Cigarettes aren’t good for us. That’s hardly news--we’ve known about the dangers of smoking for decades. But how exactly do cigarettes harm us? Let’s look at what happens as their ingredients make their way through our bodies, and how we benefit physically when we finally give up smoking.
Cigarete nisu dobre po nas. To nije ništa novo - već decenijama su nam poznate opasnosti od pušenja. Međutim, kako tačno nam cigarete škode? Pogledajmo šta se dešava kad se njihovi sastojci probijaju kroz naša tela i kakvu korist imaju naša tela kada konačno ostavimo pušenje.
With each inhalation, smoke brings its more than 5,000 chemical substances into contact with the body’s tissues. From the start, tar, a black, resinous material, begins to coat the teeth and gums, damaging tooth enamel, and eventually causing decay. Over time, smoke also damages nerve-endings in the nose, causing loss of smell.
Svakim udisajem dim donosi preko 5 000 svojih hemijskih supstanci u kontakt s tkivima u našem telu. Već u startu, katran, crni, smolasti materijal, počinje da pravi naslage na zubima i desnima, oštećujući zubnu gleđ i vremenom uzrokujući propadanje. Vremenom, dim takođe oštećuje nervne završetke u nosu, uzrokujući gubitak čula mirisa.
Inside the airways and lungs, smoke increases the likelihood of infections, as well as chronic diseases like bronchitis and emphysema. It does this by damaging the cilia, tiny hairlike structures whose job it is to keep the airways clean. It then fills the alveoli, tiny air sacs that enable the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and blood. A toxic gas called carbon monoxide crosses that membrane into the blood, binding to hemoglobin and displacing the oxygen it would usually have transported around the body. That’s one of the reasons smoking can lead to oxygen deprivation and shortness of breath.
Unutar disajnih puteva i pluća dim povećava šanse za infekcije, kao i hronične bolesti, poput bronhitisa i emfizema. To postiže tako što oštećuje cilije, sićušne strukture nalik dlakama čiji je posao da održavaju disajne puteve čistim. Dim potom ispunjava alveole, sićušne vazdušne kese koje omogućuju razmenu kiseonika i ugljen-dioksida između pluća i krvi. Otrovni gas pod nazivom ugljen-monoksid se probija kroz tu membranu u krv, vezujući se sa hemoglobinom i zamenjujući kiseonik koji krv obično prenosi kroz telo. To je jedan od razloga zašto pušenje može da dovede do nedostatka kiseonika i gubitka daha.
Within about 10 seconds, the bloodstream carries a stimulant called nicotine to the brain, triggering the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters including endorphins that create the pleasurable sensations which make smoking highly addictive. Nicotine and other chemicals from the cigarette simultaneously cause constriction of blood vessels and damage their delicate endothelial lining, restricting blood flow. These vascular effects lead to thickening of blood vessel walls and enhance blood platelet stickiness, increasing the likelihood that clots will form and trigger heart attacks and strokes.
U roku od oko 10 sekundi, krvotok prenosi do mozga stimulans koji se naziva nikotinom, pokrećući oslobađanje dopamina i drugih neurotransmitera, uključujući endorfin koji stvara prijatan osećaj zbog koga je pušenje veoma zarazno. Nikotin i druge hemikalije iz cigareta istovremeno uzrokuju sužavanje krvnih sudova i oštećuju njihov delikatni endotelni sloj u zidu, a to ograničava protok krvi. Ovi vaskularni efekti dovode do zadebljanja zidova krvnih sudova i uvećavaju lepljivost krvnih trombocita, time povećavajući izglede za stvaranje ugrušaka i izazivanje srčanih i moždanih udara.
Many of the chemicals inside cigarettes can trigger dangerous mutations in the body’s DNA that make cancers form. Additionally, ingredients like arsenic and nickel may disrupt the process of DNA repair, thus compromising the body’s ability to fight many cancers. In fact, about one of every three cancer deaths in the United States is caused by smoking.
Mnoge od hemikalija u cigaretama mogu da pokrenu opasne mutacije u DNK tela zbog čega nastaju kanceri. Uz to, sastojsci poput arsena i nikla mogu da naruše proces oporavka DNK, time ugrožavajući sposobnost tela da se bori protiv mnogih kancera. Zapravo, oko jedna od svake tri smrti od kancera u Sjedinjenim Državama je uzrokovana pušenjem.
