health
Addiction has a profound impact on overall health, and can damage the brain, organ systems, and even damage the skin.
Posted under Alcohol
Even Light Alcohol Use Can Increase Risk of Breast Cancer
How alcohol consumption affects your health has long been a debate among medical experts. Recent findings in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association might encourage those at risk for breast cancer to analyze whether even a small amount of alcohol consumption could help or hinder their health. Continue Reading
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Secondhand Smoke Significantly Impacts Children
Those who smoke often have a difficult time giving up cigarettes. Multiple roadblocks can discourage cessation, from cravings for nicotine to the fear that weight gain will follow a cigarette withdrawal. Sometimes smoking is seen as a social connection to friends or family, causing a person to have difficulty imagining their life without cigarettes. Continue Reading
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Study Shows Smokers or Past Smokers More Likely to Be Diagnosed with Asthma
If someone who smokes – or who has been a habitual smoker in their past – visits the doctor, they may be more likely to receive a diagnosis of asthma than someone who has avoided tobacco, says recent study findings featured in a Medical News Today article. Continue Reading
Posted under Drugs
Oral Health and Substance Abuse
Individuals struggling with substance abuse often experience a wide variety of negative consequences, such as impaired social relationships, instability at work or school, and multiple health problems.
Researchers at Boston University recently discovered a previously unknown health risk for those with substance dependence problems. The study, appearing online in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, shows that a majority of those with substance abuse problems report having poor oral health. Opioid users had an especially high rate of oral health problems, showing a decline in oral health over the last year. Continue Reading
Posted under Women
Alcohol Consumption Linked to Breast Cancer Subtypes
It is well known that alcohol can contribute to the risk of developing cancer, especially breast cancer among women. Some studies have suggested that a woman’s alcohol consumption affects her hormonally, putting her at a greater risk of developing hormonally-driven types of breast cancer. Yet little research had been done on the relationships between women’s alcohol consumption and the risk of various breast cancer subtypes. As reported in the latest issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have conducted the first study measuring postmenopausal women’s risk of breast cancer subtypes based on their alcohol consumption levels. The researchers discovered that postmenopausal women drinkers have an increased risk of lobular and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Smoking Bans Help Reduce Heart Attacks
In countries and states that have introduced policies that restrict smoking in public, people have less exposure to secondhand smoke. There is also a reduction in the number of people who have heart attacks, as well as an improvement in other indicators of health. These findings are reported in a new review published in the April issue of The Cochrane Library.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Children Regularly Exposed to Tobacco Smoke More Likely to Develop Emphysema
According to a new study, children who are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home were more likely to develop early emphysema in adulthood. This finding by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health suggests that the lungs may not recover completely from the effects of early-life exposures to tobacco smoke (ETS). The study was published in the December 2009 American Journal of Epidemiology.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Quitting Smoking Can Reverse Asthma-Inducing Changes in Lungs
Research from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands suggests that asthmatic smokers may be able to reverse some of the damage to their lungs that exacerbates asthmatic symptoms just by quitting smoking. The research will be published in the December 15 issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Posted under Mental Health
How to Beat the Holiday Blues
By Leslie Thompson
Although many people find the holiday season to be full of joy and merriment, millions of people find themselves depressed, lonely, and deeply sad during the holidays. This condition—commonly referred to as the holiday blues or holiday depression—can occur throughout the year, but becomes heightened during the months of November and December, when holiday cheer is in full bloom. The symptoms of holiday depression may resemble those of clinical depression, and there are several triggers.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Just One Cigarette Can Affect Young Adults’ Health
Even one cigarette has serious adverse effects on young adults, according to research presented by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
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The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
