Harm of Smoking

Everybody knows that smoking is a bad habit. But there are a lot of smokers all over the world. Many children and teenagers smoke too.

It is well known that nicotine is a poison. Taking in large amounts, nicotine can kill by paralyzing breathing muscles. Because smokers usually take in small amounts of nicotine it does not kill them. But it can cause the risk of lung cancer, heart diseases, strokes and other serious disorders.

Cigarette smoking causes about 87% of lung cancer death. It is a well known fact that cigarette smoke contains over 4 000 chemicals, including 43 which cause cancer. Smokers are also more likely to have and die from stomach ulcer, than non smokers.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon when a pregnant woman smokes. Women who smoke during pregnancy risk having miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature baby.

As for me I don’t smoke and prefer an active lifestyle. I go in for sports very actively. Because I believe: Prevention is better than cure.

Influenza

Flu is the infectious disease. Influenza spread quickly through large populations because flu viruses are highly contagious. During flu’s acute phase, respiratory tract secretions are rich in infections virus and the disease is transmitted easily by sneezing and coughing.

The incubation period lasts one to three days. Flu’s symptoms are chills, fever, headache, sore muscle, backache, weakness and fatigue. Respiratory tract symptoms are try, reproductive cough, scratchy sore throat and running nose.

Without complications it may last three-five days. But there are such complications as bronchitis and pneumonia.

But today we have several ways to defend people from influenza. The most important way is vaccination. Influenza viruses have the ability to change themselves, or mutate, that's why individuals who wanted be protected from flu should be vaccinated annually. The ideal time to get vaccine is mid -October to mid – November.

Vaccination is recommended for children, old people, and people working in public services. But allergic people should consult a doctor before getting it.

Health Service in Great Britain

The National Health Service in GB is free of charge except drugs, spectacles and dental care. But people should pay some money in the form of stamps every week. The services provided by NHS can be divided into hospital service and general practitioner service. Hospital services provide emergent, long-term, psychiatric and maternity care. The general practitioner services include the family doctor service, the dental service, the pharmaceutical service and the ophthalmologic service. There are state and private hospitals called ‘nursing homes’.

People may choose where they go. Most of them prefer private doctors. The reason is that the hospitals are always overcrowded. Health centers are the basic of primary care. They contain all special diagnostic and therapeutic services. All consultations are by appointment. Every consultation lasts 6-7 min. In GB they have the same problems as in other countries: heart diseases, cancer and others

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31