Table of contents:
- Duration of exposure to secondhand smoke and its effects
- How to deal with the dangers of cigarette smoke on the body
- 1. Steam therapy
- 2. Cough intentionally
- 3. Remove mucus with postural drainage
- 4. Exercise routine
- 5. Drink green tea
A person becomes a passive smoker when inhaling cigarette smoke from direct burning of cigarettes and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. The smoke from tobacco / cigarettes that is burned is more dangerous than the smoke that is inhaled by the smokers themselves. This means that people around smokers have a higher risk of developing problems caused by smoking. So, how do you deal with the dangers of cigarette smoke?
Duration of exposure to secondhand smoke and its effects
Logically, the longer you are exposed to cigarette smoke, the more likely you are to experience health problems. If so, it will be even more difficult for you to overcome the dangers of cigarette smoke.
As an illustration, here's what happens to your body if you inhale cigarette smoke.
- 5 minutes, stiffen the aorta (largest artery in the body), like a smoker
- 20-30 minutes, causing excess blood clotting, and increasing fat buildup in blood vessels. As a result, you will increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
- 2 hours, increases the chance of an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and can trigger a heart attack.
How to deal with the dangers of cigarette smoke on the body
As reported from Medical News Today, WHO states that exposure to air pollution kills as many as 4.2 million people each year.
In order not to continue to be exposed to the dangers of cigarette smoke, there are several things you can do to solve this one problem. You need to maintain the cleanliness of the lungs so that health-especially of the respiratory system-is not disturbed.
Some of the things you can do include:
1. Steam therapy
Steam therapy or steam inhalation is done by inhaling water vapor to open the respiratory tract and help expel mucus contaminated with cigarette smoke from the lungs. This method is an effort to overcome the dangers of cigarette smoke on the body.
Cold or dry air may worsen symptoms in people who have lung problems. This climate can dry out the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract and block blood flow.
On the other hand, steam can make the air warm and humid. This promotes breathing and helps the mucus become more fluid in the respiratory tract and lungs.
You can immediately feel the benefits of inhaling water vapor and it will make it easier for you to breathe.
2. Cough intentionally
Coughing is the body's way of naturally flushing out toxins trapped in mucus. Usually people will also cough when inhaling cigarette smoke.
To help deal with the dangers of accidentally inhaled cigarette smoke, coughing willfully loosens or loosens the thickness of mucus present in the lungs.
You can follow these steps:
- Sit in a chair relaxed and keep your feet flat on the floor
- Fold your hands over your stomach
- Breathe in through your nose slowly
- Exhale as you lean forward and press your hands against your stomach
- Cough 2 to 3 times while exhaling and open your mouth slightly
- Breathe in through your nose slowly
- Stop and repeat as necessary
3. Remove mucus with postural drainage
This third way is done with postural drainage (postural drainage). You can do this technique by lying down in several positions to take advantage of gravity to release mucus.
This method can improve breathing and help heal, as well as prevent lung infections, so it is useful in overcoming the dangers of accidentally inhaled cigarette smoke.
4. Exercise routine
Regular exercise can improve your physical and mental health and reduce your risk of contracting a variety of health conditions, including stroke and heart disease.
Exercise forces muscles to work more. This can increase the rhythm of breathing, thereby increasing the amount of oxygen entering the muscles.
It also improves circulation, making the body more efficient at removing the remaining carbon dioxide that the body produces during exercise.
The body will adapt to the need for regular exercise. The muscles then use up oxygen more efficiently and produce less carbon dioxide.
5. Drink green tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation in the lungs. Antioxidants are even able to protect lung tissue from the bad effects of smoke inhalation.
