Is hookah smoking harmful to health? Why does hookah attract smokers? Exchange of pathogenic bacteria and viruses
Smoking hookah became fashionable a few years ago.
For some nationalities, this is a familiar and integral daily ritual that helps to relax, calm down, and relieve tension. In our country, the fashion for hookah has existed not so long ago.
In this regard, at first they began to open special hookah bars and cafes. Now you can smoke hookah in almost every normal establishment or even order it to your home.
You can buy a device for your home to periodically indulge in the aromas and inhalation of delicious tobacco refills. With the advent of hookahs, the question of their harm and even benefits was often raised.
Many claimed that it had virtually no effect on health, attributing this species Smoking devices have many unjustified qualities. Therefore, today we will dispel all the myths about the benefits of hookah and finally answer the question about its harm to human health.
Hookah, like a cigarette, is smoking. Smoking means inhaling nicotine, smoke, and with them various negative substances that are found in tobacco. Therefore, the answer here is obvious: hookah is undoubtedly harmful to health.
Unlike a cigarette, it has its own characteristics that slightly reduce the level of this harmfulness, but certainly do not deny it. 
The hookah is refilled with tobacco. It is the same as in cigarettes. The only difference is that it must be moist during smoking and is often impregnated with aromatic additives that have different tastes.
The difference between smoking cigarettes and hookah is that the cigarette burns out when sufficiently high temperatures, and the hookah does not so much burn as slowly smolder. As a result, in one case, nicotine is inhaled directly, and in the second, smoke with all its constituent components is inhaled.
If you look at the composition, then in terms of the number of negative substances containing hookah smoke, it is in second place. This fact does not mean less harm, since the volumes inhaled by the lungs are significantly different.
When smoking a cigarette, we consume about 400 ml; in the case of hookah smoking, this figure is 1.5 liters.
Standing up for the harmlessness of hookah, some may claim its special feature - a water filter. It is supposedly capable of filtering all harmful substances. In fact, this is just a myth. Yes, the filter removes some bad components or a small percentage of them, but does not completely destroy them.
It is also worth remembering about passive smokers who may be nearby. The harm to their health in both the case of cigarette and hookah smoke is the same and, undoubtedly, negative.
Milk hookah is no different from water hookah. It is only softer, and therefore easier to smoke - it is not so bitter. There is an opinion that hookah with milk is not harmful, and even beneficial. This is another myth.
Neither water nor milk are able to filter out the negative composition of tobacco that enters the human body. All that distinguishes a hookah with milk is its taste and nothing more.
We should talk about what exactly its harm is and which organs are affected first. The human heart receives a double negative from a hookah - immediate and distant. Directly while smoking, the main human organ receives a dose of nicotine.
This cannot immediately produce any consequences. Over time, when excess negative substances accumulate, the heart simply fails.
Angina pectoris, deterioration of vascular tone, cardiac ischemia - this is not the entire list of problems that an experienced hookah smoker faces.
When smoking a hookah, the lungs and the entire respiratory system become contaminated, like the filter pipe of the device itself. Since the process of smoking one portion takes a lot of time (about an hour on average), all the dark dirt and harmful components settle on the lungs and respiratory tract.
They clog our respiratory system and accelerate the aging process and also the wear and tear of organs. As a result, the body’s level of performance and mental activity decrease, and headaches become frequent.
In addition, regular hookah smoking most often ends inflammatory processes in the lungs Chronical bronchitis secured.
Hookah is also harmful to the eyes. First of all, this is direct and prolonged contact with smoke, which damages the mucous membranes. As a result, the eyes may become itchy and red. Another factor is also the accumulation of negative substances in the body, which subsequently affects all organs.
Smoking hookah can be addictive. This has a bad effect on the nervous system, as the body gets used to the ritual of smoking. If for a long time If you don’t smoke, the person becomes irritable, hot-tempered, and nervous.
The hookah is strictly not intended for children and pregnant women. It is unacceptable to expose the health of children and fetuses to the danger that lies in the smoke and fumes of a hookah.
In addition to the effect on organs and systems, hookah carries another, but significant, danger. With its help you can catch some kind of infection.
The fact is that most often hookah is smoked in a group and not a small one. However, not all participants in the process may be healthy.
