Beyond Lungs: Scientists Discover Shocking Side Effect Of Smoking On The Brain
New Delhi: Smoking is injurious to health and that is a known fact for a long time doctors have stressed the importance of ditching the habit as early as possible to dodge the risk of deadly diseases like cancer, heart attack and stroke. This is because smoking in every way is considered incredibly harmful for the lungs which it is, but there is more that one is at risk of brain damage. According to a new study, smoking every day can reduce the size of the brain. The new research suggests that the brains of daily smokers are 0.4 cubic inches smaller than those who never smoked. For this, scientists had analysed the brain scans of people from the UK Biobank along with self-reported smoking habits. Participants in this research completed surveys from 2006-2010 and 2012-2013. In the second phase, they also underwent MRIs. It was noted that people who never smoked had higher brain volume than those who did. The difference accounted for a 0.3 cubic inch dip in grey matter which plays a role in emotion and memory and a 0.1 cubic inch dip in white matter which allows information transfer. However, the frequency of smoking also had a strong impact on brain shrinkage. But those who quit the habit witnessed a reverse decline in brain mass. Every year without smoking contributed to 0.005 cubic inch increase in grey matter volume. The research appeared in medRxic and has not yet been peer-reviewed. What is brain shrinkage? Cerebral atrophy or the brain shrinking happens with age overtime. Its symptoms are: Muscle loss Blurred vision Disorientation Loss of coordination Muscle weakness Alzheimers disease How to quit smoking permanently? In order to quit smoking permanently, it is important to condition the brain and body to get accustomed to living without a cigarette: Use nicotine patches List your reasons to quit Exercise List your triggers and avoid them Keep yourself busy to dodge the cravings Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
Monday, May 15, 2023 at 3:43 am