Hookah - the harm and consequences of smoking. Why do people smoke hookah and is it dangerous to health?

The final taste of the vapor, its thickness, and aroma depend on the liquid in the flask. Milk, juices, alcohol vs. ordinary water. Is there any harm from hookah on water?

Shisha, as a smoking device, is not harmful. What matters is what a person chooses as a dressing and what he pours into the flask. Mineral water is a traditional ingredient. It filters steam from tobacco combustion products and cools it. Abroad, milk is added to enhance the aroma, fresh juices. We use everything: beer, cola, strong alcoholic drinks.

Mineral water without gas – best filler for narghile. Milk foams and forms airborne droplets that can get into the hose, the same goes for sodas. Alcohol in nargil is not only unhealthy, but truly dangerous.

How to make a hookah on water harmless?

There are three rules:

• The liquid must be purified (preferably distilled);
• Add only cooled liquid;
• When adding other ingredients, strictly follow the proportions (milk and juices no more than 1:2, alcohol no more than 1:4).

The quality of the filling will determine the taste and level of harm to the body. But even unrefined “life-giving moisture” cannot be compared with the negative effects of tobacco. No spring sources can remove soot, nicotine and other unpleasant substances from smoke.

If you want to pamper yourself with smoky cocktails without compromising your health, pay attention to nicotine-free tobaccos, smoking stones and gels.

And connoisseurs of an authentic session need to come to terms with the harmfulness and not overdo it. It is recommended to smoke no more than 3 times a week. It is prohibited to smoke more than 2 sessions per day.

Is hookah on water harmful? Definitely yes! The same as with juice, fruit and even less harmful than a bottle of alcoholic drinks.

In fairness, it is worth noting that shisha is recognized as the most in a safe way smoking tobacco. The degree of filtration is high, only natural tobacco leaves are used in production, the mixtures are free of tars, benzenes and other “cigarette aspects”. This method of relaxation is chosen even by those who are intolerant to the smell of tobacco, who have never smoked or who have quit regular cigarettes.

The choice is always up to the smoker.

Strictly speaking, hookah smoking and cigarette smoking are the same process, inhaling smoke and nicotine. This is absolutely not necessary for health; moreover, a lot has been written about the dangers of nicotine scientific works and a lot has been done practical research. And about whether hookah is harmful, many practical swords have also been broken and many theoretical disputes have been overcome.

Is hookah harmful to health?

When filled into a hookah, it is no different from how cigarettes are filled, except that hookah tobacco must be moistened and is often impregnated with flavoring and aromatic additives.

Another thing is that the processes of smoking and inhaling hookah smoke are very different - hence the difference in effects. If smoking is the combustion of tobacco at high temperatures, then in a hookah the tobacco smolders and burns slowly.

In both cases, a person receives the effects of nicotine and tobacco smoke, but the severity of these effects varies.

Harm of hookah to the human body

When smoking a hookah, the first place is not the effect of nicotine, but the influence of smoke, or more precisely, the substances contained in it. From this point of view, the question “is hookah harmful?” less clear than similar problem when smoking.

The fact is that hookah smoke contains many times smaller amounts of biologically active substances that negatively affect the body: resins, benzopyrene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, formaldehyde.

But the volumes are incomparable - in their mathematical calculation. Formally, when smoking cigarettes and hookahs, it is the same - how much the lungs can draw in, that is, it depends on their vital capacity.

But with a cigarette, the volume of smoke is limited by its small size and, accordingly, by the combustion time (3-5 minutes on average), while 25-30 grams of tobacco that fits in an average hookah cup can be consumed for a long time.

On average, the volume of smoke emitted when smoking a cigarette is about 400 ml, the volume of hookah smoke is up to 1.5 liters.

At the same time, the pH level of tobacco used in hookahs is high due to the peculiarities of the manufacturing technology (drying, adding flavorings, binding components, etc.). Accordingly, it is impossible to completely eliminate the “nicotine” negative from hookah smoking.

• Duration of smoking, which means prolongation of inhalation time.
• Preservation of the toxic properties of smoke and nicotine, albeit in smaller quantities.

Compensation for the volume of incoming nicotine and/or smoke components by increasing the duration of inhalation.

Effect on the heart

Hookah has both an immediate effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system and an impact in the form of long-term consequences. The immediate effect (mainly due to the action of nicotine) is minimally expressed and gives virtually no subjective sensations.

