for another smoke. These smokers need to smoke regularly in order to feel normal, a condition that may lead to addiction --- making it more difficult for smokers to quit smoking.

 Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, 60 these chemicals are carcinogenic and are also present in secondhand smoke. Formaldehyde, arsenic, cadmium, benzene, and ethylene oxide are only some of the substances found in cigarettes --- all of which can cause cancer. These dangerous components may stay in the air for hours and may harm one's health in many ways. These chemicals may accelerate the development of artherosclerosis, a disease that affects the large and medium arteries. This condition damages the blood vessels making them difficult to relax. Smoking may also cause the artery walls to stiffen the artery walls and cause pieces of plaque to clog some arteries. Once this plaque clogs the arteries, the heart may become starved for oxygen. In the long run, these conditions may lead to the development of heart diseases like coronary heart disease and angina (severe chest pain).

 The risk of acquiring certain conditions like cataract, macular degeneration, psoriasis, tooth loss, osteoporosis, and many more may be increased by smoking. However, it is never too late to quit smoking. Stopping the habit can drastically improve one's cardiovascular fitness and overall health. Individuals who are having a hard time cutting the habit may try using quit smoking products in the market. These products, however, cannot do all the work. The best and effective to quit smoking involves determination, discipline, and commitment to stop the habit permanently. Using these products can help smokers cut the habit by making them more comfortable and complacent to adjust to life without cigarettes. 

Many quit smoking products are available over the counter, it is best to seek the approval of health professionals to clarify side effects and drug interactions that may be developed while under medication. With the right tools and attitude, quitting smoking and reducing the development of heart diseases can be easier than others think.

 

Smoking and Surgery Don’t Mix, How to Quit for your Health

Are you a smoker who is scheduled to have surgery? No matter what kind of surgery you are having, your health will suffer if you decide to smoke for several weeks before and after your surgery.  As difficult as it is, if you are going to have surgery, you should seriously consider quitting for your health.  

Smoking and Surgery: What Can Go Wrong

 There are a number of complications, risks, and potential infections that can develop as a result of smoking pre- or post-surgery.  What exactly can go wrong?  Here's a run-down on the most common and serious complications that can arise as a result of smoking pre- or post-surgery: 

Wound Infection.  One of the most common complications that can occur if you smoke is wound infection.  Smoking, in effect, steals oxygen from cells that are in the process of healing. Smoking is a risk factor for wound infection in almost any kind of surgery.  Researchers have found that smokers continue smoking before surgery are at a much higher risk of developing wounds that do not heal properly.  

Cardiopulmonary complications.  Tobacco smoke is very hard on the heart, lungs, and the entire immune system.  If you are scheduled for any type of heart surgery, it is imperative that you quit smoking for at least six weeks before your surgery.  

Vasoconstriction.  Vasoconstriction refers to the shrinking of the small blood vessels.  Many heavy smokers are apt to experience vasoconstriction because smoking steals available oxygen from cells.  When this happens, the small blood vessels shrink and the amount of hemoglobin that is needed to move oxygen from one part of the body to another.  Smoking also interferes with other chemicals that let the body release enough oxygen to the cells.  

Post-surgery complications are greater for smokers.  Scientists at Bispebjerg University Hospital in Denmark found that patients who quit smoking before surgery were significantly less likely to develop complications post-surgery.  The researchers found that, on average, patients who quit smoking pre-surgery were kept in the hospital two days less than those who kept smoking before their surgery. 

Remember, you should strive to come to surgery with a body that is at its healthiest.  The trauma of surgery is hard on your body.  Smoking will only make it harder for your body to heal.  In some cases, surgeons may even elect not to treat a patient if they are smokers.  

Smoking Cessation for Surgery 

If you're a smoker, the best thing you can do for your body prepare for surgery is to quit altogether, or at least reduce dramatically the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.  Recent research suggests that smokers stop smoking at least six to eight weeks prior to surgery.  Unfortunately, many of the smoking cessation products that would normally be available to smokers are not recommended for those heading into surgery.  Nicotine gum and nicotine patches are not advised for surgery patients.  The nicotine in the gum acts similarly as cigarette nicotine, interfering with the healing process in much the same manner.  Nicotine patches are also dangerous because the flow of nicotine can interfere with the flow of blood.  

