Smoking Increases Risk of High Blood Pressure in Children

There's yet another reason to quit smoking: parents who smoke may be raising their child's blood pressure.

This week in Circulation, Swiss researchers published their results of a study looking at parents who smoked and their preschool-aged children. The researchers found that systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in children of smoking parents. Even when they corrected for body mass index, parental hypertension, birth weight and risk factors, they found that parental smoking is a risk factor for high blood pressure.

In other words, if you smoke, you're putting your child at risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular complications. If you can't quit for yourself, quit for him or her.

Luckily, Northwest Hospital is here to help you kick the habit. Up in Smoke is a FREE six-week smoking cessation program. It includes behavioral modification, support, and nicotine replacement. The next session begins on January 20 and is open to LifeBridge Health employees and members of the community. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 410-601-9355.

-Elizabeth Leis-Newman

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

by Jason Bosley-Smith, CSCS, Live Well @ LifeBridge

Today is The Great American Smokeout. There are myriad of reasons to kick the habit, but the key is to determine YOUR reason—your “why” for quitting once and for all.

If you are considering quitting and want to be successful, begin first by sitting down and writing out your motivation. By now, most of us know the serious health impact smoking causes, which can provide a good place to start. Also consider what smoking will mean for you and your quality of life. What will quitting allow you to do that you feel you miss out on now? How will you feel both physically and mentally once you quit? What kind of example will your success be for those around you?

To provide you with some additional ammunition to get going, here is a timeline from the American Cancer Society that shows what you can expect to experience physically once you take that last puff and quit for good:

Even as soon as 20 minutes after a smoker smokes their last cigarette, their body begins the healing process.

Short-term Benefits
At 20 minutes after quitting:
• Blood pressure decreases
• Pulse rate drops
• Body temperature of hands and feet increases

At 8 hours:
• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:
Chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:
• Nerve endings start to regrow
• Ability to smell and taste is enhanced

At 2 weeks to 3 months:
• Circulation improves
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases

1 to 9 months:
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases

1 year:
Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker

Long-term Benefits
At 5 years:
From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

At 10 years:
• Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
• Risk of ulcer decreases

At 15 years:
• Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
• Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked

Other Benefits of Quitting
• Cigarettes are expensive
• No odor of smoke in your clothes and hair
• A healthy example for children and grandchildren
• A more sensitive sense of smell
• A better sense of taste
• Family members, particularly children, will be healthier because they aren't breathing in your smoke.

It is NEVER TOO LATE to quit! A smoker who quits smoking is likely to add years to their life, breathe more easily, and have more energy.

Smoking Cessation Offered

Quitters never win - unless they quit smoking.

If you or a loved one is having a hard time stopping your smoking habit, here are some tips from the Baltimore County Health Department. You can also talk to your physician.

1) Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free Nicotine patches and free phone counseling.

2) Call the Baltimore County Department of Health, Tobacco Use and Cessation program for free nicotine replacement gum, patches and other support, including classes, at 410-887-3828.

3) Baltimore County offers a Freedom from Smoking Class, with eight sessions that each last 90 minutes. Topics covered include controlling weight, smoking triggers and handling stress. Classes start October 1 at the St. Stephen's AME Church in Essex at 6 p.m.; October 6 at The Drumcastle Center in Baltimore at 5 p.m.; and October 13 at the Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Baltimore at 6 p.m. To register or for more information, call 410-887-3828.

To find a LifeBridge Health physician, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

Oral Cancer Can Be Prevented

Do you have a sore on your lip that does not heal? It could be a sign of oral cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are around 29,000 new cases of oral cancer diagnosed every year in the United States. There are an average of 600 new cases expected in Maryland this year.

But most oral cancer is preventable. Ninety percent of oral cancer use tobacco, making it the No. 1 risk factor. Those over 40 years old are more likely to have oral cancer, and it is twice as common in men as women. Other risk factors include alcohol use, prolonged sun exposure and having HPV (human papillomavirus).

Like other cancers, oral cancer is more likely to be cured if it is caught early. By limiting alcohol consumption, using a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15, and eating a healthy diet are among the ways to reduce your chances of contacting oral cancer.

And of course, stop smoking. The Maryland Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) offers free telephone-based counseling, support and tips to help you quit. The Baltimore City Health Department also offers smoking cessation.

Free smoking cessation programs, some of which are held at Northwest Hospital, are available to Baltimore County residents or individuals that work or attend school in Baltimore County over 18 years of age. Call the Baltimore County Tobacco Resource Line at 1-888-887-0123 to learn more.

Break the habit - sign up for the Up in Smoke program

Up in Smoke is a free, five-week program to help Baltimore-area residents quit smoking. The program includes nicotine replacement (gum, patches, lozenges), behavior modification and support. Classes are held weekly at Sinai Hospital’s Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute beginning March 10, from 6 to 7 p.m.

To register in advance, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

Did you or someone you know quit smoking? What tips and tricks can you share for fighting off the nicotine cravings?

Photo courtesy of the United States National Library of Medicine.