With the accumulation of “hookah” experience, the toxicological significance of the total exposure to active agents increases, which leads to the development of objectively determined and subjectively felt symptoms. They are caused by diseases typical of smokers (or premorbid background): angina pectoris, ischemia, impaired vascular tone.

It is recognized that these diseases and processes in humans smoking tobacco only through a hookah, develop through much longer time than the pathologies of cigarette smokers. This is quite understandable: a smaller volume results in less intoxication and develops a slower response from the tissues.

Effect on the lungs

Part harmful substances formed during the combustion of tobacco and smoke settles on the walls of the vessel and the hookah shaft. Water also plays the role of a kind of filter, retaining a certain amount of combustion products. However, according to various estimates, the total degree of purification does not exceed 40%.

Taking into account the prolonged process of hookah smoking and the large volume of inhaled smoke, you can be sure that toxic substances enter the lungs in a volume sufficient to negative impact on respiratory tract tissue.

There may be a slight, short-term decline in mental and physical activity, headache....

Under the influence of smoke, the activity of cilia - the ciliated epithelium lining Airways from the inside and play one of the main roles in the process of respiration (mucociliary clearance) and cleansing.

The irritating effect of smoke leads to the formation of a chronic focus of inflammation in the lungs. In turn, the presence inflammatory process in lung tissue reduces the level of local and general immunity, creates a favorable environment for the formation of foci of specific and nonspecific processes.

Effect on vision

If we talk about whether hookah itself is harmful to the eyes, then hookah smoke can provoke at least two unpleasant conditions.

This is irritation of the mucous membrane of the eye by smoke, manifested by redness of the eye and mild itching, and which sometimes results in dry eye syndrome.

The second disease is uveitis, an inflammation of the choroid, the cause of which is also irritation of the eye tissues by smoke.

To be fair, it is worth noting that for the development of these conditions, you need to smoke a hookah often, for a long time, and the exhaled smoke must get on your face.

Effect on the central nervous system

One of the possible negative influences hookah on the nervous system - addiction. A person generally very easily accepts certain rituals and conditions necessary to achieve a state of relaxation, and hookah smoking is no exception.

This is a whole ritual, the reproduction of which creates a feeling of stability, calm, and familiarity. And this is exactly what many people lack. As well as communication among people with a common hobby - at least hookah.

Carbon monoxide, which is formed in large quantities when smoking a hookah, is also dangerous for the central nervous system, however, due to its low concentration, poisoning does not have pronounced symptoms.

There may be a slight, short-term decrease in mental and physical activity, headache; in people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, shortness of breath and mild pain in the heart area may appear.

Nicotine, of course, also has an effect, but its effects are less pronounced: it can be assumed that in people with vascular pathologies or unstable blood pressure, the manifestations of nicotine intoxication will be more noticeable.

Effect on pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a pathology, but a completely physiological state. True, in order for it to develop in accordance with biological canons, it is necessary to exclude as much as possible all potential sources of threats. This includes smoking hookah.

Whether it has a strong effect or not is not important in this case. Risk the health of the mother and fetus, increase the risk of a pathological course birth period- absolutely useless, background load is enough environment, which is also quite impressive.

Is hookah with milk harmful?

Hookah with milk is considered soft, it is preferred by those who are not too keen on hookah or are just trying it. Although, by and large, it doesn’t matter if a hookah is charged with milk or water - its harm is not so much from the liquid component, but from tobacco (more precisely, its quality and quantity) and from smoke.

Hookah without nicotine

Smoking a hookah is a fashionable phenomenon, but many people are aware that smoking a hookah can cause the development of diseases. In the light of the fight against tobacco smoking, hookah mixtures began to appear that do not contain tobacco, which means that the effect of nicotine is eliminated.

However, the smoke remains, and whether smoking a hookah is harmful or not depends, not least of all, on the “quality” of the smoke. The smoke from the combustion of fruit additives contains large quantity resins and aromatic hydrocarbons, acetaldehyde, than in tobacco smoke.

Consequently, the negative effect of smoke is no less, which means that smoking a nicotine-free hookah cannot be considered absolutely safe from a toxic point of view.

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Hookah is very popular among young people. There is an opinion that it is absolutely harmless. Few people know that smoking is addictive, long-term use may be accompanied by states of intoxication and hangover. Such a hobby can result in the transmission of an infectious disease, cancer or myocardial infarction. For more safe use You need a good hookah and the right mixture - this will reduce health risks.

