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Tobacco, Nicotine, and You
393 Plays2 years ago
We've all heard or read thousands of warnings about tobacco use. But just because it's "Old News" doesn't mean we should ignore it. There is more to it than the risk of lung cancer, trust me. Take a listen, and learn!
Main background music: "Evening Nights" CC-BY, Mehul Sharma
Main background music: "Evening Nights" CC-BY, Mehul Sharma
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Full Spectrum Holistic Health Podcast. This podcast is all about holistic health, what it is, various holistic and alternative health therapies, and how those may help you to be a healthier and happier person. Thanks for choosing to listen today.
Host's Credentials and Goals
00:00:20
Speaker
I know there are many podcasts out there for you to choose from, and I'm glad you are here. I'm the host for the podcast, Dr. Anthony Burton. I'm a Reiki Master EFT therapist
00:00:32
Speaker
meditation teacher, and a shamanic practitioner. My goal is to help people be healthier in body, mind, and spirit, and that's why I'm here. A large part of what I do is educational in nature because so many people are unaware of the power and efficacy of various holistic and alternative therapies. In these podcasts, we'll hear stuff that will inform you, enlighten you, and help energize and balance you.
00:01:00
Speaker
Of course, it won't always be only my opinions and ideas because occasionally I will be interviewing knowledgeable and interesting guests from a variety of areas of holistic and complementary health practices. So kick back and relax, open your mind, and listen. Spectrum Holistic is a complementary health and wellness business located in northwest Georgia, USA.
00:01:24
Speaker
check out the website at www.spectrum-holistic.com for more information.
Personal Challenges and Home Hospice Care
00:01:39
Speaker
Well, it's been far too long since I posted an episode, but I think I have a good reason. If you've been listening to any of my prior episodes or at least a few of them, you know that
00:01:52
Speaker
My wife and I were caregivers or are caregivers for my aged and infirm father who is legally blind, who has Alzheimer's, who can't really hear very well. And that's not all. Recently, actually on July 31st, he fell and broke his hip. Now when you're 86 years old, falling and breaking your hip is
00:02:21
Speaker
a really bad thing. And I'm not laughing because it's funny. It's bad because the body doesn't heal that quickly when you're that old. It's bad because if you don't want to have surgery, then you're faced with excruciating grinding pain every time you try to move that leg. If you do want to have surgery, well then you are faced with the invasive surgical procedure.
00:02:45
Speaker
and the inputting of chemicals into your body that do not do well, especially with a person who already has dementia from Alzheimer's or any other sort of dementia. At any rate, he had surgery just a couple of days after breaking the hip and he is now
00:03:06
Speaker
home with us. Now we thought after about a week in the hospital we would be able to bring him home and it would be not such a bad thing. We would, you know, it would be rough. My wife is a nurse and of course you know what I do. I'm a holistic health practitioner and we would do our best to keep him comfortable until he healed up a little bit.
00:03:28
Speaker
However, it has become more challenging than that. He obviously was influenced by the chemicals. You know, while he was under anesthesia, probably his brain was damaged a little more than it already had been from the Alzheimer's. So he is not really with the program.
00:03:54
Speaker
And after about a week here with us in the home, mid August, we decided that, you know, he really needs to be in hospice because he's going downhill so fast. Now it's home hospice. So that means that he's here with us in our spare bedroom. And it means that the two of us are his
00:04:19
Speaker
not just his caregivers, but his constant 24-7 caregivers who not just keep an eye on him and feed him meals, but also make sure he gets cleaned up, deal with his anger episodes, deal with his dementia, the fact that he thinks he is in places he really is not.
00:04:45
Speaker
and that he's doing things he really is not or that people are doing things to him that they really are not and that he is just difficult to deal with becomes combative you well he was becoming combative at first but now he is just simply out of touch with reality no longer combative but he sometimes thinks crazy things are going on so we deal with that that has occupied
00:05:15
Speaker
and consumed a great deal of our time for the last few weeks. Luckily, my wife and I are both at least semi-retired now and we have time. She works at home and I work at home. She does a little bit outside the home because she is a program supervisor for a nursing school, but for the most part she's here at home.
00:05:46
Speaker
So it has been challenging to try and get anything done other than the most necessary things. And I know that that sounds like I'm making excuses. Probably I am. But just to let you know, there is a good reason that's been so long since my last episode.
Historical and Health Perspectives on Tobacco
00:06:04
Speaker
OK, I want to talk about a sensitive subject.
