HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Visiting Areas Vulnerable To Passive Smoking Causes Risk To Cancer? Can The Body Heal From Exposure?

Posted on Fri, 5 Oct 2012

Question: My fiancee sometimes goes out to bars where smoking is allowed..she used to go about once a week for about 3-4 years but now only goes maybe twice a month. She doesn't have any symptoms of anything but I am just worried that shes damaging her lungs or putting herself at risk for cancer later in life. She's never smoked nor is she around smoke at any other time.. is there any risk to this or can the body heal completely from this exposure?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (49 minutes later)

Hello XXXXXXX,
Thanks for the query,
Second hand smoking( SHS ) or passive smoking is more XXXXXXX than actual smoking as SHS is a mixture of 2 types of smoke
1 Side stream smoke ..coming from lighted end of cigarettes,pipes,cigars etc
2 Mainstream smoke...the smoke exhaled by smokers
Although both appear same but in fact they are not same as side stream smoke has higher concentration of cancer causing agents and it contains smaller particles than main stream smoke,which makes it's way more easily into body cells.
Tobacco smoke has more than 7000 chemical compounds and more than 70 of them cause cancer and more than 300 of them are very harmful.

The more SHS you are exposed to,higher is the level of harmful chemical compounds in your body.
SHS is classified as known cancer causing agent.
Other problems which are caused by SHS are
Various heart diseases
Asthma
Worsening the asthma
Lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia in children
Abortions and low birth weight babies
Reduces fertility
Reduces sperm counts
THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO SHS.
ANY EXPOSURE IS HARMFUL.

Best is to remain away from passive smoking.
I hope to have answered your query however you can revert to me for any further query.
Thanks and best of luck.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (1 hour later)

Yes but can the body recover from that small of exposure? Like if you go once them stay away for a week will that give your body enough time to get rid of the toxins?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (6 hours later)

Hello
Body always try to eliminate toxins.The main idea of knowledge about dangers of passive smoking is to remain away from the areas of high concentration of passive smoke like clubs,bars,discos etc.
As I told you earlier,there is no safe level of exposure to SHS.
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (5 minutes later)

yeah she just goes to the outside ones and stays away from the people smoking...and it's only twice a month if that. My main concern is if she now has a higher risk of cancer now for her whole life from going to the clubs before once a week? or now that she has been away from it, her body would repair itself and her risk back to normal? that's all i want to know.. i know the effects of the SHS but i know that the body does repair itself once it's away from it.

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (12 minutes later)

Hello
If she stays away from such places,the risk gradually dies down and body always keeps on repairing the damage.
Thanks

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar