I am proud to say that I have never been Normal. I think normal would be boring. However, I do wish that I had not arrived on this earth already set up for health problems. As I stated in my previous post, I was born 21 days prior to my due date with the respiratory issues that come with early birth. I did not spend any time in intensive care so it must not have been too bad. Then Mother and I went home.
For those of you who were born after the ban on smoking in public places took effect, you have no idea how lucky you are. Back in the 50's, yes I know I am older, smoking was allowed anywhere and everywhere. Even in doctors offices and hospitals. My dad and the majority of his extended family smoked. A lot! If you have not seen the facts about tobacco and it's effect on the human body, look it up when you can. There is way more than just lung cancer and emphysema connected to tobacco exposure.
Now I am not going to start a rant on how everyone should quit smoking right now and blah, blah, blah. You have heard all of that before. Let me tell you instead about life for one person with an allergy to tobacco. Me!
Years of living around smokers brought on repeated throat, bronchial, and lung infections. I spent so much time coughing sometimes that I would cough up blood just from the irritation to the infected tissue. Years of repeated bronchitis and subsequent pneumonia resulted in my being diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) at the young age of 40. But that is another blog.
According to the Surgeon General's office, they have identified 7000 chemicals present in all tobacco products. What that meant for me was that it didn't matter what type of contact it was, I was going to have an adverse reaction. Childhood was full of bouts of bronchitis, sinus infections, ear aches, skin rashes, headaches, and probably a few others I have forgotten about.
One time my grandfather spit his tobacco at me and it landed on my bare leg. I immediately developed welts every place it landed on my leg. I felt like someone had poured hot oil on my leg, it burned so bad. The welts oozed for several days.
I looked at the main chemicals that are found in tobacco and then looked up the effects of exposure to those chemicals. Just one, Benzene, gave me the following information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Long-term health effects of exposure to benzene
- The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. (Long-term exposure means exposure of a year or more.) Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
- Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
- Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.
- The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.
Scary stuff! I have dealt with many health issues since infancy, including chronic anemia. My sisters and I also dealt with the effects on the female body. No fun, I assure you.
Life goes on and you learn that what doesn't kill you, makes you enjoy the days you live just a little bit more.
Stay Joy Filled
Here is a short list of some of the more dangerous ingredients in tobacco.
Extremely Toxic Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Polonium - 210, Vinyl Chloride.
Toxic Metals: Chromium, Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium.
Poison Gases: Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Butane, Ammonia, Toluene.
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