For example, after such social smoking, you can find out that you have herpes, sore throat, diphtheria, hepatitis, tuberculosis and the like infectious diseases, which are transmitted from one person to another during the use of the “peace pipe”.
Therefore, be sure to use disposable mouthpieces in large groups to avoid unpleasant consequences and health problems. Also try not to smoke in the company of strangers.
The fact that hookah smoking is harmful remains undeniable. After all this is just one type of inhalation of harmful smoke and nicotine. Fruit flavorings, water or milk do not reduce the percentage of this effect. Therefore, try not to get carried away.
Naturally, you can relax and indulge, but you shouldn’t make it a habit. Don’t indulge yourself with fictitious myths, because hookah is just as harmful as a cigarette.
Today, smoking with a hookah is quite popular, especially among young people. The majority refuses the traditional method of smoking cigarettes, preferring a fashionable trend, believing that the harm from a hookah is minimal, and considering this method safer.
How is hookah different from cigarettes?
The main difference between the smoking device in question is the composition of the smoke. As a rule, an ordinary cigarette (regardless of its price) contains a lot of nicotine and dangerous impurities. The quality of cigarettes is also affected by the paper from which they are made. The harm of hookah is much lower, all existing carcinogens when smoking remain in the water and the amount of harmful tars is also reduced. Another important criterion comparisons are tobacco. Refined hookah fillers are often supplied with chemical flavors, which, in addition to the beautiful smell, also strongly poison the body.
Is smoking hookah without nicotine harmful?
Naively believing that switching to a nicotine-free type of smoking will help to forget about the bad habit, people only worsen their situation. Despite the many various options(cream fillers, gels, fruit bases), the absence of tobacco leaves makes it possible to reduce the harmful effects of the product and reduce toxicity in general, but harm to the body is still caused.
The device itself is designed in such a way that during the process, only the substance that is in the hookah bowl affects a person. To heat it, coals are used, which simply smolder at the bottom and do not come into contact with the tobacco mixture. It should be noted that natural ingredients also do not cancel the negative impact carbon monoxide, regardless of filtration and cooling when passing through liquid, smoke cannot be 100% cleaned.
How often can you smoke hookah?
The smoke emitted from a hookah is much softer, since it consists of almost 90% water vapor, this is facilitated by moist tobacco. However, due to the impressive volume of liquid, it is attracted a large number of impurities and for this reason it is problematic to find out the exact proportions of the resin. The alternative does not cause such significant damage to health as cigarettes; if you smoke a hookah once a day, no serious deviations will arise. Although there is no consensus on this matter.
While some argue that hookah should be used no more than 2 times a day, others say that the frequency should be reduced to 2 times a week, otherwise the harm from hookah will become more noticeable.
Experts only recommend not smoking empty stomach and control the duration of use, especially for girls. Plan a classic device with a clay bowl for 30-40 minutes, and if the container is carefully cut out of fruit, then the time allotted for the session can be increased to 50 minutes.
Harm from hookah smoking
Carbon monoxide
According to official medicine, carbon monoxide leaves an irreparable imprint, because it affects the condition of all organs, not just the lungs.
According to experts, for 1-2 During an hour of leisure time with a hookah, 10 times more tobacco smoke enters a person than from an ordinary cigarette, which causes:
- weakness in the body;
- feeling of nausea;
- vomiting;
- dizziness;
- fainting.
Toxic secretions, due to their moisture and viscousness, penetrate much more easily into the lower respiratory tract, and if consumed excessively, there is a risk of complete poisoning.
Saliva exchange
Large companies are a separate danger, because when smoking, the glands begin to intensively produce large quantity saliva, which, upon contact with the elements of the device, penetrates the filter itself and the mouthpiece of the device, being transmitted further along with the smoke. Ultimately, every participant in a hookah session may become infected with germs. The list of diseases that can be acquired in this way is very wide, even for a man. To avoid this addiction, organizations offer special disposable attachments along with the hookah when ordering.
Passive smoking
Fans of noisy places who do not smoke themselves, but are forced to coexist with a group of hookah lovers, are 50% smokers who also inhale a combination of nitrogen and carbon monoxide into their lungs, just in a different way. Many people believe that moist smoke contains several times less nicotine and toxins. passive smokers practically no harm is done, but this is not true. According to scientists' reports, the device in question has a similar volume harmful substances. Due to a long stay in the room (several hours in a row), a significant part of the smoke also reaches the non-smoking visitor.
