Do you often drink or smoke? If so, you’re probably not aware that both of these habits come with multiply negative health hazards, including elevated risks of certain cancers.
Also, drinking and smoking can negatively affect your blood pressure and cholesterol. Both heavily influence your cardiovascular health.
Dangers of excessive drinking
Perhaps you’ve heard that some alcoholic beverages (particularly red wine) can actually help your cholesterol levels, Claims also have it that red wine also helps the heart and aids digestion, this may be quite true if consumed in moderation. That being said, alcohol also has the potential to harm your heart if taken excessively.
Alcohol especially when consumed recklessly can rise blood pressure over time, cause irregular heartbeats (known as arrhythmia), and weaken the heart (heart failure) so it is unable to pump effectively.
In addition, alcohol can raise your triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the blood. And if you’re taking medication to treat high blood pressure, be aware that alcohol may hinder the effectiveness of the medication and worsen it side effects.
The key is to only drink in moderation (if at all). Experts recommend single drink of alcohol is as follows:
Beer: 12 ounces
Wine: 4 ounces
80-proof liquor: 1.5 ounces
100-proof liquor: 1 ounce
Dangers of excessive smoking
While drinking can be a threat to your health, smoking is even worse. Unlike alcohol at low or moderate levels, there is no benefit to tobacco used in/at any level.
When you smoke, you inhale various chemicals that can injure cells, causing both cancer and artery damage (e.g. heart attacks and strokes).
Tobacco smoke can take a toll on your cholesterol levels as well. It’s known to lower the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, elevate the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and also cause a rise in triglycerides the same type of blood fat that can build up as a result of alcohol consumption.
Smoking is also very harmful to your cardiovascular health, your blood becomes thicker, artery walls become stiffer and more inflamed, and blood circulation is negatively affected. Not to mention, your lungs literally become black from tar.
Amidst all these severe health threats, there is some good news: You have the power to change your health for the better by taking the bold step to quit your harmful habits. If you do that, your body will heal the damage.
Although quitting may not be easy at first but with the help of friends/loved ones and professional medical practitioners you will eventually and will turn out to be a lot healthier.