What is a hookah

A hookah is a special smoking device that filters and cools the inhaled smoke. Many people consider it an excellent, harmless alternative to regular cigarettes, but this is wrong. More than 105 million people smoke hookah around the world, mostly people age group from 15 to 28 years. According to statistics, most of them are city residents, many are from higher education.

In almost every establishment in our country you can order a hookah - these are bars, clubs or restaurants. For a fee, the person will be provided with this device, prepared and lit. There are also special places- hookah bars. People who come there want to enjoy the smoke, so customers do not have to worry that other visitors may not share this entertainment or will come up and make a comment. There are special stores where you can buy hookah for personal use at home or as a gift. They are also brought from other countries as souvenirs.

Story

India is considered the birthplace of hookah. Many scientists believe that it was invented by Hindus - for treatment and meditation, who smoked hashish and marijuana. He immediately won the hearts of many people in the Muslim world. It was used from Indochina to Morocco. There is another opinion that the Mayan Indians first used a similar device (it was a pumpkin with a smoldering coal inside). European countries They learned about “smoky entertainment” only in the 19th century. Russian people began to embrace hookahs only in the 90s. Arab students brought hookahs with mixtures with them.

Device

The hookah consists of several components. At its base there is a flask (vessel) with liquid, where about 40% of the substances contained in the smoke settle. A special hose with a pipe extends above the water level for convenient smoking. Then comes the shaft, which acts as a filter; various impurities remain on its walls. Then a smoking bowl (chilim) is inserted on top. A hookah is a tube in which, when smoking, rarefied air is created, thanks to which the smoke passes into the lungs of the smoker.

Since ancient times, it has been customary to smoke pure tobacco in a hookah. Now they use:

• smoking mixtures;
• stones (ordinary pebbles, which are soaked in sweet syrup and glycerin);
• syrups (new on the market, requires a special hookah bowl).

Nicotine-free smoking mixtures can be purchased through an online store; they are not sold in regular tobacco kiosks. Their composition includes sugar syrup, spices and many herbs that have a mild psychotropic effect, but tobacco is not added to them. Manufacturers do not reveal the secret of making the mixture, but one thing is known: they do not use prohibited substances. There are three types of tobacco mixtures:

1. tobacco without additives;
2. tobacco with aromatic oils and fruits;
3. tobacco with honey or glycerin.

What are the harms of hookah?

Hookah is harmful to health. When smoking, it is generally accepted that all harmful substances during the smoldering of tobacco and different preservatives contained in the mixtures condense on the vessel and the liquid in the flask. Only less than half of all toxins remain in the device; the rest are inhaled by the person through a hose with a mouthpiece. Even one puff is harmful to a person.

Nicotine

Hookah mixtures can contain from 0.05% to 0.5% of the substance, if you estimate this amount in milligrams of nicotine, you get an average of 2.96. A regular cigarette contains from 0.2 to 1.3 mg, depending on trademark and product prices. One hookah smoking session lasts about 40 minutes - one hour, so nicotine enters the blood twice as much as with a regular hookah. cigarette tobacco.

Smoke

Hookah smoke, even if it does not contain nicotine, is very harmful to health. Its composition contains harmful substances such as:

• carbon monoxide;
• nicotine;
• tobacco-specific nitrosamines;
• volatile aldehydes;
• salt heavy metals(lead, etc.);
• arsenic (small doses);
• polycyclic aromatic carbohydrates that have a carcinogenic effect.

A regular cigarette contains, in addition to great content nicotine and tar, products of the breakdown of the paper from which it is made. The harm of a hookah is much lower, because many harmful substances settle on the device itself. It is believed that tobacco is used for such smoking components High Quality. Nicotine-free mixtures have a detrimental effect on the body; they contain various aromatic compounds, molasses, and sweet syrups, which, when destroyed, form harmful toxins.

Infections

Exists a large number of infections that are transmitted by sharing a mouthpiece. To eliminate risks, it is necessary to observe the rules of personal hygiene. In one company, people smoking a shared hookah can become infected with diseases such as:

• herpes;
• Hepatitis B;
• meningitis;
• syphilis;
• ARVI;
• different fungal diseases;
• tuberculosis.