Addiction
Significant harm in the form of hookah addiction can manifest itself as unexpectedly as using cigarettes. Many factors are closely intertwined with the model of the device, although it cannot be confidently stated that the most expensive type has a positive effect on the body - any dependence over time begins to require an increase in the usual dose. Nicotine can accumulate, and someone who is addicted to hookah can soon easily switch to electronic cigarette or regular cigarettes.
How harmful is hookah for men and women and are there any advantages to hookah smoking?
There is an opinion that such a pastime is completely harmless. But in fact, the fact that hookah is harmful is based on the fact that tobacco smoke in a hookah it is filtered by water and smoking in this way is considered solely in comparison with the danger of a cigarette, and not as an independent procedure.
Headaches or hookah hangover
With frequent and prolonged inhalation of smoke, inexperienced beginners begin to experience severe headaches, because a large amount of nicotine toxins ends up in the lungs, due to which the body suffers from stress, which invariably entails discomfort. Those who are not adapted to such a load are not ready to physically cope with such an “attack” from the outside. For example, if you risk using this harmful device on an empty stomach, without even drinking a little water 2-3 hours before, then the person will definitely feel sick, suddenly feel sick, feel nauseous and feel hot, and the skin will instantly become covered in sweat.
Airborne infections
Even in the company of good friends, smoking a hookah through a shared mouthpiece can cause infections. Often, infection occurs with diseases such as:
- herpes;
- Hepatitis B;
- meningitis;
- syphilis;
- ARVI;
- tuberculosis (for therapy of this disease Terizidone may be prescribed).
At first glance, the risk of infection the listed ailments minimal, but no one is immune from such a result. Therefore, it would be useful to adhere to basic hygiene rules and monitor the level of service of establishments that offer such a service.
Harm from hookah for men
Discussions about how harmful or beneficial hookah is for men are already a classic topic of debate. Due to the fact that the respiratory tract is excessively filled with moist smoke, tar slowly collects in the vessels of the stronger sex and becomes the reason for worsening blood circulation.
Due to such negative interventions, the necessary for normal life portions of oxygen. The heart also begins to work worse, problems occur in the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Yes and the most main question- the influence of hookah on potency - further develops just as rapidly and in a negative light.
After frequent hookah smoking, after a short time A man’s sexual function noticeably decreases, potency deteriorates, weakness and dysfunction in bed often occur. Men who love to smoke hookah frequently are almost always doomed to impotence in the future.
Harm from hookah for girls
If we consider how such smoking affects girls, first of all it is worth assessing the fact how harmful hookah is for beauty. Firstly, this appearance- poor enamel and yellowing teeth, early wrinkles, brittle nails and hair, bad smell from mouth. The internal component of health cannot be written off either, because scientists have come to the conclusion that the passion for this bad habit for the fair sex may have a negative impact on subsequent generations.
If a woman cares not only about her own well-being, but also about the health of the child she is carrying, she should eliminate hookah smoking from her life even after giving birth - this has an adverse effect on breastfeeding milk. According to statistics, babies born from smoking mothers congenital defects heart disease, all kinds of allergies and asthma, visual impairment, weak immunity, and sometimes even mentally retarded babies or cases of miscarriage.
Pros of hookah smoking
Despite the disadvantages, hookah smoking has its advantages. After all, the taste of smoke through the device is much more pleasant than that of ordinary cigarettes; it can be found in different variations and flavors, and it is also not very bitter. If you believe the description of the process, smoking with water reduces the percentage of harmful components in the smoke, phenols are reduced by 90%, and benzopyrene and polycyclicene by 50%. In a hookah installation, tobacco is dried under the influence of temperature, and not through combustion, so harmful particles (carcinogens) are not observed there.
When starting to judge sensibly how harmful hookah is, it is one way or another important to remember that this is one of the acceptable subtypes of smoking, and not a simplified replacement, and it is a mistake to consider it completely safe for health. And therefore, the conclusion is whether it is worth smoking in this way, in what quantities and how often to do it, or whether to switch to cigarettes - everyone decides for themselves.
Today many are convinced that hookah is safe replacement traditional cigarettes, that it does not harm human health.
