Drinking And Smoking. What Are The Effects When You Mixed Both?

Cigarettes & Alcohol

Alcohol and cigarettes are two types of substances that can cause addiction and affect health. The combination of the two? Certainly worse. For smoking habit, even though many studies have proven its disadvantages to health, many smokers still refuse to quit smoking as they find that quitting smoking is daunting. This is the effect of addiction.

What's Up With Cigarettes?

A butt of cigarettes contains more than 4000 harmful toxic chemicals including arsenic, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and many more other content. All these substances are toxic to the body. In addition to addiction due to the effects of nicotine, the disadvantages of smoking to the body include:

• Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

  

Smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and so on. The substances in cigarettes damage the integrity and narrow the blood vessels. Disrupted blood flow due to this condition causes a lack of oxygen supply to other organs.

• Lung Disease

Particles from cigarette smoke absorbed directly into the lungs. The chemicals contained in it damage the structure of our respiratory organs. The lungs not only turn black, the cells of these organs are also affected, as a result, but the exchange of oxygen and carbon monoxide gas also does not occur properly. Toxins from cigarettes also increase the risk of bacterial infections, inflammation and cancer. Don't be surprised, 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking!

• Cancer

In addition to lung cancer, the risk of other cancers such as mouth, liver, pancreas, kidney, and esophagus is higher among smokers. Maybe you feel your body is the only one affected. No. Cigarette smoke also affects the people around you, especially those who are close to you or living with you.

Why Is Alcohol Dangerous?

Alcohol is often served during celebrations or if we watch international dramas, it is also taken to vent grief. This is because alcohol causes intoxication. Consumption of alcohol in a large quantity will lose one's sanity and level of consciousness.

Alcohol contains ethanol, which is a group substance that can slow down brain function. Alcohol can also give symptoms of dependence and addiction. Among diseases due to alcohol are:

• Mental Health Problems

Effects of alcohol intake to the nervous system and brain is a frequently reported adverse effect. Alcohol dependence causes a person to be constantly in confusion, anxiety and confusion, behavioral and mental disorders, depression, and a suicidal attempt.

• Organ Failure

Consumption of large amounts of alcoholic beverages can result in organ failure, especially the liver. The liver as a detoxifying organ in the body functions to break down the elements of alcohol drunk so that it can be excreted. Excessive and frequent consumption of alcohol affects the function of these organs. The waste products from the breakdown of alcohol elements can not be properly removed so as to damage the liver organs themselves.

Additionally, effects of alcohol on human organs such as the pancreas, esophagus, and heart can also occur. The effects of alcohol on the lungs may occur but are lower than cigarettes.

• Sexual Relationships

  

Alcohol can cause the hormone testosterone in a man's body to decrease. This hormone is important to produce good quality sperm. Alcohol also affects the male genitals. A man who drinks too much alcohol can have erectile problems. and ejaculation such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. 

Smoking and Alcohol: Double Trouble

Maybe you are not used to nightclubs or bars serving alcoholic beverages. Usually, customers will drink and smoke at the same time. So, if these 2 ingredients are taken together, what will happen?

1. Alcohol depresses the brain whilecigarettes stimulate it, sometimes they do not realize how much alcohol has been drunk because the brain is constantly stimulated by cigarettes. This causes them to drink excessively.

2. The combination of alcohol and cigarettes increases the risk of esophageal and throat cancer. This is said to be due to chemicals in cigarettes that accumulated in the throat will be dissolved by alcohol and both will result in inflammation. Prolonged and recurrent inflammation will increase the risk of cancer.

3. Both increase dopamine levels. Yes, it is true that dopamine is a good hormone to give us a sense of happiness. However, if it is excessive, the pleasure will turn into an addiction. Both will support each other to continue the bad habit.

4. Nicotine alters the brain's response to alcohol. If before this you only need two to four-shotalcohol for calm and fun, with smoking you may need more shotsto get the serenity. It occurs because the brain's response to sensing alcohol has been modified by nicotine. Take this quiz to find out if you're dependent on nicotine!

5. Cigarettes exacerbate symptoms of a hangover. Symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and intoxication after drinking alcohol are called hangovers. It happens because of the high content of acetaldehydein alcohol. You should also know that acetaldehyde is also contained in cigarettes, when these substances combine then the symptoms of a hangover will get worse.

6. Did you know, smokers who regularly drink alcohol have a percentage of 51% death due to the effects of nicotine compared to smokers who do not drink alcohol. This occurs due to the body's immune system which weakened due to alcohol, then added the harmful effects of nicotine in cigarettes.

7. Smoking and drinking alcohol as well accelerate the aging process of the skin and brain. A study found that this group has a 26-33% more tendency to look older quicker than practicing a single habit. Brain function is also affected, this makes them more likely to get old diseases such as senility.

In conclusion, cigarettes and alcohol are a very bad combination for health. Both have different side effects and if combined, these effects will get worse. Stop one or stop both, you decide. Both alcohol and cigarettes not only affect the health of the individual, but also the health and safety of others. The cigarette effect on passive smokers is something that has long been argued. Don't forget the alcohol drinking effect which has claimed many lives. Just look at how many victims lost their lives and loved ones as a result of accidents caused by drunk drivers. Therefore, be aware before it is too late. Stay away from both now. Talk to a doctor today about quitting smoking today!

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