Many hospitals and clinics offer smoking cessation clinics that help surgery patients stop smoking before their scheduled surgery.  Here are a few general guidelines on smoking cessation for surgery. 

Stop immediately.  If you are scheduled for upcoming surgery, you don't have time to wean yourself off cigarettes.  Most doctors advise that you stop smoking as soon as you are told about your surgery.  For many people, the health scare is enough to throw the cigarettes out! 

Read up on your surgery.  Take the time to learn about your surgery.  This will help you stay focused on your health, and the importance of keeping your body in good shape for the surgery.  While you don't have to go into detail, become familiar with the procedure.  

Speak to your physician about smoking cessation aids you can use.  Many times, surgery patients are unable to use such smoking cessation aids as nicotine gum and the nicotine patch.  Find out what options are available for your specific case.  

Quit together.  Find someone to quit with you.  Making the commitment to quit with someone else will help keep you focused on staying cigarette-free.  Also, you should strive to maintain a smoke-free household during your recovery.  Some doctor's recommend that all household smokers quit or dramatically reduce smoking during the patient's recovery period.

Smoking Increases Lung Cancer Risks

It would almost seem like a given in this day and age that people would know and understand that smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. Secondhand smoke has even been linked with increased lung cancer risks. Even were a person to never smoke a cigarette or be subjected to secondhand smoke, the possibility of lung cancer remains very real. But smoking cigarettes is nothing short of adding more bullets to a gun being used to play Russian Roulette—eventually, the odds of getting lung cancer will become impossible to ignore.

 In a normal body, cells grow and divide in an orderly manner. However, this order can break down. When this collapse in order occurs, cells begin dividing and growing at will and chaos results. This resulting chaos and breakdown of normal cell growth is called cancer.

 Normally, cancer will appear as a tumor, or perhaps even the dreaded “growth”. In some cases, the cancer will remain isolated to a particular spot or organ. However, it is not entirely uncommon for cancer to spread beyond its initial area into other regions of the body or organs. Spreading cancer is also known as metastasis. Lung cancer has been known to spread into other organs of the body and speed the demise of the patient.

 Tobacco is a known and proven carcinogen. A carcinogen is any cancer-causing agent. However, just because something is a carcinogen does not necessarily mean that coming into contact one like tobacco smoke will not guarantee lung cancer in your future. Scientists can, on the other hand, tell you how much more likely you are to get lung cancer if you continue to expose your body to tobacco smoke.

 The risks of lung cancer due to tobacco smoke are too great to ignore. A person smoking one pack a day has increased their odds for getting lung cancer by 30 X’s or more when compared to a nonsmoker. And, the more cigarettes you smoke every day, the greater those odds become. Plus, the number of years a person smokes continually increases their chances of developing lung cancer or other smoking-related diseases such as emphysema.

 So, if someone were to quit smoking today after having done so for 10 years, how long do you think it would take for their risks of getting lung cancer to return to normal? Believe it or not, it takes 15 years after a person quits smoking for their odds to equal those of a nonsmoker of the same age—15 years!!

 Lung cancer is a merciless killer of thousands of Americans each and every year. It generally takes decades of smoking to lead to the condition but it has been found in people in their 20’s who smoked since they were teenagers. Worse still, lung cancer is a very painful condition that can truly make the last months of life a true burden to bear. While you can still develop lung cancer even if you never smoke, the odds for developing this painful disease increase dramatically when tobacco is part of your life. If you are a smoker, tomorrow may very well be too late to quit so make sure you kick the habit today or prepare to see lung cancer in your future tomorrow.

Smoking Kills! What More Damaging Effects Of Smoking Do You Want?

Smoking kills! What more damaging effect do you want? A majority of smokers will frankly admit that they wish to give up smoking and somewhere in the past they had given up. But there is also a stubborn tribe of smokers who are not at all willing to admit the harmful effects of smoking!

Enter a conversation:

Sir Winston Churchill (the late former Prime Minister of Great Britain) was a chain smoker of cigars, lived up to the age of 85 years!

‘If he had not smoked, he would have lived up to 120 years,’ said the anti-smoking lobby. ‘What is the use of his living up to that age?’ said the smoking lobby! Die hard habits! Die hard

arguments!