Hookah fans explain this by saying that natural hookah tobacco does not contain additives that are dangerous to the body and the smoke entering the lungs is completely cleared of harmful impurities by the liquid in the flask. Adherents of hookah need not worry, because smoking hookah harms the health of the smoker only if consumed too often and in large quantities.
Flavors added to the tobacco mixture give a lot of pleasant sensations, which contributes to longer savoring and prolongation of smoking time. This increases the amount of nicotine entering the body. This is why hookah is more harmful than regular ones tobacco products only with excessive consumption. And moderate hookah smoking will give you and your friends great mood and will be a great addition to any party.
Still, it is impossible to answer the questions with complete confidence: is it harmful to smoke tobacco mixtures tucked into a hookah, and is the smoke inhaled harmful? To dispel all doubts, let’s try to figure out how harmful hookah is for humans.
What are the dangers of smoking hookah?
Scientists have long proven that smoking a hookah for one hour contributes to the body consuming harmful smoke hundreds of times more than from just one strong cigarette. Why is hookah harmful to human health?
The dangers of secondhand smoke
We all know how dangerous it is to be in close proximity to a smoker. Smoking a hookah is no exception and negatively affects the health of not only those who smoke, but also those who sit next to them.
Non-smoker or ex-smoker who sits in a room where they smoke a hookah, involuntarily inhales nicotine vapor, nitrogen and carbon monoxide with the air.
This means that passive hookah smoking has an impact on the human body harmful influence.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Hookah tobacco contains fewer harmful substances than tobacco regular cigarettes. However, when smoking a hookah, the human body receives large amounts of carbon monoxide, which can cause poisoning.
Smoking a hookah for one minute can be compared to smoking a whole pack of strong cigarettes. Carbon monoxide poisons not only the upper respiratory tract, but also the lower.
Harmful exchange of saliva
Hookah poses a threat as a dangerous item from a hygiene point of view. To a greater extent, this applies to smoking a hookah in a large company.
As a rule, if a lot of people gather, everyone takes turns smoking. It wouldn't be so scary if all people were absolutely healthy.
It may be that among smokers there is at least one sick person. In this case, the harm from hookah smoking is obvious.
Nicotine addiction
As a rule, hookah smoking takes place in a warm, friendly atmosphere and is accompanied by casual conversation.
The aroma emanating from the hookah promotes relaxation. But you should remember that every puff brings you closer to nicotine addiction.
The effect of hookah on the human body
Many smokers from time to time wonder: is hookah harmful or not?
We can immediately say that the smoker’s health is significantly harmed by hookah.
Smoking a hookah has a negative impact on the functioning of many organs and systems of the human body. But, of course, this only happens when hookah is abused.
Anyone can determine whether hookah smoking is harmful to health, based on their own feelings.
Let's look at how people react to hookah smoking. human body and why hookah is harmful.
The impact of hookah on the functioning of the cardiovascular system
Smoking a hookah instantly affects cardiac activity. Over time, an experienced smoker will be increasingly at risk of developing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the tone of which gradually weakens. There are more and more chances to earn money ischemic disease. Initial symptoms, warning the smoker about harmful effect hookah, you can consider the appearance of shortness of breath and slight tingling in the heart.
The effect of hookah on lung function
Unfortunately, the effect of hookah on a person’s lungs is devastating. As studies have shown, smoke filtration in the mine does not occur to its full extent. Most of the smoke retains all the harmful substances that subsequently enter the lungs. Whether this is harmful or not is not at all difficult to guess.
The amount of toxins that enters the lungs is quite enough to disrupt activity respiratory system. Smoke, no matter how fragrant it may be, once it enters the lungs, causes tissue irritation, which contributes to the development of chronic form bronchitis.
Effects of hookah smoke on the eyes
Often, hookah lovers encounter the following troubles: eye pain, increased tearing and constantly itchy eyes. This primarily indicates the dangers of hookah.
Hookah smoke can instantly affect the mucous membrane of the eye, which will lead to unpleasant sensations in the eye area. It should be remembered that inflammation of the eye shell is very difficult to treat.
The effect of hookah on the functioning of the central nervous system
Perhaps the main point that negatively affects the activity of the central nervous system is the emergence of dependence on hookah and aromatic smoking mixtures.
