Bronchitis

How to Quit Smoking?

Shakeel Ahmad Shah

Why Do We Start to Smoke Interested in experimenting Parents or friends smoke Looks cool Want to fit in Friends pressurize to smoke To get rid of gastric problem To fire-out stress & tiredness … and many other reasons Why Do We Continue to Smoke Nicotine addiction Tough to quit! Something to do with your hands Stimulation nicotine stimulates Do not know how to quit smoking Feels good or like it Relieves or friends stress to continue Other reasons? Why to Quit Smoking Smoking is killing you and your lovers. It is your real enemy. If you do not know enough about your enemy, it will defeat you. To defeat your enemy, you must know it in depth. Smoking Facts: Tobacco is only legally sold product that is DEADLY when used exactly as the manufacturer intended. Smokers with 1-14 cigarettes a day, have 8 times the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to non-smokers. Smokers with above 25 cigarettes a day, have 25 times this risk. Smoking leads to an earlier menopause in women. On average women smokers go through the menopause up to 2 years earlier than non-smokers and are at a greater risk of developing the bony tissue disease. Smoking is associated with increased sperm abnormalities and with impotence in men. Smoking causes at least 80% of all deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of all deaths from bronchitis and emphysema and around 17% of all deaths from heart disease. Hundreds of the cases of lung cancer and thousands of the cases of heart disease in non-smokers every year are caused by passive smoking. Tobacco kills around 120,000 people in the UK every year, about 330 every day – as if a plane crashed every day and killed all its passengers, around 20% of all deaths. A young smoker suffering from bronchitis or emphysema who gives up will see improvement in lung function. Damage to lungs caused by years of smoking is permanent but quitting smoking prevents it worsening. Smoking is Global: Second major cause of death in the world – about 5 million deaths each year 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people that smoke today 650 million people- will eventually be killed by tobacco. (World Health Organization) Cigarette Contains Carbon Monoxide Arsenic Ammonia Acetone Formaldehyde Methanol (Rocket Fuel) Hydrogen Cyanide (Rat Poison) ….. and Nicotine! Facts About Nicotine A drug found only in the tobacco leaf At low doses it can stimulate nerve cells At high doses it is a poison that has been used as an insecticide Two to three drops of pure nicotine can kill you What Does Nicotine Do Within 7 seconds, one-quarter of the nicotine has gone straight to the brain. It has a powerful effect on the brain and the central nervous system. Causes your brain to release a “pleasure” chemical called Dopamine. Nicotine receptors on your nerve endings receive the Dopamine and create “Happy” nerve cells. The Dopamine gives you a false sense of well-being, and soon the body wants more and more on a regular basis. This is the beginning of an addiction. Smoking: Short-Term Effects Bad Smell perfume will not hide it Bad Teeth Bad Breath Get More Colds / Sickness Sore Throat Headaches High Blood Pressure Wastage of Money Smoking: Long-Term Effects Hardening of blood vessels in heart & brain Increased risk of heart attack & stroke Lung Diseases (emphysema & bronchitis) Increased risk of cancer Stomach Ulcers & Cancer Cataracts & blindness & Other illnesses Smoking Related Diseases: Bronchitis Emphysema Heart disease Cancer Kidney diseases …. and many others The Smoker’s Lungs: You can see how the lung looks without the effects of inhalation of smoke. Note black specks throughout indicative of carbon deposits from pollution. Smokers lung with cancer. This is what killed the person. The blackened area is just the deposit of tars that all smokers paint into their lungs with every puff they take. Smoking Effects on Pregnancy: Increased risk of: Miscarriages Premature births Low birth weight infants Respiratory infections Middle ear infections Meningococcal infections Asthma …. and many other health problems. What is Second-Hand Smoke Second-hand smoke is more dangerous than directly inhaled smoke. It is harmful even when you cannot see or smell it. Second-hand smoke releases the same 4,000 chemicals as smoke that is directly inhaled, but often in even greater quantities A big number of non-smokers die from lung cancer each year because of second-hand smoke. Second-Hand Smoke Effects Smoking is like killing with slow-poisoning. Continuously inhaling the smoke results in swear illnesses resulting to death. Short-term: Eye irritation Headache Nasal discomfort and sneezing Cough and sore throat Nausea and dizziness Increased heart rate and blood pressure Increased risk for people with heart disease (angina), asthma, allergies. Long-term: Childhood asthma and other breathing difficulties. Reduced ability to take in and use oxygen Heart disease and stroke Lungs cancer Reasons to Quit Giving up smoking can reduce the risk of developing many health problems. Stinks, bad breath, yellow skin Family/Friends Cost too much Peer pressure (fewer smokers) Fewer places to smoke in public Do not like it anymore sick of it Other reasons? How to QUIT? Formulate a plan decide on the best approach for you. Two ways to quit All at once Cutting back Based on the way you want to quit there are a lot of tools out there to help you. Quit Aids Strong Will Power Green Cardamom Chew Gum Pills Zyban Nicotine Inhaler Breath Mint E-Cigarettes Alternative Treatments: Acupressure Reiki Hypnosis Tips to Quit The 4D’s ….. Drink water, Deep breathe, Delay and Do something different Brush your teeth, chew regular gum Eat breakfast first Make your home smoke free or at least limit smoking to one room Make your vehicle smoke free Exercise and eat right Stay positive! References familydoctor.org www.smokefree.gov www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco www.smokefreefamilies.org www.helppregnantsmokersquit.org =============== Prime Cancer Care & General Hospital (PCCGH) Prime Institute of Health Sciences (PIHS) One Kilometer from Motorway Chowk (Chungi No.26), Motorway Service Road,

