When something is going wrong in your body, there will be signs. They may be subtle, but they are visible in close observation. If you are a smoker, you may be worried about the smell of smoke emanating from your mouth or clothes. However, there are other signs that tell whether you smoke or not and these signs are difficult to get rid of!

Smoking is the harmful act of inhaling tobacco infused smoke and is a common activity all over the world. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 480,000 deaths happen each year due to smoking or smoke inhalation. The organization explained that smoking causes harm to nearly all organs and quitting lowers the risk of early death and other smoking related diseases.

Like many other substances, there are clear tell-tale signs when someone is smoking. This is especially important for finding lung problems like Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, sooner so people can get help.

Why Does Smoking Affect Your Physical Appearance?

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) explains that tobacco smoke has more than 7,000 harmful chemicals like nicotine, carbon monoxide, and various metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead, quickly reach your lungs and then travel through your blood to all your organs, including your skin. Smoking damages your skin's ability to heal because it increases an enzyme metalloproteinase (MMPs) that breaks down collagen. Collagen is what keeps your skin smooth and elastic. As you lose collagen, your skin sags. Squinting from the smoke and puckering your mouth when smoking also cause wrinkles around your eyes and mouth.

Smoking also reduces blood flow to your skin, which means it gets less oxygen and nutrients. All these things together lead to what doctors call a "smoker's face." Quitting smoking can help prevent or slow down these skin problems."

Visible Signs Of Smoking

Here are some visible signs of smoking in people, according to 2013, Lung India

Fingers and Nails

When people smoke, the tar and other chemicals in the smoke stick to their fingers and nails. This repeated contact causes a yellow stain that's hard to wash off. It's a very common sign that someone regularly handles cigarettes or biris.

Moustaches

Especially in older people with white moustaches, smoking causes a yellowing effect. This is most noticeable in the center of the moustache, where the smoke from the nose directly hits the hair. The consistent exposure to smoke colors the hair over time.

Lips

Heavy smokers often have a bluish-black tint to their lips. This discoloration happens because the chemicals in tobacco smoke affect the blood flow and the color of the skin on the lips. The constant exposure changes the lip's natural color.

Teeth

Smoking causes teeth to stain both inside and out. The outside of the teeth turns yellow from the tar, while the inside develops a brownish-black stain. This happens because the smoke seeps into the enamel and discolors the teeth over time.

Premature Wrinkling

Smoking makes the skin age faster. This leads to wrinkles like "crow's feet" around the eyes and "cobblestone wrinkles" on the neck. This happens because smoking reduces blood flow, limiting oxygen to the skin, and damages collagen, which keeps skin elastic.

Nodular Elastosis

This condition, also known as "Favre–Racouchot syndrome," causes blackheads and wrinkles, especially around the eyes and temples. It is made worse by both sun exposure and heavy smoking. The skin becomes discolored with visible nodules and wrinkles.

Facial Wrinkling and COPD

A study published in Thorax 2006 found a connection between wrinkles on the face and COPD, a lung disease. It's thought that smoking affects both the skin and lungs through similar processes. If doctors notice signs like "crow's feet" on a smoker's face, they might recommend tests for COPD. This early detection can help people get treatment sooner and improve their lung health.

Breast cancer cases are increasing globally, with a significant rise in aggressive forms, such as triple-negative breast cancer, particularly in women under 40. This has caused many people to wonder how they could curb their risk of getting cancer and whether it is something they can control. Scientists have been researching various links that could lead us to a way we can effectively lower the

A new study reveals a hidden link between two major health crises: Type 2 Diabetes and breast cancer. Researchers have discovered that the metabolic changes from diabetes can actually fuel the growth of aggressive breast tumors, especially the kind most common in younger women.

This research, from Boston University, suggests that Type 2 Diabetes doesn't just put your health at risk in general—it might actively weaken your body's ability to fight off cancer, allowing aggressive forms of the disease to thrive.

Does Diabetes Weaken the Body’s Defense?

The study, published in the journal Springer Nature, is the first to directly link tiny blood particles called exosomes from people with Type 2 Diabetes to a suppressed immune response within breast tumors. Think of exosomes as tiny messengers that carry information between cells. In individuals with diabetes, these messengers are altered and can essentially "retrain" immune cells inside a tumor. This process weakens the body's ability to contain and fight the cancer, allowing the tumor to grow and spread more rapidly.

What Is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

According to American Cancer Society, most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the milk ducts or the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands. These types of cancer are known as carcinomas or, more specifically, adenocarcinomas. Breast cancer is also classified by whether it has spread.

In situ (or "in its original place") breast cancer, also known as DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), is a very early-stage cancer that has not spread beyond the milk duct where it started. It is considered a pre-cancer.

Invasive (or "infiltrating") breast cancer is any type of breast cancer that has grown and spread into the surrounding breast tissue.

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

This is an aggressive type of cancer that lacks three key receptors: estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 protein. Because it tests "negative" for all three, it doesn't respond to some of the most common cancer drugs that target these receptors. It accounts for about 15% of all breast cancers.

Can Diabetes Care Help Lower Cancer Risk?

