Which kind of cancer would be comfortable with?

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1 Issue No: 151, Date: 1 st June, 2017 NICOTINE IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE KNOWN TO MANKIND AND THE EASY AVAILABILITY OF CIGARETTES ACROSS THE COUNTRY MAKES IT THE MOST ABUSED ONE. DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST AND THE MOST VISIBLE IMPACT OF IT IS ON THE ORAL HEALTH?? Smoking as a habit is most common throughout the world with extensive use of both types of tobacco (gutka or khaini) or smoking tobacco like bidi or cigarettes. Tobacco smoke is made up of over 5000 plus chemicals of which at least 70 are known to be cancer causing. And its just not cancer, but other oral disorders too that come with smoking. Tobacco is also a risk factor for oral cancer, periodontal disease and congenital defects in children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy. Tobacco use may cause many types of cancer including cancer of the lung, larynx mouth, esophagus, throat, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum and cervix. People who use chewing tobacco are at an increased risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas. With no safe level of tobacco use, it is imperative for people who use any type of tobacco product to quit. Which kind of cancer would be comfortable with? Of the throat, oral cavity, larynx, oesophagus, lung, liver, pancreas, stomach, kidney, bowel, ovary, bladder, cervix or blood? Smoking can cause at least 14 types of cancer including oral cancer one of the top three cancers in India. Poor dental health increases the risk of oral cance.

2 Issue No: 151, Date: 1 st June, 2017 The chemistry and toxicology of cigarette smoke and its effects are clearly understood now and it is proven that the temperature up to 900 degree Celsius are reached during the puffs and fall below 400 during the puffs. This temperature constricts the blood flow to mouth mucosa and thus increase the bacterial breeding and bone loss and yellowing of teeth. Precautions: There are no proven way to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco whether you smoke or chew it. Even smoking mild, ultra mild or low tar cigarettes with or without filters is nowhere better; rather the risk for getting dangerous diseases remains the same. This risk can be reduced only when tobacco in any form is stopped consuming completely. It is the only definite way you can do best for your health. Smoking is not an easy way to quit because nicotine is highly addictive and one may need self-determination, a strong will to quit. Before any chemistry or toxicology or awareness things being answered, the basic question as to why people smoke needs to be addressed. Smoking only creates a false sense of achievement, concentration, boost of energy and alertness, reduces appetite and sometimes produces a perpetual need in few people for the first smoke to empty the bowels. There are special toothpastes for people who smoke. They are sometimes a little more abrasive than ordinary toothpastes and you should use them with care. Your dental team may recommend that you use these toothpastes alternately with your usual toothpaste. There are several whitening' toothpastes available in the market. Although they do not affect the natural color of your teeth, they may be effective at removing staining, and therefore may improve the overall appearance of your teeth. People who smoke may find they are more likely to have bad breath than non-smokers. Fresh-breath products such as mouthwashes may help to disguise the problem in the short term, but will not cure it. It is important that you visit your dental team regularly for a normal check-up and a full mouth examination so that any other conditions can be spotted early. You should visit your dental team regularly, as often as they recommend. People who smoke are more likely to have stained teeth, and therefore may need appointments more often with the dental hygienist. Your dentist will carry out a regular examination to make Checkout for lesions caused by smoking: sure that your teeth and gums and whole mouth are healthy. He may also be able to put you in touch with organizations and self-help groups who will have the latest information to help you stop smoking. White/Red lesions in mouth Pre-cancerous lesions Submucous fibrosis Extensive bone loss Poor healing Failed dental implants

3 Issue No: 151, Date: 1 st June, 2017 Disclaimer: Content is sourced from public domain & is provided by H3U for educational & informational purposes. It should not be considered as a substitute to medical advice. H3U makes every effort to ensure accuracy or completeness of editorial content, However we do not take responsibility for any errors, omission & also do not take responsibility to ensure that data, information of material is kept up to date. The views expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of H3U. Reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or otherwise, for reason other than educational & for informational purposes are strictly prohibited without prior written permission of H3U. Corporate Office Vipul MedCare Pvt Ltd. 534, Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurgaon, Haryana Phone: , Fax: , info@vipulmedcare.com

4 Another Reason for Anemia: Thalassemia Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the cells of the body. Oxygen is a sort of food that cells use to function. When there are not enough healthy red blood cells, there is also not enough oxygen delivered to all the other cells of the body, which may cause a person to feel tired, weak or short of breath. This is a condition called anemia. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. When there isn t enough hemoglobin, the body s red blood cells don t function properly and they last shorter periods of time, so there are fewer healthy red blood cells traveling in the bloodstream. Therefore, people with thalassemia may have mild or severe anemia. Severe anemia can damage organs and lead to death. Different types of Thalassemia

