“Shisha is considered more dangerous than vape. This is because harmful particles are inhaled directly and enter the body without a filter."
Shisha or another name hookah is a smoking method that originated in the Middle East. The method uses a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose.
Tobacco for hookahs is specially made, then heated. The smoke passes through the water, then is drawn through a rubber hose into the funnel. The suction system is the same as cigarettes, but the content is more dangerous.
The water in a hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in tobacco smoke. Due to this, it emits more smoke than conventional cigarettes and vapes.
Know the Poison Content in Shisha
The tobacco holder in the hookah is a bowl filled with burning coals. This charcoal is placed on top of the flavored tobacco. Between the charcoal and the tobacco, there is a perforated aluminum foil that separates it.
When the charcoal heats the tobacco, it forms smoke. When the user inhales the shisha hose, the smoke is drawn through the water chamber. This smoke will turn cold before being inhaled into the lungs.
Hookahs do not contain nicotine like conventional cigarettes or vapes. However, it contains toxins and cancer-triggering chemicals. All particles of harmful substances enter the body without a filter.
Some of the toxic content in hookah, among others:
- Carbon monoxide.
- arsenic.
- Chromium.
- Cobalt.
- Cadmium.
- Nickel.
- Formaldehyde.
- Acetaldehyde.
- Acrolein.
- Polonium 210.
Apart from some of the ingredients above, hookah also contains tar which comes out when it is burned. The toxicity of tar in shisha may be higher than in conventional cigarettes.
In addition, the charcoal for heating tobacco contains carbon monoxide and metals. In addition, there are other cancer-causing agents, one of which is polyaromatic hydrocarbons.
Health Problems Occur Due To Shisha
In the short term, smoking shisha can increase blood pressure and heart rate. This increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
While in the long term, the risks include:
1. Oral cancer
Oral cancer is an abnormal development of cells that form in the lining of the mouth, lips, tongue, gums or palate. This disorder can also attack the salivary glands and tissues in the throat (pharynx).
The initial symptom is canker sores that don't get better. Then, symptoms appear in the form of white or red patches and pain in the mouth. The intensity can get worse with time.
2. Lung cancer
According to a study entitled Effects of smoking shisha, cancer risk, and strategies for prevention of shisha habit, in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial, lung cancer can occur due to aldehydes, carbon monoxide, and tar compounds found in shisha. The amount ranges from 4 to 30 times more than cigarettes.
These substances enter the human body and are toxic. Finally, it causes oxidative stress, has a genotoxic effect, and can potentially trigger carbon monoxide poisoning.
As a result, abnormal cells appear and grow in the lungs. The initial symptom is a cough with sputum or blood. Other features, namely hoarseness, weakness in the body, chest pain, and wheezing.
3. Stomach cancer
Stomach cancer or what can also be called gastric cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the stomach organs. The cause is a genetic change in the organ.
At first, cancer does not cause specific symptoms. Signs include heartburn, flatulence, and heartburn. The intensity may get worse over time, such as vomiting blood and having bloody bowel movements.
4. Addiction
Another impact, namely smoking addiction. This problem occurs due to the content of tobacco in shisha. It contains dangerous compounds, such as tar, nicotine and metals, including arsenic and lead.
Nicotine can enter the brain within 8 seconds after being inhaled. When inhaled, the blood carries the contents to the adrenal glands. As a result, the glands will produce the hormone adrenaline.
This condition triggers an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as a decrease in appetite for food. Nicotine also causes users to become easily sleepy and stressed. Over time, the content that makes the brain so confused.
5. Cardiovascular disease
According to a study entitled A review of the health effects of smoking shisha in Clinical Medicine, shisha increases the potential for cardiovascular disease.
The journal states that initially, the user will experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Both of these conditions are early symptoms of cardiovascular problems.
Apart from that, other signs are shortness of breath, with cold sweat, feeling weak, and even fainting. The sufferer will also experience left chest pain and nausea and vomiting.
6. Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is a cell that develops in the tonsils, the openings of the nasal and oral passages, and the larynx (the tube that contains the vocal cords). Early symptoms include difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, sore throat and slurred speech.