Quick Question Concerning Health Effect

[meowmeowmeow]

So I love to smoke my hookah in the apartment, but I know there are health risks. I've spent hours researching the potential risks to smoking, and I don't like what I see. Of course, the easy solution is to quit, and I could do that, but I do find the feeling rather pleasurable. I don't get anything from alcohol or marijuana (which I don't smoke anyways).

 

I know i'm damaging my lungs a little bit, but I've read some health websites on how to keep the lungs healthy. I execise almost daily (about 5 days/week of lifting and basketball), regular cardio, I eat relatively healthy (for a college student), live in generally clean environments, all that. I found out in December that my oxygen levels were at a clean 100%. I smoke between 2-3 times a week, about one bowl (two if with friends). The bowl is average-sized, and along with the regular tobacco shisha sometimes I put molasses in it.

 

So I pose the question to you all: is what I am doing okay? If so, what can I improve on (besides the obvious quit smoking thing)? I'm a very healthy person, and my family has never had an issue with lung cancer, but you can never be too careful.

 

Thanks for the awaited responses.

[Chreees]

You're fine man. Majority of the studies out there are wrong/biased because they don't set it all up right (such as not packing properly, not using the right products for modern hookah smoking, using quick light coals instead of natural coals, etc.). There's just so many variables.

So if you know what you're doing and using the right stuff, and exercising your lungs like you've been doing, I see you having no issues.

Anything you smoke is bad for you. But with moderation, I think it's okay. I only smoke a few times a week tops, and notice no adverse effects from hookah smoking (all I do besides the occasional beer and moderate fast food lol). I know people who have been smoking hookah for long periods of time and are just fine. IMO, it's better than most things you could be doing out there. Plus, have you ever heard of someone dying or getting lung cancer from smoking JUST hookah? I have not.

So smoke and enjoy life. :)

[Bawhee]

Right... this topic does come up on occasion so here is what I can tell you with certainty:
Inhaling anything thats not clean air is not gonna be good for you, that includes smog and the like but we are talking about smoking in particular so here is the general consensus on hookah:
Its smoking, just like any other form of smoking its probably gonna be a bit harmful, however there are some "pros" compared to other forms such as the fact that the smoke is really vapor from the tobacco being cooked and therefore vaporised instead of burned, so the amount of chemicals and the like inhaled is less even if the volume is more (the volume thing is what biased anti smoking studies will always point out). Unlike cigarettes which are laced with fucktons of chemical compounds (some companies even added substances that could make you addicted besides nicotine a while back etc.) you will basically get flavor, water vapor and nicotine from hookah.
Yes, nicotine is present though most regular hookah smokers will tell you that the craving for nicotine isnt present cause smoking a hookah isnt about the quick dose of nicotine but more of a relaxing thing to enjoy over a longer period of time.

An advantage that can not be denied is that with most forms of smoking you inhale smoke at very high temperatures, that in its own right can be quite harmful and with added chemical substances even more so while hookah smoke is cooled off.

I will also add that personally (I do smoke cigarettes too, though less and less lately) after smoking a cigarette doing anything physically taxing will make me breathe very hard etc. and that didnt happen with hookah (and I have smoked before excercise just last week. Im not the only one that will tell you this either. For the record I smoke about 2 hours a day for sure, sometimes way more (with friends/gf over I could have a hookah going pretty much all day).

So in conclusion I personally think you should be just fine, however as I said before its still a form of smoking and as such it by definition cant be good for you. There is no properly executed study to confirm the rumors that hookah is more healthy than cigarettes, nor is there one that would confirm the even more widespread and in my opinion ridiculously biased ones that say a hookah is the same as 100 cigarettes or some stupid shit like that. Which brings you to this: Its not great for you either way, but you say you feel good and are healthy. In the long run with the information I gave you, do you think its better to live a completely 100% health oriented lifestyle or have a hobby that you enjoy but is probably a bit harmful.

Most of us on the forums will go with the latter but it is entirely up to you.

P.S. when youre smoking always make sure to have the room well ventilated so that you keep the CO levels ok, CO poisoning to an extent can happen when smoking hookah, you can experience headaches, light headednes, feeling sick and such, caused by the lack of oxygen in your bloodstream. The CO level in your blood will undoubtedly rise when smoking hookah due to the coals but they subside in a fairly short amount of time with just breathing fresh air. Also do keep away from quicklight coals as they not only posses chemicals (for the quick lighting to happen) that are harmful and they also pretty much taint the flavor (of youve been smoking with qls till now you will notice the difference as soon as you make the switch).

I hope this has been helpful and that someone contributes to anything I missed :)

[Hassouni]

Smoking nothing but salloum, zaghloul, and DM for a week will make you addicted to nicotine, I can say that.  All i wanna do is light up another bowl of Desi Murli.....

[meowmeowmeow]

Right... this topic does come up on occasion so here is what I can tell you with certainty:
Inhaling anything thats not clean air is not gonna be good for you, that includes smog and the like but we are talking about smoking in particular so here is the general consensus on hookah:
Its smoking, just like any other form of smoking its probably gonna be a bit harmful, however there are some "pros" compared to other forms such as the fact that the smoke is really vapor from the tobacco being cooked and therefore vaporised instead of burned, so the amount of chemicals and the like inhaled is less even if the volume is more (the volume thing is what biased anti smoking studies will always point out). Unlike cigarettes which are laced with fucktons of chemical compounds (some companies even added substances that could make you addicted besides nicotine a while back etc.) you will basically get flavor, water vapor and nicotine from hookah.
Yes, nicotine is present though most regular hookah smokers will tell you that the craving for nicotine isnt present cause smoking a hookah isnt about the quick dose of nicotine but more of a relaxing thing to enjoy over a longer period of time.