00:06:09
Speaker
Tobacco use. Yeah, I know. It is a sore spot for many people. I have counseled clients telling them that they need to quit smoking to be healthier. But often this falls on deaf ears. And I understand. I mean, besides being a poison, nicotine is a very addictive drug.
00:06:32
Speaker
It is telling, though, that nicotine is also used in the manufacture of organic pesticides. They are called neonicotinoids. And in this pure form, it can even kill a human being pretty quickly. Even though for literal decades we have been warned about its deleterious effects on the human body,
00:06:53
Speaker
Tobacco companies continue to rake in the mega shekels because of a combination of Wall Street ad campaigns and the addictive nature of the herb. And honestly, I make no mistake about it. Tobacco is an herb, an addictive toxic herb, but an herb. When tobacco was first brought to England during the reign of Elizabeth I, it was touted as medicinal.
00:07:19
Speaker
Smoking was said to be stimulating and could reduce the effects of hunger. Those who quit smoking are well aware of the post-quitting hunger cravings and how easy it is to gain weight after quitting smoking or even quitting smokeless tobacco unless they are really careful. Now here's a little true story. When I was in eighth grade, I was chubby, but I didn't want to be chubby.
00:07:48
Speaker
So as a way to try and get some healthy exercise, I went to my school's summer basketball camp. It was open to anyone. You didn't have to be on a basketball team. And I figured this was a way to get some exercise. I don't like playing basketball. Anyway, I had a hoop in the backyard. The drills were killer though. And after the second session and I was soaking wet with sweat and, you know, puffing and red face.
00:08:17
Speaker
The coach was driving me home. He asked me why I was in the basketball camp, so I told him. He looked at me and said, now seriously, you know, you want to start smoking. You'll lose weight that way. Easy. At the time he was puffing on a camel cigarette. It's not the way a teacher would have broke things nowadays, I'm sure.
00:08:44
Speaker
And I cannot neglect the use of tobacco as a ritual herb in shamanic ceremonies or vudun rituals or osha rituals, whether smoked in a pipe or given as an offering to the spirits. Tobacco is considered to be a very powerful and masculine herb, spiritually speaking, but that doesn't make it any less harmful when smoked, chewed, or dipped.
00:09:12
Speaker
But at this point, I really want to confine myself to talking about the effects of tobacco on our health. Let me talk about a few things you haven't heard addressed before. Maybe, hopefully. The only mention I'm going to make of lung cancer or throat cancer is this. Time after time after time, medical research has shown how smoking contributes to the development of such lung cancer and throat cancer.
00:09:40
Speaker
But it's not the only causal factor. I know that, but it's a big one. I will mention, however, mouth cancer and nose cancer. Mouth cancer is a terrible thing. I've seen it in people. Their inner tissues of their mouth eaten away or their teeth rotting out and falling out of their jaws. It is not at all pretty.
00:10:03
Speaker
A friend of my family was a cigar smoker, and he always thought he was safe because, hey, you don't inhale a cigar the way you do a cigarette, so you don't pull that smoke down to your lungs. He contracted nose cancer in his forties because he would pull the smoke into his mouth and blow it out through his nose, but it never cut his lungs.
00:10:26
Speaker
And, you know, just when the cigar would burn in his mouth, the smoke would drift up his nose and also from blowing out his nose. Never reached his lungs, but it sure messed up his face. Well, you know, some of the things that tobacco does to a human body are not as evident nor talked about as much in public safety and health messaging. So let's hit those a few. Anyway, let's talk about diabetes.
00:10:56
Speaker
and tobacco. If you have diabetes, if you're diabetic, whether you're type 1 or type 2, doesn't matter, tobacco use is associated with increased blood sugar levels as well as increasing blood pressure. And if a person has diabetes coupled with neuropathy, which is a common occurrence, that's where the nerves and the extremities like your fingers and toes and your hands and feet become damaged.
00:11:23
Speaker
the neuropathy is often worsened by tobacco use. Diabetic neuropathy can manifest in different ways, sometimes in combination in the same individual. The damaged nerves may be so messed up that they fail to transmit proper signals to the brain. So feeling in the extremities is almost non-existent.
00:11:45
Speaker
I had a relative who had diabetes and diabetic neuropathy and the nerves in her feet and lower legs were so damaged that she could not feel the pedals in her car well enough to know whether she had her foot on the brake or the accelerator or simply resting on the floorboard. Now she was foolish enough to continue to drive anyway. And she was also lucky enough not to have an accident, but not everybody will be that lucky.
