Ciggyfree Blog

The Match Test

Light a match in a draft-free room, let it burn halfway, hold it 6 inches from your mouth, and try to blow it out with your mouth wide open. If you can’t, your lungs may not be in the best condition.

Measure Your Chest

Measure your chest at rest. Men should measure the chest around the nipples; women should measure just under the breasts.

Take a full breath and measure again while holding the breath. The second measurement should be at least 1.5 inches more than the first one. If your chest expands less than 1.5 inches with a deep breath, your lungs may be weak and you should see your doctor.
Time Your Exhalation

Take a deep breath, then time yourself while you exhale it as fast as possible. Time only the exhalation, not the inhalation. If it takes longer than 3 to 4 seconds to exhale, you may have a lung disorder and should see your doctor.

Smokers can add a new health risk to the ever-growing list of hazards posed by their habit: the unsightly and often painful skin condition known as psoriasis.

American and Canadian investigators who analyzed data from the long-running Nurses Health Study find smoking increases the risk of psoriasis by 78 percent when compared to never smoking. The link is long-lasting too. Former smokers have a 37 percent higher risk overall, and the risk doesn’t decline until 20 years after a person kicks the habit.

Heavier smokers fare worse than lighter smokers too. In the study, psoriasis risk went up with the number of “pack-years” smoked. A pack-year is defined as smoking 20 cigarettes per day for one year.

Even exposure to secondhand smoke appeared to increase the danger, with a higher risk seen for study participants who were exposed to smoke while their mothers were pregnant or when they were children.

“These findings, along with well-established hazardous health effects of smoking, provide clear incentives for smoking cessation in those at risk for and suffering from psoriasis,” study author Hyon K. Choi, M.D., Dr.P.H., was quoted as saying. “Beyond the potential effect on psoriasis, smoking cessation would lead to a better overall clinical outcome in psoriasis patients, who often suffer co-morbidities related to smoking.”

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: The American Journal of Medicine, published October 29, 2007