Hookah smoking just as bad for teeth as cigarettes
ISLAMABAD: Water pipes (hookah) might be a safer way to smoke, but they are as damaging to the teeth and gums as the cigarettes.
Hookahs have long been used for smoking tobacco in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. Hookah lounges are also becoming increasingly popular in the US and other countries. The pipes consist of a long tube attached to a glass or plastic container that holds water in its base, BBC radio reported.
The tobacco, which is flavored with fruits and sugar syrup, is burnt using charcoal. Because the smoke passes through the water before the smoker inhales it, water pipes are believed by some to filter out the harmful substances in tobacco smoke.
However, water pipe smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke. Previous studies have suggested that hookah smoking increases heart rate and blood pressure and impairs lung function.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia, where hookah smoking is widespread, to find out if hookahs are as tough on the teeth as cigarettes.
Overall, 31 percent smoked water pipes exclusively, while 19 percent smoked only cigarettes. Another 20 percent used both smoking methods, and the rest 30 percent were non-smokers.
The researchers found that about 20 percent of all study participants had signs of gum disease, which is marked by inflammation and redness in the gums in its earlier stages and later, destruction of the bones and soft tissue supporting the teeth, possibly leading to tooth loss. But while only eight percent of non-smokers had gum disease, 30 percent of water pipe smokers and 24 percent of cigarette smokers were affected.
When researchers weighed other factors, such as study participants' ages, they found that water pipe smokers were five times more likely to show signs of gum disease than non-smokers. Cigarette smokers had a nearly four-times greater risk than non-smokers.
It's not clear why tobacco smoking promotes gum disease, but it's highly likely, that it harms the bones that support the teeth. Hence, the findings suggest that tobacco from a water pipe is equally harmful to the teeth as cigarettes.—APP
Hookahs have long been used for smoking tobacco in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. Hookah lounges are also becoming increasingly popular in the US and other countries. The pipes consist of a long tube attached to a glass or plastic container that holds water in its base, BBC radio reported.
The tobacco, which is flavored with fruits and sugar syrup, is burnt using charcoal. Because the smoke passes through the water before the smoker inhales it, water pipes are believed by some to filter out the harmful substances in tobacco smoke.
However, water pipe smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke. Previous studies have suggested that hookah smoking increases heart rate and blood pressure and impairs lung function.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia, where hookah smoking is widespread, to find out if hookahs are as tough on the teeth as cigarettes.
Overall, 31 percent smoked water pipes exclusively, while 19 percent smoked only cigarettes. Another 20 percent used both smoking methods, and the rest 30 percent were non-smokers.
The researchers found that about 20 percent of all study participants had signs of gum disease, which is marked by inflammation and redness in the gums in its earlier stages and later, destruction of the bones and soft tissue supporting the teeth, possibly leading to tooth loss. But while only eight percent of non-smokers had gum disease, 30 percent of water pipe smokers and 24 percent of cigarette smokers were affected.
When researchers weighed other factors, such as study participants' ages, they found that water pipe smokers were five times more likely to show signs of gum disease than non-smokers. Cigarette smokers had a nearly four-times greater risk than non-smokers.
It's not clear why tobacco smoking promotes gum disease, but it's highly likely, that it harms the bones that support the teeth. Hence, the findings suggest that tobacco from a water pipe is equally harmful to the teeth as cigarettes.—APP
No comments:
Post a Comment