Quit Smoking on World No Tobacco Day - May 31st

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May 31 is observed as No Tobacco Day, and to commemorate this day, World Health Organisation has selected "The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" as its theme this year. The guidelines provided in this convention will provide the foundation for countries to implement and manage tobacco control. 

Did you know that around 6 million people die from the use and exposure to tobacco smoke (that includes passive smoking as well), which relates to almost one death every six seconds. Apart from this, 63% of deaths have been attributed to Noncommunicable diseases (NCD), for which tobbacco use is the greatest risk factor, after high blood pressure. 

"Each year, over 430,000 people die as a result of a smoking-related disease. Yet, over 50 million continue to smoke, including over 3 million teens. An estimated three thousand teenagers begin to smoke each day, and one thousand of them will eventually die as a result. According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoking leads to 87% of lung cancers, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Healthcare and lost productivity costs of $97.2 billion dollars per years arise from smoking related illnesses. Cigarettes contain over 19 known cancer-causing chemicals in addition to nicotine." 

The use of tobbacco or nicotine can have very harmful effects on the body. It is very important to understand these harmful effects and to increase the awareness in the general population, therefore the day of May 31 2011 is being observed as "No smoking day or No tobacco day." Tobacco products are dose-dependent and depend more on abuse rather than simple use. More importantly, the nicotine that is found in substantial amounts in tobacco products can be attributed to cause the addiction among smokers to such an extent that its addictive potential has been equated with heroine, morphine and cocaine.

Nicotine is rapidly absorbed through the lungs of a smoker and also readily absorbed through the oral mucosa under the alkaline conditions normally found in cigar, pipe and smokeless tobacco use, a fact which is less publicized. Once the nicotine enters the blood stream, it acts upon the central nervous and cardiovascular systems regardless of the method of its absortion. Of course, the smoking and chewing of tobbaco can cause cancer of the oral mucosa, is a wide known fact.

It goes without saying that the use of tobacco can harm every part of your body adversely. It damages the heart and the circulatory system, lungs, oral mucosa that includes the teeth and the gums, causes ulcers of the digestive system, affects bones causing osteoporosis and can also damage the kidneys indirectly due to the high blood pressure caused due to smoking.

In women, excessive smoking can affect the reproductive system wherein their fertility is compromised and menopause occurs one to two years earlier. It also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Even more serious are the risks to an unborn child if the mother smokes during pregnancy, as it increases the chances of miscarriage. The infants born to mothers who smoke are at risk of low borth weight, prematurity, cleft lip and palate, infections and SIDS. The reproductive system of men also gets affected causing decreased sperm count and in some cases also impotency.

 

"No Tobacco Day" will be welcomed in many different ways in all the countries in order to create awareness and urge people to quit smoking. Releasing posters, flyers and organising walks, events and talks are some of the ways that this will be accomplished.

The Burning Mouth Syndrome Remains a Mystery

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Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is described as a scalding sensation in the tongue, lips, palate or throughout the mouth, which can be very painful and frustrating. This is the same feeling that one gets after drinking something hot and burning the tongue and mouth. The only difference being that in normal circumstances, the scalding sensation subsides within a day or two, whereas in the condition of the burning mouth syndrome, it continues to persist for months to years.

                               

It can affect anyone, but mostly occurs in middle-aged or older women and often occurs with a range of medical and dental conditions, from nutritional deficiencies and menopause to dry mouth and allergies. However, its connection and the exact cause of burning mouth syndrome are still very unclear and cannot be identified with any certainty.

According to a recent study, the damage to the nervous system during menopause may be to blame. "The cause of BMS is currently unknown, but our findings support the theory that this is a neuropathic condition," says lead study author Gary D. Klasser, DMD. "For reasons unknown, it seems that the BMS patient's nerves are not sending and/or processing information correctly there's a short circuit in the nervous system and the brain can't turn off the pain receptors."

The article with the findings of this study was published in the May/June 2011 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

According to the report, nearly 5 percent of Americans were affected by BMS and suffered from a constant burning sensation most commonly on the top of the tongue, lower lip, and roof of the mouth. Although it affected both the sexes, but it was found to affect the women seven times more than men in their menopausal and post-menopausal years.

"For a small percentage of women, it is these hormonal changes that may alter taste and the way in which a person interprets pain," says Dr. Klasser. "The alterations may be enough to start the cascade of events that lead to BMS."

Since the condition lacks any physical evidence, it can be very difficult for many health practitioners to recognize the condition, diagnose it and manage BMS effectively. Most of the health practitioners may not even be familiar with this condition. This causes many patients to leave the doctors office in frustration and remain untreated.

"Besides reporting oral burning, patients describe experiencing a dry, gritty feeling in the mouth, as well as alterations in taste," says AGD Spokesperson Eugene Antenucci, DDS, FAGD. Fortunately, “BMS is not a matter of life or death, but a matter of quality of life”, says Dr. Antenucci. Patients who suffer from this condition should seek out a dentist or health practitioner who has experience and knowledge about this condition for its effective treatment and management. And although there is currently no cure for this condition, the symptoms can be managed quite effectively with the help of topical and systemic medications. The patients are advised to consult their doctor to determine the medication that is best suited for them.

Drinking lots of water throughout the day is a very effective way to help alleviate symptoms of Burning mouth syndrome, without taking medication, as it keeps the mouth lubricated. In addition, avoid spicy food, hot and acidic foods that can aggravate the symptoms or chew on sugarless gum to increase the flow of saliva in the mouth. Tobacco and alcohol products are also known to cause irritation to the oral tissues and therefore its best to avoid them.