Very often, hookah has bad consequences in the form of a significant decrease in mental abilities and physical activity smoking In addition, the high content carbon dioxide– this is harmful to the person as a whole and to the activity of the central nervous system.
Harm caused to pregnant women by smoking hookah
But before lighting a hookah, every pregnant girl should think about whether it is possible to smoke a hookah in such a delicate position and whether the hookah is harmful to the health of the unborn baby.
Let's ask ourselves: is hookah dangerous for the intrauterine development of a baby? There is no doubt about it! Dangerous!
The baby already in the womb receives large doses of carbon monoxide, which will have a negative impact on its development. Why put the health and life of the unborn child at risk?
Each future mom I should prohibit myself from smoking hookah at least for the period of pregnancy and the subsequent period breastfeeding baby.
Drawing conclusions
And now we can draw a conclusion and evaluate the harm that hookah causes to the entire human body.
However, there is no clear answer to the question: is hookah harmful to health?
Hookah is both beneficial and harmful.
On the one hand, it helps to overcome dependence on regular tobacco smoking, and on the other hand, excessive hookah smoking can also have a detrimental effect on health.
This is why you should not smoke hookah too long or too often.
Until relatively recently, hookah was not as widespread as it is now: most public establishments, such as restaurants and bars, offer it to their visitors. Specific part smokers are firmly convinced that the harm of a hookah is a myth and, unlike cigarettes, blowing puffs of aromatic smoke has no effect negative impact on the human body. Is there any harm from hookah and how does it manifest itself? What positives do a large number of people find in such a pastime? This is what this article will be about.
In contact with
The main factor that harms hookah to the human body is the chemical composition of smoking mixtures. Moreover, it does not matter at all whether nicotine is present in it or not. Despite the fact that the smoke is cooled through water or wine before entering the lungs, it still contains a large volume of various chemical components.
Mostly it's salt heavy metals, resins, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Besides smoking mixture, V lung tissue hookah lovers also receive a carcinogen belonging to hazard class 1 - benzopyrene. This is caused by heating the coals to a temperature of 600 - 650 degrees. This substance is not subject to independent removal from the body and decay, which, over time, can have an extremely negative impact on overall health.
There are also tobacco-free hookah mixtures
Unfortunately, there are a large number of low-quality mixtures on the hookah tobacco market, which contain arsenic and lead. Of course, the concentration of these substances is minimal, but with constant inhalation it will clearly cause harm to health.
It is worth noting that a hookah cannot harm the body with a couple of puffs, but no one gets by with just a few puffs. Smoking a hookah is a rather lengthy process, taking at least an hour.
Don't forget about the harm passive smoking, because, as a rule, hookah is smoked in special establishments - hookah bars, which are filled with thick smoke.
Harm to the male body
Speaking about the harm hookah brings to health, it is logical to start with the negative impact on the central nervous system. A person who is already accustomed to relaxing, releasing a stream of aromatic smoke, sitting in a comfortable sofa or chair, becomes a hostage to the “miracle flask” and becomes not himself if he does not receive the required dose of nicotine. In fact, hookah is no different from alcohol or cigarettes and is also addictive.
Carbon monoxide and other components contained in fairly large doses in smoke slowly but surely poisons the smoker’s body, causing various pathologies. The harm of hookah if smoked for a long time lies in the development and progression of:
- mild hypoxia;
- angina pectoris;
- coronary heart disease;
- deteriorated vascular tone;
- other diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- pneumonia;
- bronchitis in the chronic stage;
- emergence malignant tumors in lung tissue;
- decreased visual acuity;
- irritation of the mucous membrane of the eye.
The appearance of shortness of breath, “stars” before the eyes, dizziness - these are the first signs signaling that hookah is harmful to human health.
It is also worth noting the fact that the use of a common mouthpiece, even with a protective plastic attachment, can cause various diseases, for example, tuberculosis or herpes.
If you like to smoke hookah, and the benefits and harms for you are still empty words, use an individual mouthpiece. This will help protect your bacteria from harmful effects strangers pathogens, while reducing the harm from smoking.
In addition to all the problems mentioned above, the harm from hookah for men also lies in the deterioration of erection. Despite strong excitement, blood stops flowing into corpora cavernosa V the required volume, which, in turn, reduces potency. If a man continues to poison his body, there is a high probability that sexual dysfunction will develop.