Who gains from your smoking,except the Finance Minister? In every budget, he tries to crush you, and the smoker is just not bothered! He cries for a while, only to forget everything soon. The smokers as well as the industry thrive!

Statistically speaking, it is scientifically proven that tobacco smoke contains over 4000 poisonous chemicals. The number and varieties of cancer it generates is in hundreds.

Smoking damages practically every part of the human body, and heart takes the maximum pounding! Want proof? Count the number of ever-increasing cancer hospitals. Treating cancer has become a large-scale industry!

Just five decades ago, heart attacks used to be a rare phenomenon! The mixture of nicotine and carbon dioxide increases the rate of blood pressure and strains all parts of the body, the heart to be specific. How long can the heart tolerate this unbearable pressure? And one day, when it says that 'enough is enough’, the well-wishers of that human being, summon the ambulance and take him to the most unwanted place— the hospital!

To some hard-smokers, living death awaits at the far end of life! Smoking initially reduces and at a later stage cuts off oxygen supply to hands and limbs and the smokers will have to live through the agony of their limbs amputated!

The long puffs that a smoker takes and the attractive, designer coils that he sends in the air, may look attractive, but what about self-inflicted damage is his action leading to? Tar in the cigarette coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and sends a cordial invitation to cancer! You drag the puff deeper into your lungs for the joy and adventure of it, and the rotting process of the heart starts!

Smoking is a slow way to die, there is no other alternative or option. It is a well known fact that heart diseases and strokes are very common among the smokers. Smoking's contribution to heart attacks is maximum! To lung cancers too!

Are you happy or sorry? A foundation stone is being laid for a new cancer hospital!

Smoking Is Slowly Killing Your Teeth

Smoking has been known to cause various sorts of side effects and damage to the body, including debilitating the ability of some cells to regenerate. This is particularly true when the gums and teeth are exposed to tobacco. It not only aggravates damage that is already there, it can also be the cause  or what starts the damage to one's teeth and gums. 

There are many who consider smoking to be one of the filthiest, least healthy habits a person can have. The typical non-smoker finds cigarette smoke distasteful at best, disgusting at worst. There are also a number of side effects that smoking can have on the body which are damaging, particularly in the long-run. The fact that second-hand smoke does even more damage to non-smokers than it does to smokers does nothing to endear the habit to anyone. However, aside from the obvious respiratory and circulatory repercussions, there are other problems that are associated with smoking. Owing to the close proximity of the gums to the smoke caused by the habit, smokers now make up 50% of people with gum disease in the world. 

Smoking has been known to slow the healing process of the body, particularly after surgical procedures. This is especially true for orthodontic and dental surgery, which delve into the areas that receive the most direct exposure to tobacco and nicotine. Damage on the gums was originally found to have been aggravated by smoking, accelerating the rate of decay of the gums and teeth. It was later found that it was possible to have no previous dental damage at all and still suffer from the side effects of smoking, because the smoke itself can cause cellular decay in the gums. Another, recently discovered problem is that the smoke slowly undoes any repairs done to the gums through surgery. 

Aside from these issues, there are also a number of other problems that smoking can cause the mouth, teeth, and gums. Plaque, for example, becomes significantly harder to clean off. It is unknown what exactly causes this to happen, but smokers tend to have plaque build-up in their mouths that can only be cleaned off by professional tools. This would not be a problem if a person regularly visits a dentist for teeth cleaning oral prophylaxis, a procedure that should be done every six months.  This runs the risk of letting the bacteria in the plaque slowly eat away at the teeth, with some cases seeking help for the problem too late.

 There is also a pronounced risk of the bone and support structure of the teeth being eaten away. Smoking is known to slowly kill off the cells in the gums, as well as impede upon natural regeneration in that area. This can be dangerous if the gums and bones that support the teeth are already compromised by bacteria, tooth decay, or other damage. The fibers that hold the teeth in place recede when exposed to tobacco, loosening the teeth. This may be a slow process, but that only makes it such that most people simply fail to notice the problem until it is too late and the damage has already been done.