An advantage that can not be denied is that with most forms of smoking you inhale smoke at very high temperatures, that in its own right can be quite harmful and with added chemical substances even more so while hookah smoke is cooled off.

I will also add that personally (I do smoke cigarettes too, though less and less lately) after smoking a cigarette doing anything physically taxing will make me breathe very hard etc. and that didnt happen with hookah (and I have smoked before excercise just last week. Im not the only one that will tell you this either. For the record I smoke about 2 hours a day for sure, sometimes way more (with friends/gf over I could have a hookah going pretty much all day).

So in conclusion I personally think you should be just fine, however as I said before its still a form of smoking and as such it by definition cant be good for you. There is no properly executed study to confirm the rumors that hookah is more healthy than cigarettes, nor is there one that would confirm the even more widespread and in my opinion ridiculously biased ones that say a hookah is the same as 100 cigarettes or some stupid shit like that. Which brings you to this: Its not great for you either way, but you say you feel good and are healthy. In the long run with the information I gave you, do you think its better to live a completely 100% health oriented lifestyle or have a hobby that you enjoy but is probably a bit harmful.

Most of us on the forums will go with the latter but it is entirely up to you.

P.S. when youre smoking always make sure to have the room well ventilated so that you keep the CO levels ok, CO poisoning to an extent can happen when smoking hookah, you can experience headaches, light headednes, feeling sick and such, caused by the lack of oxygen in your bloodstream. The CO level in your blood will undoubtedly rise when smoking hookah due to the coals but they subside in a fairly short amount of time with just breathing fresh air. Also do keep away from quicklight coals as they not only posses chemicals (for the quick lighting to happen) that are harmful and they also pretty much taint the flavor (of youve been smoking with qls till now you will notice the difference as soon as you make the switch).

I hope this has been helpful and that someone contributes to anything I missed :)

Wow, thanks I really appreciate this. I would go with the latter, as I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle besides the hookah smoking. As far as ventilation is concerned, I keep my back door open (screen in tact still) when smoking, so is that okay?

[Hassouni]

You're fine

[DrSmokes]

I've been smoking pretty much every day, at least a bowl a day (1.5+ hours) for over 2 years now.  I have worked out after smoking and I don't see any adverse effects from it (unlike eating unhealthy, that sh*t fucks my workouts up so bad so in my professional opinion, I would say hookah smoking doesn't affect your body as much as wheat, dairy, refined sugar and all that processed food).

 

When you light a cigarette, you are burning the tobacco and the paper around it (amongst all the other chemicals added).  At combustion (I think >750 degrees fahrenheit), the chemical in tobacco that is carcinogenic is "activated".  With hookah, you aren't combusting the tobacco (I think I read <400 degrees) so the carcinogen isn't activated.  From what I've seen, there is next to 0 tar from hookah smoke, but with cigarettes, it is just nasty.  I think there is a youtube video of someone lighting a shitton of cigarettes and running it through a hookah (and water), at the end of it, the water is black and gooey (tar).  I don't notice my hookah water, even after long sessions or times that I don't clean the water after each smoke, have any sort of black crap in it...sometimes it will have the molasses from the flavoring drip down but that's all I've noticed.

 

I feel there are much worse things for the body than hookah.  On top of the listed foods above, there is alcohol, which is widely accepted in society.  I always find it funny when people are getting piss drunk and I'm out smoking hookah, they want to tell me how damaging it is to my lungs.  I laugh and ask them what they think they are doing with their liver, the cleanser of the body's toxins, the organ that prepares ones hormones to be utilized, etc.  Usually I get an eye roll, but they like to continue to attack my hookah smoking.  If you eat well, work out, and lead a pretty good lifestyle, I see the body being able to cope with the hookah smoking (in my experience any way).  If you don't notice adverse effects from it right now and you enjoy it, then I think you've made up your decision.  Sadly, we don't exactly know the long term effects but I know I'm enjoying the time I smoke :)

[Pavo21]

if you enjoy it and are worried about it then do what u think will help you stay healthy, if not just enjoy it and know you are hurting your self but nothing is really healthy so. 

 

but on a side note Dr. Smokes I LOVE YOUR AVATAR IMAGE!!! go FRINGE! im so sad its over

 

thread jacked

[Bawhee]

well, if you decide to stick to smoking hookah I hope you also stick around the forums, might learn something, meet some people etc. :)

[dizzbizz]

I've been smoking hookah for about 5 years now. I've had a cigarette or two in my day, but I stick to hookah. I used to run a lot back in the day, just recently I picked it back up without changing my smoking habits. I smoke about 4 times a week at about 2 to 3 hours a session. I run a consistent 3 miles in 30 minutes each day. 10 minutes a mile, in my book, is solid, especially since I took a year or two off from running. I haven't noticed any negative health effects from hookah since I've started smoking or running. Also, my times have been improving when I run so smoking isn't holding me back either, so I'm getting better. :) You'll be fine. 

[mushrat]

Either continue what you are doing or quit. Kinda the choices. :)

[DrSmokes]

if you enjoy it and are worried about it then do what u think will help you stay healthy, if not just enjoy it and know you are hurting your self but nothing is really healthy so. 

 

but on a side note Dr. Smokes I LOVE YOUR AVATAR IMAGE!!! go FRINGE! im so sad its over

 

thread jacked

Fringe is amazing!  I'm very sad it is ending.  I hope it pops up on Netflix soon...I'm planning on rewatching the shit out of it.

 

...Thread can continue now :P