The effect of hookah on the human body

If a person tries to smoke hookah for the first time, then abuse can adversely affect health. His misuse may cause toxic poisoning body. Signs of intoxication include:

• vomiting;
• shortness of breath;
• nausea;
• dizziness;
• severe lethargy;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• high body temperature;
• feeling of chest compression.

If such symptomatic signs appear, the person needs to immediately provide pre-medical care. It is necessary to create an influx of fresh air, free the chest from clothing, rinse the face cold water. If there is no improvement, a qualified professional will be required. health care. A big misconception is to think that hookah is harmless.

The cardiovascular system

When inhaling hookah smoke, it occurs instant reaction heart vessels, accompanied by tachycardia (increased heart rate). Need to beware negative consequences, arising much later. TO side effects regular use nicotine may include:

• myocardial ischemia (impaired blood supply to the heart muscle);
• angina ( pain syndrome due to narrowing blood vessels hearts);
• myocardial infarction.

Lungs

In total, less than 50% of hookah smoke is purified, some of the harmful substances remain in the liquid, settle in the vessel (walls, shaft), and the other is retained by the built-in filter. But most toxins still end up in the lungs smoking man. The bronchial tree of the human lungs consists of a special ciliated epithelium. It plays a protective role by trapping dust and other small particles that enter the inhaled air, which are then expelled by coughing and sneezing.

During constant hookah smoking, under the influence of hookah smoke, the bronchial epithelium stops performing its main function. The cilia stick together, harmful substances easily enter the lung tissue. Incoming smoke irritates the walls of the bronchial tubes, causing bronchitis, asthma or lung cancer. The harm from smoking hookah is obvious; it is better to refrain from using it frequently.

Nervous system

One of the most serious actions for the central nervous system– this is a dependence (addiction) to smoking mixtures. This smoke causes less intoxication, unlike smoldering cigarettes. Dangerous connection for neurons it is carbon monoxide produced when using a hookah. Regular smokers may experience:

• strong headache;
• decline mental activity;
• weakness;
• apathy.

Organ of vision

Scientists have proven that evaporation aromatic oils and other substances located near the smoker are dangerous for visual organs person. The steam that envelops the entire space can cause several serious illnesses:

• Inflammation of the blood vessels of the eye - uveitis. The cause is considered to be constant irritation from hookah smoke.
• Dry eye syndrome - xerophthalmia. It is expressed in constant redness of the sclera and itching that appears while smoking.

Harm of hookah for girls

The consequences of hookah in girls can affect appearance. Smoke tars cause hair loss and dullness, yellowing of tooth enamel, bad smell from the mouth, brittle nails, dry skin of the hands and face, the appearance of new wrinkles. To preserve youth for a long time, you must stop inhaling fragrant steam. Hookah smoking is addictive and causes invaluable harm to health.

For men's health

Most hookah smokers are men. Probably none of them thinks about the harm this type of pastime can bring to their health. Over time, the stronger sex may have problems:

• decreased potency due to deformation of the walls of blood vessels (the result of exposure to harmful substances) - blood gradually stops flowing to the penis;
• sexual dysfunction(impotence) in at a young age occurs under the influence of smoke.

For others

Non-smoking visitors to such companies are half smokers. They also inhale a large concentration carbon monoxide and nitrogen into the lungs, just in a different way. It is mistakenly believed that hookah vapor contains less nicotine and other carcinogenic substances, so it is harmless to others. Scientists have proven that this is an erroneous opinion, and “passive” smokers also receive a lot of harmful substances.

Video

The history of the appearance of hookah is covered in legends - it is still unknown exactly who first introduced the fashion for it - Indians, Persians or Ethiopians. Until the 18th century, hookah was smoked only in the East, but gradually the exotic device conquered Europe. Today, hookah parties are a popular entertainment all over the world, not to mention in their homeland - the eastern countries. But it was the Arabs who were the first to sound the alarm, announcing the dangers of hookah and backing this up with a number of major studies.

How is hookah different from cigarettes?

There is no need to talk about the differences between hookah and cigarettes - all the specifics are visible to the naked eye. For cigarettes, dry small tobacco is used, and for hookahs, large and moist tobacco, in cigarettes everything active substances wrapped in paper, in a hookah in a special cup, and so on. But if the difference is so great, does it mean that the harm from hookah and cigarettes is also incomparable?