The harmful effects of smoking on girls
The harm from hookah for girls can affect not only their condition, but also the health of their children. As noted earlier, a fairly large amount of harmful substances comes with smoke. Some of them, such as benzopyrene, are unable to be excreted on their own and, as a result, accumulate in the body. In the case of a large concentration of such substances in a woman’s tissues, the condition immune system worsens, and DNA molecules are able to mutate.
Separately, it is worth noting the harm of hookah smoking for pregnant women or, more precisely, for the baby in the womb. Mother's blood, enriched with nicotine, causes oxygen starvation, causes constriction of blood vessels in the fetus's brain and harms lung tissue. All this contributes to the birth of a child who will have digestive problems, allergic reactions to various irritants, diathesis and other pathologies.
Do nicotine-free mixtures affect your health?
Nowadays, nicotine-free smoking mixtures are very popular, which, as many people think, are absolutely safe. However, this is just marketing ploy, no more. Of course, the harm of a hookah without nicotine is less harmful, but there are still: resins, salts of heavy metals and other harmful components chemical composition are not going anywhere.
Electronic hookah is one of the most popular types of hookah without nicotine. It's essentially flavored vapor produced using non-toxic propylene glycol and doesn't seem to be harmful. But this food supplement burns in the hookah and irritates the throat.
Is there any benefit?
Nowadays, hookah smoking is a whole ceremony and at the same time, an outlet for many people. Someone, releasing fragrant smoke, forgets about everyday problems for 1-1.5 hours, someone communicates with old friends or makes new acquaintances, and some people even solve their business issues.
The whole process takes place in a calm environment, often accompanied by soothing music and in an extremely comfortable position for the body, which allows you to slow down the rhythm of life, at least for a short time, relieve tension and reboot emotionally. In other words, the main benefit of smoking hookah is getting positive emotions from this process.
In some hookah bars it is possible to pass inhalation therapy. To do this, instead of water, add a tincture based on medicinal herbs and completely remove tobacco from the smoking mixture. The respiratory tract will receive a dose of positive influence, and the nerves will calm down. At the same time, do not forget that hookah smoking, or rather, the benefits and harms of this process go hand in hand, and along with the positive effect, your body will receive a certain amount of carbon monoxide.
Useful video
There is hardly a person who has never tried to smoke something. But do we know what consequences await us? From this video you can find out how harmful smoking, vaping and good old hookah are to human health:
Conclusion
- Tobacco smoke, regardless of its origin, can cause irreversible consequences for the body, ranging from ordinary shortness of breath to changes at the gene level.
- As for such a newfangled hobby as hookah, the health benefits and harms of smoking it have not yet been fully studied, but the following can be confidently noted: you should not poison your body yourself. The spoiled ecology copes with this without your participation, and the abundance stressful situations accompanying each person.
It is considered more in a safe way this bad habit than cigarettes or cigarillos. In addition, hookah is always associated with socializing in good company, relaxation after a working day, etc. Does this mean that anyone can and should smoke hookah?
It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. In a hookah they smoke a tobacco mixture, which, like any type of tobacco, contains nicotine and tar, so its effect cannot be called beneficial. On the other hand, additional substances contained in the mixture can have a positive effect.
We must not forget about the psychotherapeutic effect of the procedure. Thus, we can only talk about the ratio of harmful and beneficial qualities.
Hookah harm:
- Contains nicotine and tar.
- Additional flavorings in the mixture may cause allergies.
- Smoke reduces the supply of oxygen to the lungs.
It should be taken into account that the tobacco mixture for hookah contains fewer harmful substances than the same amount of cigarettes. In addition, paper combustion products are not mixed into the hookah smoke.
Benefits of hookah:
- Relaxing effect.
- Additional medicinal effects herbs (if they are natural).
A hookah is a fairly large device, and preparing it for smoking takes time, so it is impossible to smoke it on the go or go out with it to smoke during a break. In addition, it is customary to smoke a hookah in a group, and the process itself can be ritualized.
Which significantly reduces the frequency of hookah smoking, and therefore its harmful effects, but does not exclude it completely. There are special treatment options hookah mixtures consisting of medicinal herbs and do not contain tobacco.