And it’s not just lung cancer. Smoking can cause cancer in multiple tissues and organs, as well as damaged eyesight and weakened bones. It makes it harder for women to get pregnant. And in men, it can cause erectile dysfunction.
A ne radi se samo o raku pluća. Pušenje može da uzrokuje rak na više tkiva i organa, kao što može i da ošteti vid i da oslabi kosti. Pušenje ženama otežava da zatrudne. A kod muškaraca može da uzrokuje erektilnu disfunkciju.
But for those who quit smoking, there’s a huge positive upside with almost immediate and long-lasting physical benefits.
Međutim, oni koji ostave pušenje imaju ogromnu pozitivnu prednost sa gotovo trenutnim i dugoročnim telesnim prednostima.
Just 20 minutes after a smoker’s final cigarette, their heart rate and blood pressure begin to return to normal. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels stabilize, increasing the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity. A day after ceasing, heart attack risk begins to decrease as blood pressure and heart rates normalize. After two days, the nerve endings responsible for smell and taste start to recover.
Svega 20 minuta nakon pušačeve poslednje cigarete, njegovi otkucaji srca i krvni pritisak počinju da se vraćaju u normalu. Nakon 12 sati, stabilizuju se nivoi ugljen-monoksida, što uvećava sposobnost krvi da prenosi kiseonik. Dan nakon prestanka pušenja, normalizuju se krvni pritisak i rad srca, a time se smanjuje rizik od infarkta. Nakon dva dana, nervni završeci odgovorni za miris i ukus počinju da se oporavljaju.
Lungs become healthier after about one month, with less coughing and shortness of breath. The delicate hair-like cilia in the airways and lungs start recovering within weeks, and are restored after 9 months, improving resistance to infection.
Pluća postaju zdravija za otprilike jedan mesec, uz to se kašalj i gubitak daha proređuju. Delikatne dlakaste cilije u disajnim putevima i plućima počinju da se oporavljaju za nekoliko nedelja i obnovljene su nakon devet meseci, čime se uvećava otpornost na infekcije.
By the one-year anniversary of quitting, heart disease risk plummets to half as blood vessel function improves. Five years in, the chance of a clot forming dramatically declines, and the risk of stroke continues to reduce. After ten years, the chances of developing fatal lung cancer go down by 50%, probably because the body’s ability to repair DNA is once again restored. Fifteen years in, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease is essentially the same as that of a non-smoker.
Do prve godišnjice prestanka pušenja, rizik od srčanih bolesti je prepolovljen jer se funkcije krvnih sudova popravljaju. Pet godina kasnije, šanse za nastanak ugrušaka drastično opadaju i rizik od moždanog udara nastavlja da opada. Nakon deset godina, šanse za dobijanjem smrtonosnog raka pluća opadaju za 50%, verovatno zato što je ponovo uspostavljena sposobnost tela da popravi DNK. Nakon 15 godina, izgledi za dobijanjem koronarnih srčanih bolesti su u suštini jednaki kao kod nepušača.
There’s no point pretending this is all easy to achieve. Quitting can lead to anxiety and depression, resulting from nicotine withdrawal. But fortunately, such effects are usually temporary. And quitting is getting easier, thanks to a growing arsenal of tools. Nicotine replacement therapy through gum, skin patches, lozenges, and sprays may help wean smokers off cigarettes. They work by stimulating nicotine receptors in the brain and thus preventing withdrawal symptoms, without the addition of other harmful chemicals. Counselling and support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, and moderate intensity exercise also help smokers stay cigarette-free.
Nema svrhe da se pretvaramo da je sve ovo lako ostvarivo. Prestanak pušenja može da dovede do anksioznosti i depresije, koji su uzrokovani apstinencijom od nikotina. Međutim, srećom, ti efekti su obično privremeni. A sve je lakše ostaviti pušenje zahvaljujući rastućem arsenalu oruđa. Terapija nikotinske zamene putem žvaka, nikotinskih flastera, lozengi i sprejeva može da pomogne pušačima da se odviknu od cigareta. Deluju tako što stimulišu nikotinske receptore u mozgu i time sprečavaju simptome krize pri odvikavanju, bez ostalih štetnih hemikalija. Savetovališta i grupe podrške, kognitivno-bihejvioralna terapija i vežbe umerenog inteziteta takođe pomažu pušačima da se klone cigareta.
That’s good news, since quitting puts you and your body on the path back to health.
To su dobre vesti jer prestanak pušenja vraća vas i vaše telo ponovo na stazu ozdravljenja.