The Adverse Consequences Of Shisha On Human Health -By Roqeebat Busari

The major purpose of writing this piece of article is to enlighten the public on the negative effect of smoking Shisha and to correct the misconception of the people that Shisha is less harmful compare to smoking cigarettes; Before I finalized my piece of write up with the solutions on how to stop smoking Shisha and cigarette to vindicate yourself from lifetime bondage.

Shisha can be defined as an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water; “a bipolar world with the hookah and Turkish coffee versus hamburgers and Coca Cola”

Shisha has a lot of synonymous words which include; a water pipe, hubble-bubble, hookah, etc. Even though Shisha used in the western world is a modern trend, it has been in existence since the millennium, originated in the North-Western provinces of India, sprinkling to Iran, the Arab world, Turkey and now gaining popular acceptance in the USA and Europe.

The fallacy of Shisha being less deadly than cigarettes and the availability of different flavors that are considered among the main justifications for this trend. Shisha addicts however are endangered to the same toxic compounds as cigarette users at dramatically higher levels, which might lead to more serious negative health impacts such as infections, cancers, lung diseases, and other medical conditions and complications.

Both Shisha and Cigarettes topography serves as an indirect measure of smoke and chemical exposure. Several toxicants have been found in mainstream Shisha smoke including Nicotine, Carbon monoxide, Carcinogenic, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic Amines, Aldehyde Furanic and Phenolic compounds, Tar, Particulate matter, Heavy metals, and Ammonia. Different heating process and charcoal combustion determine its level of toxication.

However, one of the main effects of taking Shisha is that it usually caused complications on lung, such as Bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It also increases the risk of heart conditions such as Heart attack; also boosts the risk of cancer, lung, throat, and mouth cancer.

Furthermore, smoking of Shisha would also lead to premature skin aging, since smoking Tobacco can shrink the amount of oxygen that reaches the skin and similarly inflate the risk of infectious diseases such as mononucleosis.

Do you actually know that sharing the mouthpiece during Shisha group smoking can be a probable source of transmission of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi? For instance, a study reported a potential risk for transmission of communicable diseases such as Hepatitis C when sharing the mouthpiece between users with bleeding gum. Moreover, the non-hygienic conditions of the hose and water in the Shisha apparatus could also increase mycobacteria growth which can result in the transmission of tuberculosis.

While doing further research, it also cleared to me that Shisha linked to the transmission of Helicobacter pylori (the main cause of peptic ulcer) and Aspergillus spores (cause of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients). Moreover, 48 bacteria isolates were detected from Shisha hoses, and among them were virulent as well as antibiotic-resistant strains.

More importantly, using Shisha was linked to developing periodontal diseases in a similar magnitude to cigarettes as well as a documented alteration in oral microbial flora. Likewise, Shisha users have a high tendency of having hypertriglyceridema and hyperglycemia as well as hypertension and abdominal obesity.

Unfortunately, the number of Shisha addicts among the vulnerable population of pregnant females and adolescents is rising every day. In fact, pregnant females still use Shisha during pregnancy, and regardless of it reported hazardous effects. The consequence maybe varies based on levels of exposure. And the risk of delivering low birth babies tripled in addition to reported neonatal respiratory distress that is linked to Shisha use during the first trimester.

In recent years, the usage of Shisha increased mainly as an alternate tobacco smoking method under the assumption of it being “less harmful”. However, Shisha has been considered as a global threat due to the high increase of its use in addition to the inimical effects it has on the human body such as frequent respiratory infections, persistent cough, oral and esophageal cancer, and induction of pro-inflammatory states.

Moreover, based on the current evidence, it is a provable fact that Shisha emits various potentially harmful and toxic chemicals and should not be considered as a healthy alternative to smoking.

In conclusion, Shisha and cigarette smoking addicts are advised to always think positively; make a plan to quit smoking; consider their diet, and change their drink because there are some drinks that would affect your need for Shisha such as tomato juice. Make non-smoking friends; keep your mouth and hands busy and make a list of reasons to stop smoking Shisha and Cigarette, this would go a long way to cure your desire for smoking Shisha and cigarettes.

Roqeebat Busari is a 200-Level student of Radiography at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.