Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: Marching ahead to make people aware about the ill effects of cardiovascular diseases, Dr Sushil Sharma held a day long camp at Shree Ramleela Club Samajik, Sanskritik Sanstha , Ram Mandir, Sainik Colony. More than 150 people were screened, evaluated, diagnosed and free medicines were given as per the requirements.
While interacting with the people Dr Sushil Sharma, HoD Cardiology, GMC Jammu stated that Smoking is a major cause of concern for cardiovascular disease. If you smoke, your risk of heart attack is increased by two to six times, Stroke is increased by three times, peripheral arterial disease, which can lead to gangrene, is increased by more than five times. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors, it greatly increases risk. Smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery and angioplasty,” he added.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals including: nicotine – an addictive drug that affects brain and muscle activity and increases blood pressure, making heart to work harder. Carbon monoxide – a poisonous gas that replaces oxygen in blood, making heart beat faster. Tar – a sticky substance that coats your lungs like soot in a chimney, making it harder to breathe, and also contains dozens of chemicals that cause cancer, he added.
He stressed that exposure to second-hand smoke (passive smoking) is a serious health hazard for smokers and non-smokers. People who inhale smoke from others are at increased risk of disease. “Non-smokers living with smokers have about a 30 per cent increase in risk of heart disease.”
He maintained that after quitting smoking within two to six years: the risk of developing coronary heart disease returns to a similar level as that of a non-smoker. The ability to smell and taste also improves when you quit and the lungs regain the ability to clean themselves, so called as smokers cough improves.
Other who were part of this endeavour includes Dr. Dhaneshwar kapoor, Dr Anitipal Singh, Dr Mritunjay and Dr Amit Manhas Paramedics and Volunteers who were part of the team included Vivak Arya, Kumar Abhishek, Vikas Kumar, Raghav Rajput, Nitish Gupta, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Amandeep Singh , Vikas Sabharwal, Ankush Kohli, Rajeev Vohra and Raj Kumar.
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