The effects of smoke on a fetus

August 5, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My daughter is about to have her first child. Both she and her husband smoke, which is of great concern to me. Is my future grandchild in any danger because of their tobacco habits?

DEAR READER: Yes, he or she is. Research has been ongoing for quite some time on this very subject. An associate professor of pediatrics affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital co-wrote a commentary that accompanied the research report.

Physicians, specifically obstetricians, have been advising pregnant women for years of the dangers of smoking to their unborn babies. A woman’s body does not act as a filter system protecting her fetus from the toxins in tobacco. [Read more...]

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No quick fix for the lungs

July 27, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Is there a cleansing recipe I can make at home to clear out toxins in my lungs? Being a former smoker, I want to make sure that my lungs are as clear and clean as possible.

DEAR READER: The lungs are organs the body cannot live without. Unfortunately, many people function with lungs that are not healthy, resulting in countless upper-respiratory infections and difficulties throughout their lives. The air we breathe is filled with impurities — from firsthand, secondhand or thirdhand cigarette smoke; cleaning-solution chemicals; automobile-exhaust fumes; and many other sources.
[Read more...]

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Migraines controlled by smoking?

May 23, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 44-year-old female with migraines. I am otherwise healthy with no other medical problems, but I’m about 30 pounds overweight. I was diagnosed with migraines at age 12 and was put on medication, but because of the side effects, my parents chose to take me off it, and until recently, I haven’t had any trouble.

After smoking for 15 years, I finally quit when my mother passed away from lung cancer. Almost immediately after quitting smoking, my migraines came back and were so bad that I couldn’t function. With three active children, this was not an option for me, so I started smoking again, and the headaches went away.
[Read more...]

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Smoking habit is harmful

February 7, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Please write an article on smoking.
DEAR READER: Smoking is the most common form of drug addiction in the United States. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, studies have determined that nicotine in tobacco products is as addictive as alcohol, cocaine and heroin. Cigarette smoke is a complex blend of such chemicals as cyanide, formaldehyde, acetylene, benzene, methanol and ammonia. Using any form of tobacco causes the combination to reach the brain within seconds, where it works on the central nervous system to provide a seemingly pleasant, relaxing, satisfying sensation. Furthermore, those enjoyable effects wear off rapidly, so the smoker reaches for yet another cigarette or nicotine-containing product to maintain that euphoric “high.” And so it goes. [Read more...]

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