This groundbreaking research helps to answer a long-standing question: why do people with Type 2 Diabetes often have worse outcomes with breast cancer treatment?

This finding is particularly important because it suggests that traditional treatments, like immunotherapy, may not be as effective in patients who also have diabetes. The researchers believe that understanding this link will lead to the development of more personalized and effective treatments for millions of people.

Diabetes And Cancer: What Should You Eat?

According to the Diabetes UK, about 1 in 5 people with cancer have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer share common risk factors. Obesity and being overweight significantly increase the risk for both conditions. Carrying extra weight can raise your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes as well as cancers of the gullet, bowel, breast, womb, and kidney. Additionally, both diseases become more common as people get older.

The connection between Type 1 diabetes and cancer is a bit more complex. While Type 1 diabetes can increase your risk for certain cancers—such as those of the liver, pancreas, kidney, and stomach—some evidence suggests it might actually lower your risk for others, like prostate or breast cancer. This area of research is still developing.

Simple Steps to Reduce Your Risk

Taking a proactive approach to your health can lower your risk of developing cancer. By focusing on a few key lifestyle habits, you can make a significant difference:

• Maintain a healthy weight for your height.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Stay active with regular physical activity.
• Avoid smoking.

Al Roker, the 71-year-old cohost of the Today show, has a simple but powerful life goal: to be there for his family, especially his granddaughter. In an interview with the Prevention, Al detailed various parts of his journey, his motivations, how he got to where he is and where he wishes to see himself in the future.

One of the goals the spoke of was being there for his granddaughter’s graduation. This goal is personal for Roker, who has faced significant health challenges. In 2002, he was at his heaviest and struggling with health issues, including knee pain that made it difficult to even carry his daughter. Roker, who has three children with his wife Deborah Roberts, admits he was stuck in a cycle of "all-or-nothing" dieting, which he says was a "negative loop" of restricting food and then binge-eating.

Al-Roker's Diet: What He Eats In A Day

Al explained how he knows that the gastric bypass surgery wasn’t the end of his journey. Roker focuses on daily habits to maintain his health. He cooks most meals at home to control ingredients and eats small, frequent meals with a focus on protein.

Breakfast: Nonfat yogurt and a banana, followed by a cold-brew coffee.

Lunch: A salad with salmon or chopped chicken and grains.

Dinner: Lean protein, like fish or chicken, and steak about once a week.

He also prioritizes exercise. His favorite form is walking, and he tries to walk a couple of miles a day. When he's too busy for a full workout, he finds ways to be active, like walking to work, which is about 15 blocks.

Can You Eat Whatever You Want After Gastric Bypass Surgery?

When one undergoes a gastric bypass it changes the way their body handles food. The surgery basically makes your stomach smaller by closing it off with staples, according to MedlinePlus. You will not only eat less, but your body may not absorb all the calories from your food. Does this mean you can have an unrestrictive diet?

The answer is, not entirely. According to University Hospitals, your diet will change a lot in the first two months after surgery.

Weeks 1-2

You will be on a liquid-only diet. This includes water, broth, tea, and protein drinks. You can't have any carbonated drinks.

Weeks 3-4

You will move to a puréed diet. This means all your food must be blended into a smooth texture. You can have things like blended chili, puréed cottage cheese, and thinned Greek yogurt.

Weeks 5-6

You will eat a soft diet. Meals should be very soft and moist. This could include eggs, tuna salad, or baked fish with cooked vegetables.

After 45 days

You can slowly start eating regular foods again. You should be careful with things that are harder to digest, like bread, rice, pasta, red meat, nuts, and fizzy drinks.

How Does Eating Look Like After Gastric Bypass?

Experts suggest to maintain your weight loss, aim for three high-protein meals a day. Protein helps you feel full for about four hours. It's also important to listen to your body. Don't wait until you are starving to eat, but don't eat just because it's a certain time.

Eat when you are hungry. Your body uses food for energy, so try not to eat your last meal right before bed.

When you do eat, always have your protein food first. If you still have room, then eat your vegetables. If you need help with a meal plan, a dietitian can help you create one that fits your life and your tastes. Here are some tips you can follow when you are eating outside.

• You can still enjoy meals at restaurants, but it's best to plan ahead.
• Look at the menu online before you go. Choose dishes with a focus on lean protein and non-starchy vegetables.
• Order a box with your meal so you can put away the extra food right away.
• Split a large meal with someone else at your table.
• If you don't see a good main dish, order a side of protein and a side of vegetables to create your own meal.

When the monsoon rains set in, they bring in a much-needed respite from the scorching summer heat but the relief is usually brief, as the damp, humid conditions become a breeding ground for waterborne infections and gastrointestinal diseases. The most prevalent of these seasonal diseases include gastroenteritis, an illness that infects the stomach and intestines, making individuals susceptible to dehydration, exhaustion, and, in severe cases, life-threatening complications.

High humidity, standing water, dirty food sources, and variable temperatures all combine to provide excellent breeding grounds for pathogenic microbes. The digestive system, sensitive to infection, one of the first to respond. Unhygienic foods, street foods open to unclean conditions, and dirty fruits and vegetables serve as vectors for parasites, viruses, and bacteria.