Acupressure Healing

Shakeel Ahmad Shah

What is Acupressure? Acupressure is a form of Chinese method of treatment. It uses the fingers or similar tools to press acupressure points on the body to stimulate the natural self healing abilities. The Chinese have been using acupressure for over 5,000 years. How Does Acupressure Work? Acupressure points are places on the skin that are especially sensitive to bio-electrical impulses in the body. The points are junctures of meridian pathways that carry energy called chi the Japanese call it ki. The scientists have also mapped out and proved the existence of these points using electrical devices. These points can be stimulated with pressure, needles, or heat to release endorphins that relive pain, as a result pain is blocked the blood and oxygen flow is increased causing muscles to relax and healing to accelerate. Types of Acupressure: There are many different types of acupressure, and each practitioner may draw from a variety of methods. One of the most popular is Shiatsu, a Japanese technique based on ancient Chinese principles. Practitioners of Zen Shiatsu use their whole bodies as leverage to apply strong pressure. Barefoot Shiatsu practitioners bring the feet into play, as well as the hands, to rub and press acupressure points. In the Chinese acupressure variation known as Tui Na, practitioners use their hands for massage like kneading motions. Reflexology is a type of acupressure that involves pressure points on the feet and sometimes the hands. Benefits of Acupressure Relieving pain Balancing the body Reduces tension Increases circulation Relaxing Easing back pain Certain types of headaches, including migraine. Post-operative pain and nausea has been found to respond to pressure point massage. Morning sickness, motion sickness, and other types of nausea. Improve overall vitality and well-being. The Acupressure Treatment During a treatment, which can last anywhere from 15 minutes to nearly an hour depending on the severity of the problem, an acupressure therapist may have you sit or lie on a massage table. The therapist will work on the specific acupoints that relate to your condition. Pressing a point behind your knee, for example, can help address low back pain or pressing a point on the top of the foot may help ease the pain of migraine. Press each point for 3-10 seconds (longer in some cases). The points may be pressed and released repeatedly. If the problem doesn’t respond after about 20 to 30 minutes of treatment, acupressure may not be effective for you for that particular ailment. After a treatment, you will probably feel looser and more relaxed. You may experience a slight achiness, but you shouldn’t be in pain. Within three to eight visits, you should know whether the treatment is working for your ailment. Stress management usually requires a series of about six regular (weekly or monthly) treatments. Self Acupressure The self Acupressure is a cost-effective treatment and no special equipment is required, all you need is a finger of your own! You can use fingertips, knuckles, or thumbs to press you can also buy items that press for you. It can be performed alone anywhere any time. Each area of the body requires a different amount of pressure. If it hurts a lot when you apply pressure on a point, then use lighter pressure. The calves, the face, and genital areas are sensitive. The back, buttocks, and shoulders, especially if the musculature is developed, usually need deeper, firmer pressure. Press for around 1-5 minutes on any points you are treating and give an equal time to the same point on each side of the body, as in fact you may experience discomfort on one side when the problem is actually on the other side. Use moderate pressure do not try to drill a hole in yourself but also just resting a finger on an acupoint won’t have much effect. If you can’t find or know exact point location for your disease, just press various points on your hands or on your body. Wherever the problem lies, you will feel slight pain by pressing it. Just press the point 1-5 minutes to treat the disease. Caution: See a qualified acutherapist first and discuss possible acupoints. Acupressure Points Acupressure Techniques: Pressing There are two ways that acupressure points are manipulated: pressing and reducing them. To press points, use something blunt. Usually the fingers are used to press, but I find that for many points the fingers may be a bit too thick, so you’d have to press quite long and firmly. Ideal would be something 3 to 4 mm thick, like a (preferably used) pencil eraser that’s on the other side of a pencil. Some points can be pressed using a fingernail. Pressing points for less than half a second can already have a distinguishable effect. Just trying out a point you could press it only briefly. To get a full effect pressure should be applied for at least half a minute, but preferably longer, 1-2 minutes should do. Acupressure Techniques: Reducing To reduce a point, turn a finger over it in counter-clockwise direction, also for one to two minutes. It’s a good idea not to get into the habit of doing the same points every day. Do them when you feel you need them, don’t overdo it. Notice what effects points have on you. If you’re weak (from age, disease or whatever), don’t reduce points more often then necessary and be sure to also additionally press these points for a few seconds. Do a point on both sides of the body. General Acupressure Points to Stay Fit By checking and activating the following eight points daily, one can stay healthy: > LI-4 Situated in web of the thumb and index finger. You can get this point at centre of mount which forms when you press your thumb close to index finger. > TW-5 Situated at four fingers from the wrist crease. > P-6 Situated at 3 fingers from wrist joint at centre. > St-36 Situated at 4 fingers from knee joint at centre. > Liv-3