passive smoking (redirected from Second-hand smoking)

passive smoking,

the inhalation by nonsmokers of the smoke from other people's cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. The amount of such smoke inhaled by a nonsmoker is small compared with that inhaled by tobacco users. However, passive smoking can aggravate respiratory illnesses and contribute to serious diseases, including cancer. Infants, fetuses, and individuals with chronic heart and lung diseases or allergies to tobacco can be adversely affected by passive smoking. See also secondhand smoke.

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passive,

n in orthodontics, an orthodontic appliance that has been adjusted to apply no effective tooth-moving force to the teeth. Also called
self-ligation, or
“frictionless.”

passive diffusion,

n an absorption process that occurs in the body when carbohydrates are more highly concentrated in the intestine than in the blood.

passive immunity,

n a form of acquired immunity resulting from antibodies that are transmitted naturally through the placenta to a fetus or through the colostrum to an infant or artificially by injection of antiserum for treatment or prophylaxis. Passive immunity is not permanent and does not last as long as active immunity.

passive reciprocation,

n See reciprocation, passive.

passive smoking,

n the inhalation by nonsmokers of the smoke from other people's cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. See also environmental tobacco smoke (ETS/passive smoke).

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passive smoking

Public health Involuntary 'smoking' by non-smokers who breathe ambient air containing carcinogenic inhalants from an 'active' cigarette smoker; PS ↑ platelet activity, accelerates ASHD, ↑ tissue damage in ischemia or acute MI; PS ↓ both cardiac delivery of O₂ to the heart and myocardial ability to use O₂ to produce ATP, resulting in ↓ exercise capacity in passive smokers, and ↑ risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiac events; exposure to 3 hrs/day of PS is associated with an ↑ in cervical CA; in children, neonates, and fetuses, PS is linked to ↓ pulmonary function, bronchitis, pneumonia, otitis media and middle ear effusions, asthma, lower birth and adult weight and height, SIDS, poor lung–and physical development, and ↑ perinatal mortality–due to placental vascular disease–eg, placenta previa and abruptio placentae, breast CA; ♀ exposed to PS before age 12 had an odds ratio of 4.5; such children are more likely to become smokers and are at ↑ risk for developing CA in a dose-related manner, in all sites 50% higher than expected, and up to two-fold ↑ in NHL, ALL, and Wilms' tumors; PS by children with cystic fibrosis adversely affects growth and health, resulting in ↑ hospital admissions and poor performance in pulmonary function tests. See Conicotine, Environmental tobacco smoke.

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Patient discussion about Second-hand smoking.

Q. Can I get lung cancer from passive smoking? All my friends smoke, can I get cancer by hanging out with them?

A. Yes, you can develop cancer by passive smoking. From what I've heard, non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke at home or work, increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent.

Q. what is a passive smoking? and is it dangerous as an active?

A. Passive smoking is the exposure to cigarettes smoke emitted from cigarettes smoke by other person. It's dangerous and may increase the risk to several diseases similar to active smoking (one's exposure to smoke emitted from the cigarettes he or she is smoking) although the risk is of lower magnitude. Example for passive smoking is children of smokers etc.

You may read more here:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/secondhandsmoke.html

Q. what is it a passive smoking? and is it bad as as the active smoking? can i get cancer from it?

A. Passive smoking is the involuntary exposure of nonsmokers to tobacco smoke from the smoking of others. It is considered dangerous, and cause increased risk of cancer, although to a lesser degree than active smoking.

You may read more here:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/secondhandsmoke.html