 However, it isn't just cigarette smoke that causes these problems. Even smoke-less products that are based on tobacco cause this damage, often in comparably similar degrees. According to several studies, both cigars and pipes cause the same cellular degeneration and damage rates as cigarette smoke. So far, all indications point to the problem being firmly rooted in the tobacco in the products and not necessarily the smoke itself.

Smoking Facts: Available Quitting Aids For Smokers

The article is generally about basic smoking facts involving the different aids available for those who seriously want to end their addiction to smoking. The author enumerates the four popular aids to quit smoking and explains how they can help smokers in quitting the habit of smoking.Health complications related to smoking are among the top reasons for medical consultations today. Fortunately, there are a lot of medications and counseling or therapy services available to help millions of smokers all over the world to quit the habit of smoking.

For most smokers, taking medications and attending therapy sessions are the typical recommended treatments so they can quit smoking for good. Aside from taking medications, there are a number of helpful aids for quitting smoking that do not include nicotine consumption. The most common of these aids are the self-conditioning therapy, telephone-based therapy, support system from friends and family, as well as the quit programs.

1. Self-conditioning therapy

Lucky for some smokers, they do not need to undergo any treatment or medication to quit smoking for they are able to condition or handle their cravings. Conditioning one’s mind to avoid smoking works if the person is serious in quitting the habit.

2. Telephone-based therapy

As part of the massive campaign for anti-smoking, programs like telephone-based therapy are introduced as aid for the public in their course of retiring from the habit of smoking. In this type of therapy, smokers are given the chance to talk with specialists who are well-trained to conduct counseling with individuals who want to quit smoking.Smokers who adhere in telephone-based therapies are basically given a quit plan that corresponds to their smoking conditions. This program is actually a superb complementary treatment as it gives better results when taken side by side with conventional anti-smoking treatments. Counselors are able to guide smokers in determining the things and situations they should avoid in order to have a successful quitting process.

3. Support from family members and friends

It is proven in smoking-related studies that support from family members and friends plays an important role in the speedy process of quitting from the smoking habit. It is essential for support providers to be sincere and understanding enough to the situation of their loved ones who want to refrain from smoking for good. Aside from family and friends, other sources of support are co-workers, therapists, as well as colleagues from quitting programs. 

4. Quit programs

Perhaps the best thing about joining quit programs is that a person gets to be around smokers who are also serious about ending their addiction to smoking. Quit smoking programs provide basic smoking facts and guide smokers in coping in the process of quitting from the habit. These programs are also great providers of support and encouragement in refraining from smoking.

One-on-one counseling is claimed to be one of the most effective therapies in quit smoking programs, for it holds strong therapy intensity. Effectiveness of an anti-smoking therapy is based on how intense the programs are. Hence, a greater chance of quitting success for those who undergo intense healing therapies.

On the other hand, smokers should also be wary when choosing stop smoking programs for there are institutions that advertise false benefits. Programs that should be avoided are those who promise instant success once availing their services; those who use pills or other medications as part of their treatments; as well as those that are unwilling to provide references for their services.

Smoking: Taking You A Step Closer To Oropharyngeal Cancer

This article is about the relationship between smoking and cancers of the mouth and throat.  Although it is more common that lung cancer develops from smoking, other forms of cancer may also be acquired from smoking and being exposed to second hand smoke.  People may also get cancer of the mouth, esophageal cancer, cancer of the larynx, cervical cancer, and penile cancer.

Smoking, they say, is the leading cause of lung cancer world-wide.  A recent study shows that, in the United States alone, 157,200 people have died of smoking-related lung cancer.  Some of which are caused directly by smoking, and some due to second hand smoke.  However the effect of smoking does not only stop at lung cancer. 

Smoking and cancer

      Statistics show that smoking attributes to 54% of mouth cancers, 50% of esophageal cancers, and 70% of cancer of the larynx.  And also, in relation to men and women’s sexual health, smoking increases risks of cervical cancer by 19 to 80% depending on the frequency of consumption, and it also increases risks of penile cancer by 50%. 

      These numbers certainly prove that smokers are at a bigger likelihood to develop a lot of different kinds of cancers as compared to non-smokers.  Male smokers have a 20% increased chances of developing lung cancer while women have a 13% increased risk. 

