Smoking can delay bone healing, especially in older adults and women

GREATER KAILASH, India - July 3, 2018 - PRLog -- Smoking cigarettes can affect bone health and delay healing after injury if a recent study is to be believed. Although smoking does not increase the risk of nonunion but significantly extends the median time to union. Nonunion risk also shows a nonlinear trend with age and women in middle adulthood may be at increased risk compared with all other groups.

Statistics indicate that over 13,000 Indian men and 4,000 women die every week due to chronic tobacco use. Smoking is clearly becoming a public health emergency and there is a need for recalibrating measures to protect young boys and girls, who are particularly susceptible to the ill effects of smoking.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), said, "Quitting at any time reduces one's fear of getting or dying of heart disease and lung cancer. It also reduces chances of getting osteoporosis. Quitting smoking can also help the smoker look younger and improves appearance in both men and women. The five steps involved can be remembered with the word START where 'S' means setting a quitting date, 'T' means telling family members, friends and people around you that you plan to quit, 'A' means anticipating the tough time one may face while quitting smoking nicotine withdrawal and weight gain, 'R' stands for removing all forms of tobacco products from within our reach which includes home, car and workplace and 'T' stands for taking help from your doctor in terms of behavior, counseling and drugs."

Counseling helps in identifying tricks of smoking cessation and provides you alternatives. It also helps overcome craving and helps you understand what went wrong when you wanted to quit smoking.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also the Vice President of CMAAO, said, "Cigarette is a lust which in Ramayana is symbolized with Kaikai initially and later on with Bali. When lust is controlled, the ten senses (Dashrath) must die and Rama, Sita and Lakshman (Soul, Body and Mind) must lose control. Later in Ramayana, lust is symbolized with Bali who can only be killed by Rama (consciousness) and not Lakshman (mind). Intellect (Sugriva) cannot kill lust (Bali). It can only be killed from behind and not from front which is based on the principle of Pratyarhara in Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Removing tobacco products from the environment we live in is based on the above principle mentioned in Ramayana and in Patanjali Yoga."

Some tips from HCFI

·Try short-acting nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, lozenges, nasal sprays, or inhalers. These can help overcome intense cravings.

·  Identify the trigger situation, which makes you smoke. Have a plan in place to avoid these or get through them alternatively.

· Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy, or munch raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds instead of tobacco.

·  Get physically active. Short bursts of physical activity such as running up and down the stairs a few times can make a tobacco craving go away.

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About Heart Care Foundation of India

Initiated in 1986, the Heart Care Foundation of India is a leading National NGO working in the field of creating mass health awareness among people from all walks of life and providing solutions for India's everyday healthcare needs. The NGO uses consumer-based entertainment modules to impart health education and increase awareness amongst people. A leading example of this is the Perfect Health Mela; an annual event started in 1993 that is attended by over 2-3 lakh people each year. The Mela showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars and check-ups, entertainment programs, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. In addition to this, the NGO conducts programs and camps to train people on the technique of hands only CPR through its CPR 10 mantra for revival after a sudden cardiac arrest. They currently hold three Limca book of world records for the maximum number of people trained in hands-only CPR in one go. Keeping article 21 of the Indian Constitution in mind, which guarantees a person Right to Life, Heart Care Foundation of India has also recently initiated a project called the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund to ensure that no one dies of a heart disease just because they cannot afford treatment.

For more information, please contact

Heart Care Foundation of India

Sanjeev Khanna-9871079105

Md Adib Ahmed- 9873716235

Email- media.hcfi@gmail.com