The main difference between these smoking devices is the composition of the smoke. An ordinary cigarette - both the cheapest and the most expensive - contains a lot of nicotine, dangerous tars, carcinogens and harmful impurities from burning paper. If the paper is of low quality, the proportion of impurities can be quite impressive.

In a hookah, the proportion of nicotine is noticeably lower, there are practically no carcinogens (they remain in the water), and the amount of harmful resins is also less.

The biggest danger when using a hookah is carbon monoxide (CO). When you are addicted to cigarettes, its share is much lower, where the functions of CO are taken over by other toxins. Unless, of course, you smoke one pack at a time, but this is almost impossible.

Another feature is the composition of the tobacco. In cigarettes, the main enemies are tar, nicotine, and various poisons (acetaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, etc.). Refined hookah tobacco brings another danger - it often uses chemical flavorings, including petroleum resins, which are no less poisonous to the body than the terrible acetaldehyde. At the same time, there are also nicotine-free hookahs, the harm from which is much lower.
In the video, facts about hookah smoking:

What is the harm of hookah

There are many different theories and speculations about the dangers, harmlessness and even benefits of hookah. Although hookah parties have been popular for several centuries, people started talking about the true effects of tasty smoke on the body relatively recently, when massive research on this topic began around the world.

Opponents of hookah claim that the harm from a “hookah session” on the human body is equivalent to 60-100 smoked cigarettes, wet vapors only enhance the penetration of toxins into tissues and organs, and hookah addiction develops incredibly quickly. So what is the true harm of hookah to health?

Carbon monoxide

The proportion of CO that enters the body with hookah smoke is tens of times higher than the portion found in cigarettes. Compare: one cigarette smoked provides 11.66 mg of carbon monoxide, and one hookah session provides approximately 179 mg. And this takes into account the fact that several people use the hookah.

Due to its moisture and viscousness, it penetrates into the lungs much more easily, reaching even those areas that are inaccessible to cigarette CO - the lower respiratory tract. And with excessive hookah smoking there is even a risk of full-blown carbon monoxide poisoning.

The symptoms are:

• severe weakness;
• nausea;
• gagging;
• dizziness;
• fainting.

When receiving such signals, you need to urgently throw away the hookah pipe and go out into the fresh air, otherwise you can cause serious harm to yourself.

Saliva exchange

The exchange of saliva is a specific feature of hookah pleasure. The cigarette is usually used individually, the request “let me finish smoking!” rather an exception, and the risks of becoming infected with something through saliva are minimal.

With hookah the situation is completely different. Several people usually participate in a smoking session; the pipe through which the smoke is inhaled is one for everyone. Microparticles of saliva remain on the surface, where they can easily end up dangerous viruses. The list of diseases that can be acquired through saliva is very wide - from simple herpes to hepatitis B, rare bacterial meningitis and even syphilis.

Special disposable mouthpieces can be a salvation. They are easy to purchase in the hookah sections of stores, and many bars and restaurants offer them along with the hookah when ordering.

Passive smoking

The dangers of passive hookah smoking are not often discussed. Since there is much less nicotine and toxins in moist smoke, it is believed that passive smokers suffer virtually no harm. But that's not true.

According to the World Health Organization, hookah smoke contains enough harmful substances that can cause heart and vascular diseases, lung cancer and other ailments.

During a hookah session, those who do not smoke usually do not have the opportunity to leave the room for a long time, and such a session sometimes lasts several hours. As a result, a significant part of the smoke goes to non-smokers.

Burning smoke

One of the main advantages of hookah is called chilled smoke, but this is just a myth. Tobacco in a hookah smolders on coals and reaches a temperature of 400-450 ºС. Even passing through cool liquid and a long tube, it does not have time to cool down enough.

As a result, when deeply inhaling smoke, the laryngeal mucosa burns and loses its barrier function. And all the harmful substances from smoking smoke and ordinary air very quickly enter directly into the lungs. In addition, with regular inhalation of large volumes of smoke (500-600 cubic cm), the lungs lose elasticity, as well as the ability to remove hazardous substances.

Hookah device

Addiction

Full-fledged psychological and physiological dependence on hookah smoking is rather a myth. Dependence develops from nicotine, but hookah still provides a much smaller dose than cigarettes. But this is provided that you use it not every couple of days, but occasionally.

But there is another danger. Nicotine can accumulate in the body and will require increasingly larger doses over time. Therefore, a person who is addicted to hookah can soon easily switch to regular cigarettes and even mild psychotropic drugs. In this case, the risk of psychological dependence approaches 100%.