5 Different types of thalassemia originates due to one of two things: the specific part of hemoglobin that is affected (usually either alpha or beta ), or the severity of thalassemia, which is noted by words like trait, carrier, intermediate, or major. Hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all cells in the body, is made of two different parts, called alpha and beta. When thalassemia is called alpha or beta, this refers to the part of hemoglobin that isn t being made. If either the alpha or beta part is not made, there aren t enough building blocks to make normal amounts of hemoglobin. Thalassemia trait, minor, intermedia, or major are the types which denotes the severity of this ailment. A person who has thalassemia trait may not have any symptoms at all or may have only mild anemia, while a person with thalassemia major may have severe symptoms and may need regular blood transfusions. Thalassemia traits are passed from parents to children in the same way the traits for hair color and body structure are passed down from parents to children,. The type of thalassemia that a person has depends on how many and what type of traits for thalassemia a person has inherited, or received from their parents. For instance, if a person receives a beta thalassemia trait from his father and another from his mother, he will have beta thalassemia major or vice versa. Having a thalassemia trait means that you may not have any symptoms, but you might pass that trait on to your children and increase their risk for having thalassemia. How do I know if I have Thalassemia? Because thalassemia is inherited, some people find out about their thalassemia because they have relatives with a similar condition. People with moderate and severe forms of thalassemia usually find out about their condition in childhood, since they have symptoms of severe anemia early in life. People with less severe forms of thalassemia may only find out because they are having symptoms of anemia, or maybe because a doctor finds anemia on a routine blood test or a test done for another reason.

6 How does Thalassemia affect my Body? Your body will try very hard to make more red blood cells. The main place where blood cells are made is the bone marrow. Because your bone marrow may be working harder than normal, it might grow bigger. This causes your bones to expand, and may stretch your bones and make them thinner and more easily broken. Another place where blood is made is an organ called the spleen. It sits on the left side of your abdomen, just under your lower ribs. The spleen has many other jobs. Two of the major ones are filtering the blood and Since your body has fewer red blood cells when you have thalassemia, you may have symptoms like Low blood count or anemia Feel tired or weak Dizziness Shortness of breath A fast heart beat Headache Leg cramps Difficulty concentrating Pale skin monitoring the blood for certain infections. When it finds these infections, it can start the process of fighting them. When you have thalassemia, the spleen can get very big as it tries to make blood cells. In this process of making blood, its other functions of filtering blood and fighting infections gets compromised, because of which, people with thalassemia are said to be immunocompromised, which means that some of the body s defenses against infection aren t working. This state will make a person more prone to recurrent infections and therefore, extra protection is needed and that can be achieved by taking flu shots and other vaccines. Treatment of Thalassemia It is the severity of the problem which happens to be the deciding factor for its treatment as the more severe the thalassemia is, the less hemoglobin the body has, and the more severe the anemia may be. One way to treat anemia is to provide the body with more red blood cells to carry oxygen. Some people with thalassemia usually with thalassemia major need regular blood transfusions because their body

7 makes such low amounts of hemoglobin. People with thalassemia intermedia (not as severe as major, but not as mild as trait) may need blood transfusions sometimes, such as when they have an infection or an illness. People with thalassemia minor or trait usually do not need blood transfusions because they either do not have anemia or have only a mild anemia. Many times people with thalassemia are prescribed a supplemental B vitamin, known as folic acid, to help treat anemia. Folic acid can help red blood cells develop. Thalassemia and Blood Transfusion Because of receiving a lot of blood transfusions for its treatment, people suffering from thalassemia are at a risk of iron overload which might collects in places like the heart, liver, and brain, and can make it hard for these organs to work properly. To prevent iron overload, people with thalassemia may need chelation therapy either in the form of a pill or a shot under the skin to remove excess iron before it builds up in the organs. Every time a person gets a blood transfusion, they undergo a phenomenon called alloimmunization where a person s body reacts to blood from a transfusion because it is seen as harmful by their immune system, and tries to destroy it. Though persons with alloimmunization can still receive blood transfusions, but the blood they receive has to be thoroughly checked so that it won t be destroyed by their immune system. All this takes time and therefore, either the persons with alloimmunization have to wait longer for blood, or may have a harder time finding blood that won t be destroyed by their body. Another concern associated with blood transfusion calls for the safety of the blood they receive. Some infections, like hepatitis, can be carried in blood. Thus, its proper screening and monitoring before transfusion must be ensured.

8 Disclaimer: Content is sourced from public domain & is provided by H3U for educational & informational purposes. It should not be considered as a substitute to medical advice. H3U makes every effort to ensure accuracy or completeness of editorial content, However we do not take responsibility for any errors, omission & also do not take responsibility to ensure that data, information of material is kept up to date. The views expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of H3U. Reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or otherwise, for reason other than educational & for informational purposes are strictly prohibited without prior written permission of H3U. Corporate Office Vipul MedCare Pvt Ltd. 534, Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurgaon, Haryana Phone: , Fax: , info@vipulmedcare.com