What are the health risks for a passive smoker?
Some of the common immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea. Asthma sufferers can expect a decline in their lung function, exacerbating their problem. Even internally, secondhand smoke causes blood cells called as platelets to become stickier. Platelets are the cells that top bleeding by helping blood to clot. When these cells become sticky, the coronary blood flow becomes sluggish and the risk of heart attacks and strokes increases. What is the effect of passive smoking on the heart? As mentioned, passive smoking increases the risk of heart attacks. The mechanism behind this is attributed to a chemical called cotinine, which is a biomarker of secondhand smoke exposure. A study published in the June 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal found that the heart risks of passive smoking might be underestimated. This was because blood cotinine levels among non-smokers were associated with a 50-60 percent increased ris