Hookah can also provoke so-called social addiction. Refined surroundings (a beautiful room, a cozy bar, a good restaurant), the company of friends and an atmosphere of relaxation lead to the desire to smoke aromatic smoke more and more often. Precisely because of the situation. As a result, nicotine accumulates, and nicotine addiction is only a couple of steps away.

So harm or benefit?

Today hookah is an integral part good evening in pleasant company, like a special bar, cafe or ordinary apartment. Hookah is great for relaxing, helping to relieve stress and make closer friends with friends and colleagues.

If you choose between a hookah and a simple filter cigarette, the first one will have a number of advantages:

• Filtering tasty smoke through water (milk or tea) reduces the concentration of nicotine, phenols, benzopyrene and others toxic substances. This means that much less toxins enter the body.
• Poisonous acrolein and acetaldehyde almost completely disappear when passing through the liquid, this reduces the load on the lungs and immunity.
• Cigarette smoking is fraught with great danger - carcinogens that are produced when tobacco burns. Tobacco does not burn in a hookah fresh air, and smolders in closed, therefore carcinogens in principle cannot be formed.
• When smoking a hookah, cheap paper is not used, like in cigarettes, so harmful paper substances (including heavy metal residues) cannot harm you.
• And hookah smoke is simply very pleasant compared to the suffocating cigarette smog.

Whether to smoke a hookah or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves. If you constantly resort to this supposedly innocent pleasure, you can seriously harm your health.

Thus, scientists from Mashhad University medical sciences(Iran) examined 57 avid hookah smokers and found shortness of breath in 23% of girls and boys, chest tightness in 37% of women and men, and smoker’s cough in 21%. And the Egyptian Ministry of Health believes that the hookah craze is to blame for the high incidence of tuberculosis in the country.

But if you approach the hookah carefully, buy only high-quality tobacco, always use an individual mouthpiece and smoke only in rare, exceptional cases, dangerous consequences it is quite possible to reduce it.
In the video about the benefits and harms of hookah:

Smoking hookah is a popular fashion recent years, common even among teenagers. How harmful is hookah, and what are the health consequences of smoking it?

Hookah fashion - where did it come from?

Smoking - bad habit, which affects more than a third of the world's population. Because smoking does not create visible danger for society, in most countries tobacco is not prohibited at the legislative level. However, inhaling harmful smoke is extremely harmful to the health of the smoker and the people around him in the long term.

Well aware of the harm of tobacco, smokers themselves are trying to find an alternative to their addiction. Hookah has become one of these alternatives - its popularity has increased greatly over the past few years.

At first glance, this smoking device really looks quite attractive. First of all, hookah mixtures have a pleasant aroma, not at all similar to the bitter smell of cigarettes. Inhaling the aromatic vapors, smokers truly enjoy the process. In addition, a hookah is associated with relaxation - you won’t be able to smoke it “on the run”, but it comes in handy in a friendly company that wants to leisurely relax after a hearty meal.

Hookahs can be found in many restaurants and cafes; increasingly, small devices are purchased for home use. Both adults and teenagers use such devices - the latter seems to have a smoking device as an opportunity to touch the “adult” world without harm to health.

Thus, the vast majority of smokers actually believe that hookah is safe - or, according to at least, much less harmful than cigarettes. But is this true or is it true? To understand this issue, first consider the principle of operation of the hookah device.

How the hookah works

What does any hookah consist of? Its main elements are a flask, a metal shaft, a cup for tobacco and a saucer for coals, as well as a flexible hose that extends from the bottom of the flask - through it, smoke is inhaled.

Before using the device, a small amount of water is poured into the flask, then moist aromatic tobacco is placed in the cup, and coals are lit on a special saucer. Since the saucer and cup are located close to each other, under the influence high temperature the tobacco begins to smolder and emits thick aromatic smoke. This smoke descends through the shaft into a flask filled with water, passes through a kind of water filter - and then enters the smoker’s lungs through a hose.

When proving the safety of hookah, smokers use exactly two arguments as the main arguments: fundamental differences this device from a cigarette. They claim that not burning, but quietly smoldering tobacco emits much less harmful substances - and, moreover, half of them settle on the walls of the shaft and are filtered out by water. An already purified mixture of essential oils and water vapor.

Is smoking hookah harmful?

