Although the birth of hookah is in the Middle East, it has also become popular in the Western countries in the recent years. It has been estimated that over 100 million people globally smoke hookah daily. The history of hookah is ancient and dates back to the time of the kings and emperors. Hookah is also known as water pipe, ghelyoon, hubble-bubble, and ghalyan. Hookah smokers inhale a flavored tobacco through a hose. The hookah tobacco is known as shisha. Fruitlike flavor tobacco is supplied in different hookah bars and café and has become enormously popular among the youths. Although many people believe that smoking hookah is less harmful and less addictive than smoking cigarettes, many health professionals have established the fact that smoking hookah is equally if not more harmful. In a study conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) it has been said that hookah smoking raises the risk of different tobacco related health ailments. Recently, a research finding was published in the Journal of Periodontology that claimed that hookah is more detrimental to dental health than smoking cigarettes. Plus, hookah smoking is also associated with the risk of heart diseases, oral cancers, and other serious illnesses. Regular hookah smoking can also lead to tobacco dependence and addiction. Hookah is usually smoked socially and in public places like hookah bars and cafes and can be associated with secondhand smoke. To learn more about different hookah health risks, just read on.
Hookah Health Effects
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Hookah smokers inhale large volume of tobacco smoke in one smoking session than cigarette smokers.
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It is believed that the water in the hookah bowl filters the nicotine of the tobacco. However, experts say that water in the hookah does not filter out the nicotine and other toxic ingredients.
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The smoke produced from the tobacco of the hookah is an amalgam of tar, heavy metals, carbon monoxide, and other toxic compounds.
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The most common health problem associated with hookah smoking is foul breath and yellowing of teeth.
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Hookah smoke has different carcinogenic ingredients that can lead to oral cancer.
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Long-term hookah smokers can suffer from troubled breathing that can lead to COPD.
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Charcoal and wood cinders are being used to ignite the hookah producing large volume of carbon monoxide, a potential carcinogenic.
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Hookah smoking can become addictive, which has its own health hazards including oral cancer, gum cancer, asthma, constricted airway leading to COPD, and other mental health problem.
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Hookah smoking is done in leisure, often for hours, while reading paper or chatting with friends. As a result, hookah smokers end up inhaling large volume of tobacco smoke in each smoking session.
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The hookah pipes might not be cleaned properly in the hookah bars and secondhand smoking can lead to spread of infectious diseases.
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Hookah smoking can also lead to premature wrinkles. Smoking can enhance the speed of aging process of your skin and you may develop premature wrinkles as a result. The nicotine in the tobacco constricts the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin. Thus, blood flow is restricted and the skin doesn’t get enough oxygen to breathe. The smoke also damages the elastin and collagen layers of the skin that give the skin its natural tone. Damaged layers of elastin and collagen means the skin will sag and start to form wrinkles.