00:12:16
Speaker
Other people or sometimes the same people may have bouts of fiery pain or pins and needles in their hands or feet that last for hours or may occur multiple times in a day. I know one person with diabetic neuropathy who's almost in tears because his feet constantly felt like they were on fire.
00:12:40
Speaker
Now that sounds bad, I know, but it's not all. Broken bones heal more slowly when a person's a tobacco user. In fact, sometimes bones will not knit together at all. This is called a non-union, and it's especially common when the broken bone is a foot, ankle, knee, or wrist. In one study, 95% of non-smokers heal completely when they have such a break.
00:13:08
Speaker
while only 68% of smokers did. But it isn't just your bones. Any injured tissue heals more slowly when someone uses tobacco. Now, why is that? Well, all has to do with how nicotine acts on the body. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor. This means it causes your blood vessels to contract to as little as 25% of their usual diameter.
00:13:38
Speaker
Now think about it, if you're trying to pump water to put out a burning house, would you rather use a garden hose or a fire hose? Our blood vessels carry oxygen, white blood cells, and nutrition to our wounds and our broken bones. When that flow is reduced to 25% of what it should be, the injuries simply cannot heal the way they should. This means longer stays in the hospital, longer time in a cast,
00:14:08
Speaker
longer time recovering, and longer time out of work, probably without pay. And in some cases, it means the injury simply never heals completely at all. Have you ever wondered why dentists ask you about tobacco use when they may be about to do some sort of procedure? It's not just because your breath will be nasty, or your teeth will be especially hard to clean. Although both things are true,
00:14:39
Speaker
Nicotine, in other words, tobacco use, is especially bad about inhibiting the helium mouth tissues, such as from tooth extraction or from oral surgery or something like that. Why especially? Well, think about it. If you are dipping or smoking or chewing, where does all that porous nicotine get into your body and what are the first mucous membranes it encounters? That's right, your mouth.
00:15:09
Speaker
And the mucous membranes are permeable, meaning that nicotine passes right into them. So they get the biggest dose of it right there. Okay, by now I know a lot of listeners probably have tuned out completely and maybe they've gone on to something more fun. Maybe a comedy podcast or one about music or serial killers.
00:15:32
Speaker
And some who have not changed to another podcast may be rolling their eyes and saying, yeah, yeah, yeah. The back out is bad. I've heard it all my life. Well, there are a lot of things you've been warned about repeatedly. Probably. That doesn't mean the warnings are invalid. I know that it's hard to quit smoking, chewing, or dipping. Once you get past the initial nasty taste of it, it can make you feel good.
00:16:04
Speaker
Here's a scientific info about it taken directly from research on the subject. Our bodies produce chemicals called endogenous opioids. Now those chemicals are produced by our body to help us deal with pain. One of those is called beta endorphin. I'm sure you've heard of endorphins. They produce what's called a runner's high. That positive feeling that occurs when a runner
00:16:32
Speaker
or some other athletes performing at an intense level of physical activity, they get this rush of euphoria. The ache or pain from exertion seems to disappear. They've gone through the wall. They broke through it. They get their second wind. But it's a short-lived euphoria, unfortunately. Tobacco causes our body to produce such endogenous opioids. And that's why most smokers report feeling more relaxed after having a cigarette.
00:17:02
Speaker
but it's not healthy for the use of tobacco. That little rush of feel good is also accompanied by much less noticeable bad effects. They're there, but they're invisible most of the time, such as an increase in blood pressure, a depression of the body's healing functions like your immune system and so forth, and a spike in blood sugar.
00:17:26
Speaker
Now I know that most everyone who's listened to this podcast, or who may have turned it off by now, has had it drummed into his, her, or their head that tobacco is bed for them. But there's a lot of peer pressure to get started using tobacco. Whether it's a cigarette, a cigar, a pinch of chew, or one of those little packets that get tucked between your cheek and gum. And once you start, it's difficult to stop. That's a fact.
00:17:56
Speaker
because it is addictive. But there are ways to make it easier. Now, let me say something here, though. A lot of people recommend nicotine chewing gum or nicotine patches as a way to stop smoking. And if that's the only way you can get through it, I guess you can use them. But with either of those methods, you are still putting that poison into your system and it's not healthy.
00:18:21
Speaker
I mean, think about it. It's a nicotine patch or it's nicotine gum. So even if you're not smoking, not lighting up, you're still getting the nicotine. Quitting tobacco is not just about avoiding lung cancer or throat cancer or mouth cancer or COPD.