As Dr. Aditya Shah, MBBS, MD (General Medicine, Gastroenterology, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Chennai), puts it, "The monsoons usher in many diseases along with relief from the hot summer weather. All these diseases primarily target the gut. Inadequate food hygiene, consumption of dirty water and humidity during these periods put individuals at risk of contracting several diseases such as gastroenteritis."

In this period, these are usual diseases like seasonal gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and E, cholera, and amoebiasis that peak in populations. All of them have the common factor as being a result of contamination either via unsafe water for drinking, poor food handling, or contact with carriers.

What Is Seasonal Gastroenteritis?

Seasonal gastroenteritis, which is also known as "stomach flu," is one of the most common digestive diseases reported during the wet season. It is a condition that causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines and is precipitated by viral, bacterial, or parasitic pathogens.

Dr. Shah points out, "Stomach flu, or seasonal gastroenteritis, is an infection with inflammation of the stomach and intestines, most commonly caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic pathogens. Symptoms may develop within hours to days of exposure."

The symptoms are cramping of the abdomen, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Some patients may also have muscle aches, headache, and severe tiredness. In children and the elderly, dehydration becomes a deadly complication, characterized by intense thirst, decreased urination, and lightheadedness.

How Infections Spread During Monsoon?

The most common sources of gastroenteritis are contaminated water and food. Street foods, which are subjected to dirty air and cooked in unhygienic conditions, become dangerous pleasures. Similarly, stored perishable food items, unwashed vegetables and fruits, and untreated water create conditions for bacterial propagation.

Viruses also play a major role. Rotavirus and norovirus are two such frequent culprits of viral gastroenteritis. Rotavirus causes irritation in the stomach and intestines, and norovirus is infamous for vomiting and diarrhea outbreaks. Both are easily contagious through dirty surfaces and direct physical contact, so they are particularly hard to contain in overcrowded areas during the rainy season.

Common Gastrointestinal Diseases That Occur During Monsoon

While gastroenteritis steals the show, a number of other GI diseases peak in this season:

Typhoid Fever

Due to Salmonella typhi, typhoid is transmitted by contaminated food and water. Lasting fever, headache, and abdominal discomfort are classic signs, with serious cases causing harm to the intestines.

Hepatitis A and E

Liver infections caused by viruses, these diseases are generated due to bad sanitation conditions. They induce jaundice, weakness, and vomiting, with children being the most susceptible.

Cholera

Induced by Vibrio cholerae, cholera causes copious watery diarrhea and quick dehydration, necessitating urgent treatment to avoid death.

Amoebiasis

Induced by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica, it is caused by consuming food or water with fecal contamination. It manifests as pain in the abdomen and diarrhea, in severe cases causing liver abscesses.

All these diseases highlight the same fact: water and food hygiene are the key to healthy digestion in the monsoon.

What Are The Possible Complications of Gastrointestinal If Left Untreated?

Gastroenteritis seasonal, though sometimes relegated to a fleeting case of the stomach flu, can evolve into dire complications if left unattended. Dr. Shah admonishes that, in severe cases among children and older adults, dehydration can become life-threatening. Ongoing illness can also lead to electrolyte disorders, renal issues, and long-term debility.

One of the most important functions of management is diagnosis. Knowing if the disease is viral, bacterial, or parasitic guarantees treatment effectiveness. For instance, antibiotics are not required and indeed counterproductive in viral gastroenteritis but are a must in bacterial infections such as typhoid or cholera.

How To Prevent Gastrointestinal Diseases in Monsoon?

Though the threat of seasonal gastroenteritis exists, it is also quite preventable. Staying hydrated is crucial. Dr. Shah emphasizes the use of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solutions), which re-place lost water and salts, preventing severe dehydration. The other measures of prevention are:

• Consuming boiled or filtered water in place of untreated water
• Using freshly cooked home food as a priority
• Not consuming raw foods, unwashed vegetables, and roadside food items during the rainy season
• Washing hands properly before eating and after visiting the bathroom
• Proper storage of perishable foods to avoid bacterial growth
• These habits are simple yet extremely effective in reducing the risk of acquiring gastrointestinal infections by a huge margin.

When to See A Doctor?

Gastroenteritis is self-limiting in most cases, and hydration, rest, and food changes are enough. However, medical attention is sought immediately in the presence of recurrent vomiting, high temperature, presence of blood in stools, or features suggestive of severe dehydration.

Antimicrobials or antiviral drugs must be taken under the supervision of a doctor. Self-medication not only delays treatment but also fuels antimicrobial resistance.

The monsoon period is a paradox: a relief from the summer heat but also a time when the gut is particularly susceptible to infections. Seasonal gastroenteritis and other waterborne illnesses flourish in these conditions, reminding us of the tenuous nexus between environment, hygiene, and health.

With preventive care, proper food and water hygiene, and early medical treatment, the incidence of seasonal digestive diseases can be reduced. As Dr. Shah puts it, "Seasonal gastroenteritis is a very prevalent but avoidable disease in this season. With timely care, precautions, and awareness, this condition can be treated without serious complications.".