Hookah, also known as shisha, has become increasingly popular among many people as a smoking alternative that is seen as more relaxing and enjoyable. Many believe that hookah is safer than cigarettes because the smoke passes through water before being inhaled. However, in reality, hookah still poses several serious health risks. Below, we will discuss in more detail the effects of smoking hookah. Stay tuned!
Smoking Hookah Effects on Health
Smoking hookah has become a popular habit among many people, especially in various countries. Exposure to different toxic substances and the long-term smoking habit can lead to serious health conditions. Below is an explanation of the smoking hookah effects on health, which includes exposure to harmful substances, risks of respiratory diseases, heart diseases, and the potential for cancer.
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Exposure to Harmful Substances
Hookah smoke contains various harmful substances that can damage the body, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar. Nicotine is an addictive substance that makes smokers dependent, while carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that can reduce oxygen levels in the blood, causing dizziness, fatigue, and even poisoning if exposed in large amounts.
In addition, the tar contained in hookah smoke is a carcinogenic substance that can damage lung tissue and contribute to the development of lung cancer. Although hookah smoke passes through water, many people believe that this process can filter out harmful substances. However, research shows that water is ineffective in removing most of these toxic substances, so hookah smoke remains harmful to health.
Using hookah is not safer, even though the smoke passes through water, for the following reasons:
- The process of burning tobacco in a hookah generates extremely high temperatures, which leads to the formation of harmful substances such as formaldehyde and acetone.
- While water can filter out large particles, it cannot filter out harmful gases like carbon monoxide or nicotine found in the smoke.
- Most harmful substances still enter the smoker’s body, even in greater quantities, especially if a person inhales hookah smoke for longer periods compared to smoking regular cigarettes.
Respiratory Diseases
One of the smoking hookah effects is an increased risk of developing chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The toxic substances in hookah smoke can cause inflammation in the airways and damage the walls of the bronchi, leading to symptoms like chronic coughing, shortness of breath, and excessive mucus production. In the long term, exposure to these harmful substances can permanently damage lung function.
Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs in the lungs are damaged, reducing the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen. This is extremely dangerous as it can cause difficulty breathing and significantly impact a person’s quality of life. While many people feel that smoking hookah is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes, the reality is that the risk to lung health remains, and it may even be higher with prolonged exposure to the smoke.
Research shows that hookah smokers are more likely to develop chronic lung diseases due to the longer duration of smoking, where individuals can inhale hookah smoke for an hour or more in a single session. Thus, even though the effects may not be immediately noticeable, the smoking hookah effect on lung health can be very detrimental and may significantly decrease respiratory function.
Smoking Hookah Effects on Heart Disease
The impact of smoking hookah on heart and blood vessel health is also very serious. The harmful substances in hookah smoke, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, can lead to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine works by narrowing blood vessels, which obstructs blood flow to the heart and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
Carbon monoxide, also present in hookah smoke, can reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, causing the heart to work harder to meet the body’s oxygen demands. Long-term exposure to these substances can increase the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. Therefore, even though hookah use is often considered more relaxing or less harmful, its effects on the cardiovascular system are highly risky.
The risk of heart disease due to smoking hookah increases with long-term smoking habits. Some studies show that hookah smokers are more likely to experience thickening of the arterial walls, which can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis is a condition that can trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Moreover, smoking hookah can worsen other risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and blood sugar levels. With all these effects, it is crucial to realize that smoking hookah is not only harmful to the lungs but also extremely dangerous to heart and blood vessel health.
Cancer Risk
Using hookah is also closely associated with an increased risk of cancer, particularly oral, throat, and lung cancers. Hookah smoke contains carcinogenic substances that can damage the DNA of body cells and trigger cancer cell growth. Oral and throat cancers are types of cancers commonly linked to the use of tobacco products, including hookah.
Furthermore, the tar in hookah smoke is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. While some people believe that hookah use is safer because it passes through water, the reality is that the risk of cancer remains high because harmful substances still enter the body. Given the longer duration of smoking hookah per session, the likelihood of smokers being exposed to carcinogenic substances in high amounts increases.
The cancer risk from smoking hookah increases with regular smoking habits. Research shows that hookah smokers are more likely to develop various types of cancer, especially cancers related to the respiratory tract and organs directly exposed to smoke, such as the mouth, throat, and lungs.
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Solutions to Reduce Health Risks
These are some of the smoking hookah effects that pose a high risk to health, especially when done over an extended period. If you care about your body, it’s important to pay attention to your hookah use. Perhaps you could use it during certain events, in moderation, and not continuously. Additionally, you should ensure that the components used in hookah burning are of high quality.
One important component in hookah burning is the fuel used. If you use low-quality fuel, the risk of disease will be higher compared to choosing the best fuel. The ideal fuel to reduce health risks is coconut charcoal briquettes. This is because coconut charcoal briquettes are made from natural materials that have a lower health risk.To get high-quality coconut charcoal briquettes, you can find them at Little Briquette. Little Briquette is a trusted company and holds national standard certification as the best factory in Indonesia. You can get them by contacting the admin here.