      Tobacco smoke is composed of four thousand different harmful substances, chemicals, and toxins.  Sixty out of those four thousand chemicals are known to cause cancer.  These cancer causing toxins are mainly found in tar that smokers inhale from a cigarette.  About 70% of that tar stays inside the lungs. Studies have shown that benzpyrene, one of the carcinogens found in tar, damages and slowly destroys genes responsible for fighting cancer causing cells and subsequently prevent development of cancerous tumors.  In almost 60% of smoking-induced cancers, these genes were seen to be damaged. 

Oral or throat cancer

      Oropharyngeal cancer may involve the lips, mouth, tongue, gums, salivary glands, esophagus, larynx, thyroid glands, and/or the cells lining the throat.  Its earliest symptom may be a pale lump inside the mouth that will not seem to heal.  An estimated 7,000 Americans die of oropharyngeal cancer yearly.  Smoking may cause cancer development in the mouth alone, on the throat alone, or a combination of both.  Symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer may include the following:

          o A sore in your mouth that doesn't heal or increases in size.

          o Persistent pain in your mouth.

          o Lumps or white, red or dark patches inside your mouth.

          o Thickening of your cheek.

          o Difficulty chewing or swallowing or moving your tongue.

          o Difficulty moving your jaw, or swelling or pain in your jaw.

          o Soreness in your throat or feeling that something is caught in your throat.

          o Pain around your teeth, or loosening of your teeth.

          o Numbness of your tongue or elsewhere in your mouth.

          o Bad breath.

          o A swelling or lump in the throat.

          o A persistent cough.

          o Blood-flecked phlegm.

          o The sensation of something permanently stuck in the throat.

          o Voice changes, such as persistent hoarseness or huskiness.

          o Throat pain.

          o Referred pain into the ears.

          o Swallowing difficulties.

          o Breathing difficulties.

          o Swollen lymph glands.

          o Gastrointestinal disorders, such as excessive reflux, diarrhea or constipation.

Treatment

      Treatment of oropharyngeal cancer will depend on the size, type, and location of the cancer and whether it has already spread.  It may include one or a combination of the following:

          o Surgery.  This includes surgical removal of the tumor and its affected organs.  The amount of tissue to be removed may depend on the size of the tumor and the mass it has already affected.

          o Radiation therapy.  This includes exposing the cancer causing cells to small, precise doses of radiation.

          o Chemotherapy.  It involves the use of cancer cell-killing medications that is used in conjunction to radiation therapy.

          o Long term monitoring.  This may include regular examinations and x-rays to check that the cancer has not come back.

          o Rehabilitation therapy.  This includes assistance from health professionals such as dietitians, speech therapists, and physiotherapists to regain motor functions of the affected areas.

The best way to avoid getting yourself into this situation is to avoid smoking.  It is understandable that this will be difficult to do if you’re a chain smoker.  Cutting back on cigarette consumption may help to gradually get you into the path to being smoke free.  All it takes in enough will power and discipline to keep yourself healthy and cancer-free.

Secondhand Smoke Still A Problem for Children

A recent survey looked at children's exposure to secondhand smoke and found that approximately 3 million children 6 years old and younger still are exposed regularly to secondhand smoke in their homes.

Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this study of more than 14,000 households showed that exposure to secondhand smoke occurred more often in lower-income, lower-education households.

The survey also found that smoking by visitors accounted for less than 1 percent of exposure. Parents, on the other hand, accounted for 90 percent of the secondhand smoke to which children were exposed.

Exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious health risk, and children, whose bodies are still developing, are the most vulnerable. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have asthma attacks, respiratory tract infections and ear infections. In addition, exposure increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in children under 1 year old.

Even though progress has been made, the numbers are still alarming. In an earlier study, EPA estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity of asthma symptoms in up to 1 million children each year. The agency also estimated that 

secondhand smoke is responsible for 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months old. This results in 7,500 to 15,000 hospital stays each year.

A number of other studies, including one by the California EPA in 1997, support EPA's earlier findings.

If secondhand smoke is a problem in your home, take these steps to help reduce your child's exposure.

1. Do not smoke in your home or car. Do not permit others to do so, either. Moving to another room or opening a window does not protect your children from exposure because smoke stays in the air and on your clothes.