Who is right in this dispute - smokers or doctors who claim that using the device is harmful to health? No matter how much smokers would like to believe otherwise, research convincingly proves that hookah really does cause harm. And, moreover, it is much greater than ordinary smoking.

• The composition of the tobacco mixture for a smoking device is no different from regular tobacco. Nicotine, harmful tars, formaldehyde and benzene - hookah mixtures also contain all these substances.
• When smoking a hookah mixture, a person inhales much more smoke than when taking several puffs of a cigarette. After all, if a cigarette takes only a few minutes, then you can smoke a hookah for an hour or longer - getting one hundred to two hundred times more nicotine and other harmful substances.
• When using a smoking device tobacco smoke saturates a huge amount carbon dioxide. In fact, for a long time, smokers voluntarily inhale carbon monoxide - which immediately affects their well-being and is harmful to health. To make the scale clear, it is enough to say that in an hour a smoking device produces the same amount of carbon monoxide as is released when smoking a whole pack of cigarettes.
• When most people take a drag from a cigarette, they inhale the smoke shallowly. With a hookah, the situation is different - in order to feel the taste and aroma of the smoke, you need to make a significant effort when inhaling. Because of this, smoke and all harmful substances enter not only the upper, but also the lower sections respiratory tract.

And finally, there is one more danger - not obvious at first glance. If the hookah is not used individually, but in big company, then saliva is exchanged between participants in exotic smoking. This can lead to contracting colds, infections and even venereal diseases- You can hardly say with confidence that all your friends are absolutely healthy.

Even using your own mouthpiece does not eliminate the problem - after all, microparticles of saliva during smoking end up on the walls of the hose, mixing with the vapor during the next puff.

What are the consequences of frequent hookah smoking?

We have established that hookah is definitely harmful and cannot be considered a “harmless” replacement for cigarettes. But what exactly are the consequences for the body caused by frequent use of a smoking device?

• First of all, a high concentration of carbon monoxide in the smoking mixture is harmful to the heart and vascular system of the body. Many smokers, especially inexperienced ones, complain of headache, dizziness and nausea after inhaling aromatic smoke - this is how an overdose of carbon dioxide manifests itself. At constant use smoking device leads to increased blood pressure and contributes to the development of heart disease.
• Smoke inhaled when smoking moist tobacco blends has negative health effects respiratory system. As we remember, the composition of hookah tobacco is no different from regular tobacco - but the dosage of harmful substances is much higher. Tars and carcinogens settle on the walls of the larynx and lungs, causing persistent cough and increasing the risk of developing oncological diseases. Hookah smokers are much more susceptible to seasonal colds because their immunity is reduced.
• Having a negative effect on blood vessels, hookah mixtures impair brain function. Concentration is impaired, and the ability for intense intellectual work is lost. This is why hookah is especially dangerous for young people - it affects the quality of their studies.

Separately, it is worth noting that passive inhalation of hookah fumes is just as harmful as the active use of a smoking device. By analogy with cigarette smoke, the smoke from a hookah does not completely enter the smoker’s lungs - some of it dissipates in the air. Accordingly, everyone nearby is also forced to inhale harmful fumes from smoldering tobacco.

What is more dangerous - hookah or cigarettes?

We studied the principle of operation of a hookah and found that it is definitely harmful to health. It remains to be seen how much. Is this harm comparable to the negative effect of cigarettes - or is hookah even more dangerous than the usual method of smoking?

Doctors unanimously say that in the short and long term negative effect hookah is definitely more harmful than traditional cigarettes. The danger is primarily the duration of smoking - it is customary to sip aromatic smoke from a hose for 30 to 60 minutes. So a person does much more deep breaths- and, accordingly, receives huge dosages of harmful substances and carbon monoxide.

Another danger of hookah is the rapid formation of a bad habit. Dependence on regular cigarettes develops more slowly, and it is a little easier to control it - since a person feels when he begins to lack nicotine. In the case of hookah, the situation is more complicated - most smokers justify the craving that arises by saying that they just want to try new tobacco or enjoy their favorite aroma. Quit bad habit It turns out to be very difficult - a strong addiction manages to form.

We can draw the following conclusion - it is best not to acquire such a habit as smoking at all. However, if the choice is between cigarettes and a hookah, you must remember that the smoking device is much more harmful and cannot be an “easy” replacement for regular cigarettes.

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