How does hookah affect the heart and blood vessels?
There is a common experiment - comparing the level of heat generation from the surface of the skin of the hands before and after smoking a cigarette. According to these data, immediately after a smoke break, the skin of the hands becomes significantly colder due to the narrowing of peripheral blood vessels. This effect does not occur when smoking a hookah. In general, any immediate effects of nicotine when smoking a hookah are not pronounced.
But if we consider the long term, then everything looks far from so harmless. Frequency, ischemia and various disorders vascular tone among hookah and cigarette smokers is approximately the same and noticeably higher than among people who do not have such a bad habit.
However, it is worth mentioning that hookah smoking is only one of the factors that provoke cardiac and vascular pathologies. It is neither the only nor the determining cause. But for patients with other predisposing factors, the influence of hookah can be detrimental.
How does hookah affect the central nervous system and vision?
Hookah smoke has a direct irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the eye. However, a number of impurities that are added to make the smoke smell pleasant can enhance this effect, especially if the patient is hypersensitive to them. Irritation is manifested by redness of the eyes, lacrimation, dryness of the conjunctiva. This effect is enhanced if the room where hookah is smoked is not ventilated for a long time.
In the long term, constant irritation can provoke conjunctivitis, uveitis (inflammation choroid) and dry eye syndrome.But similar conditions It is quite easy to avoid - you need to regularly ventilate the room and not allow the smoke to fall directly on your face.
The effect of hookah on the central nervous system is manifested in oxygen starvation brain cells.
If the patient is constantly in a smoky room, then persistent hypoxia occurs, which is manifested by constant headaches, fatigue, decreased memory, attention, slowed reaction and decreased speed of thinking.
For people for whom these qualities are extremely important during work, this condition can lead to loss of professional skills. You can combat this effect in the same way as the negative impact on vision - regularly ventilate the room and go out into the fresh air.
How does hookah affect the lungs?
The respiratory system is most affected by any type of smoking. It is into the lungs that smoke enters, and there it has its effect. negative impact. Hookah is no exception, but the effect of the damaging factors of hookah smoke has its own characteristics compared to cigarette smoke.
Direct irritant effect on mucous membranes respiratory tract Hookah smoke is much lower than cigarette smoke due to the lower temperature. Besides, in cigarette smoke contains small particles of ash, which are not found in hookah smoke.
Therefore, the likelihood of cancer of the larynx and bronchi in hookah smokers is lower than in cigarette smokers. However, smoke still irritates the mucous membranes, increases mucus secretion, and can provoke chronic bronchitis, although this happens less frequently.
Air saturated with hookah smoke is poorer in oxygen than clean air. This effect is more pronounced in hookahs than in cigarettes. He creates additional conditions for the development of brain hypoxia, and also reduces the efficiency of gas exchange in the lungs, due to which the pulmonary capillaries narrow.
Can it be addictive?
Smoking is one of the most powerful addictions that is difficult to overcome. The direct influence of nicotine, which is integrated into metabolism, and psychological addiction take part in its formation.
More information about the dangers of hookah can be found in the video:
Things are completely different with psychological dependence. Hookah is strongly associated with a pleasant smell, good company, and a whole ritual associated with its preparation and smoking. All this effectively helps to relax and relieve excess tension, but it is also much more addictive than cigarettes. Besides. patients most often do not realize psychological dependence from the hookah, so they don’t even try to get rid of it.
What happens if you smoke hookah every day?
Smoking a hookah daily can have a dual effect. The first thing the patient will notice is his psychological condition will improve noticeably. Stress is much easier to bear irritating factors cause a less strong reaction, in general the person becomes calmer and more peaceful. On this basis, many patients conclude that smoking hookah is beneficial, and continue to use relaxing procedures with the same regularity.
However, after a few months regular use hookah, the negative effects of hookah begin to appear. Efficiency decreases mental activity, fatigue increases, sleep is disturbed. In particular severe cases the patient cannot get enough sleep at night due to drowsiness during the day, and during the day he is always sleepy due to the fact that he did not get enough sleep at night.
The body's resistance to stress and infections also decreases significantly - people get sick more often, and the frequency of colds especially increases.
Eye pathologies associated with the influence of hookah smoke occur. Negative effects associated with exposure to smoke internal organs, appear after about a year or more.
