Sure, cigarette smoking is unhealthy. But, the extent of how harmful it is to our health is something that experts are still trying to comprehend completely.
A new case study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, found that thirdhand smoke (THS) is just as harmful as first or secondhand smoke.
THS refers to the pollutants and chemicals released from cigarette smoke that stay indefinitely on surfaces such as our walls, carpets, curtains, clothes, furniture, and so much more.
THS Triggers Serious Health Diseases
Dr. Shane Sakamaki-Ching is a research scientist at Kite Pharma in California and the first author of the said paper published in eBioMedicine of The Lancet family of journals. In a statement on the findings, it is said that "exposure of human skin to THS initiates mechanisms of inflammatory skin disease."
The study revealed that being exposed to thirdhand smoke raises specific biomarkers that are associated with skin diseases such as contact dermatitis and psoriasis. This makes perfect sense considering that the skin is the organ that is most likely to come into contact with smoke. As a result, it likely receives the greatest exposure to harmful pollutants.
Even more problematic than that is the "oxidative injury" that was found in the research. According to Dr. Sakamaki-Ching, this may lead to other illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and atherosclerosis.
When you take into account how lingering and unpredictable the effects of THS may be, all of these things constitute a significant potential risk.
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Lack of THS-Related Knowledge
Prue Talbot, a professor of cell biology at the University of California, Riverside, and the study's corresponding author, claimed that there is a general lacking of information about human health reactions to THS exposure.
She made the observation that if you purchase a secondhand automobile that a smoker formerly owned, you are putting your health in jeopardy. THS may be absorbed via the skin, so if you go to a casino that permits smoking, you risk exposing your skin. The same goes if you want to stay in a hotel room that was previously occupied by a smoker.
Upcoming Research Plans
According to IFL Science, all of the information came from an examination that lasted just three hours. The researchers do have plans to look into bigger populations that have been exposed for longer periods of time.
The group's subsequent study will also investigate the residues left behind by electronic cigarettes.
"This [study] underscores the idea that dermal exposure to THS could lead to molecular initiation of inflammation-induced skin diseases," said Dr. Sakamaki-Ching.
The results are expected to be of assistance to medical professionals in identifying individuals who have been exposed to THS. These may also help in the development of regulatory rules dealing with the cleanup of indoor settings that are polluted with such smoke.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