Methods and Benefits of Quitting Tobacco
00:18:40
Speaker
It's also about not poisoning your body with a chemical that causes decreased immunity to disease and slows or even stops the healing process for bone and tissue.
00:18:53
Speaker
That said, if you need the aid of nicotine patches or gum to quit, well, I guess use them sparingly, sparingly, and for the short term. You shouldn't use any of them long term. For example, a long term use of nicotine gum can have the following effects. It increases the risk of developing diabetes if you don't have it already. If you already have diabetes, it makes it worse by decreasing your insulin sensitivity.
00:19:24
Speaker
Long-term use can contribute to the development of heart arrhythmia and is absolutely dangerous for anyone who already has heart problems. It can cause damage to dental work and is really detrimental to those with dental issues such as TMJ or temporal mandibular joint issues. Finally, you can get addicted to the gum itself. I mean look, it's not bubble gum. It's not Wrigley's spearmint.
00:19:53
Speaker
It is a vehicle for carrying reduced amounts of nicotine into your system to help you stop smoking. So you can become addicted to the gum, especially if like some users, you chew a lot of the nicotine gum. I knew one person who was trying to use nicotine gum to quit. And I said, how are you doing with that? She says, Oh, it's great. I usually chew about three or four pieces at a time because that's the only way I can get through it. What's the point there?
00:20:22
Speaker
Okay, so how do you quit? Well, there are other methods that do not involve nicotine gum or nicotine patches. And I don't mean just going cold turkey, although that does work for some people and more power to them. For example, clinical hypnosis has been shown to be effective. In fact, a study in 2014 found that hypnosis was twice as effective as nicotine gum or patches at helping tobacco users maintain non-tobacco use.
00:20:53
Speaker
Specifically, at 26 weeks, 36% of those hypnotized were still tobacco-free, compared to only 18% of those who use the gum or patches. Another method is called NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It's a neural feedback technique that anyone can learn in practice. And it was helpful in aiding famous author Tony Robbins. You remember him?
00:21:20
Speaker
He wrote all those books about making it big in life. Well, he quit smoking by using an LP. Lastly, EFT, or tapping, has been shown to be an effective way of quitting smoking with one case study showing an 80% effectiveness rate. That's amazing. 80% of people who used it in that study were able to quit smoking.
00:21:51
Speaker
So if you really want to quit using tobacco, whether it's cigars or cigarettes or pipe or chewing or dipping or whatever, you can. Is it easy? Of course not. Any chemical addiction is difficult to kick, whether it's heroin or meth or tobacco, but you can do it. Okay. Lastly, let's talk about the cost.
00:22:20
Speaker
Now some people are saying, I can't afford to go to a hypnotherapist or a NLP therapist or a tapping practitioner. My gosh, I gotta pay somebody to help me with that? I want you to ask yourself, how much do I spend on tobacco products each week? Just for an example, I looked at cigarette prices state by state and it varies a lot. But the average price of a pack of cigarettes runs from about $550 a pack
00:22:50
Speaker
to in some places about $13 a pack. If you are a pack a day smoker, stopping smoking could save you anywhere from $38 to $91 a week. A lot of people smoke more than a pack a day, so do the math. And what could you do with an extra $35 to $100 a week each week? That's a lot. That's, you know, if you saved $100 a week, that's over five grand a year.
00:23:20
Speaker
You could take a really nice vacation on five grand a year. And also, many insurance plans, they charge you more for coverage if you use tobacco. You get a bonus if you don't use tobacco. And that's not counting the cost for you in having a less healthy body. You know, I know it's your choice. It's your own body.
00:23:46
Speaker
If you want to poison yourself with an addictive substance, reduce your lifespan, make it harder for your body to heal, all the while paying really well for the privilege. Well, what can I say? I can't change my mind. But I hope you think enough of yourself to make a good choice and kick the tobacco to the curb. Thanks for listening.
00:24:26
Speaker
Thanks for being here and listening to the podcast today. I trust it has been interesting, informative, and thought provoking. If you did find it interesting, please be sure and return for another episode and tell your friends about it too. I'd love it if you did that. It really helps me out. You can share directly from most podcast platforms. It would be really great if you follow it or subscribe to the podcast too. Most podcast platforms have one option or the other.
00:24:56
Speaker
If you want to tell me that you like the show or that you hate it, that you agree with me or disagree with me or anything else really, I still want to hear from you.
Engagement and Open-mindedness
00:25:06
Speaker
Leave a voice message if your particular podcast platform allows that, or send me a message through my website at www.spectrum-phillistic.com. And until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and keep an open mind. Namaste.