Can Occasional Smoking, Drinking Alcohol Damage Brain Cells?
I smoked apx. 1-3 cigarettes a day for one year. 3 months ago i quitted. And i wont start this trouble again. Everything was great, but i read few articles about cigarette 'parmenently damages brain cells' then i became completely obsessive. Did light smoking for one year parmemently damaged by brain? And also i drink alcohol in special days like birthdays etc. since i was 15. I don't drink as a routine. I drink maximum once a month but when i drink, it is till i get really drunk. Can this also irreversebly damage my brain? I became very obsessive and i am spending all my day to think about this questions. Please help me.
It is very good that you made the effort to stop smoking and plan not to restart.
There is evidence that it can damage brain cells and it is also associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke and a number of various cancers.
However by ceasing this habit and adopting an otherwise healthy lifestyle your risks will start to decrease. This means using a healthy diet and exercise. This would help with general health.
Specifically with regard to the brain , engaging in activities which stimulate the brain such as cross words, logic activities and games, suduko, learning something new, changing a routine.
hello, thank you for using healthcare magic, there are some research showing that smoking might damage brain cell but yet its not fully proved.. you no need to worry as you smoked for just year that too just 3 cigratte.. its very good that you left smoking before it cause damage to you.. now never ever even touch cigrate..it causes hormonal imbalance, increases chances of strok heart attack , mouth cancer etc list is very long.. about your alcohol once in month is very fine but not more than 3 pac .. if you take alcohol in excess it will damage your liver so toxic product will accumulate in your body which will damage your brain it is called as hepatoencephalopathy.. take care..
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Orthopaedic Surgeon, Joint Replacement, Dr. Saurabh Gupta's Response
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
Alcohol use doesn't actually result in the death of brain cells. It can, however, damage the ends of neurons, which are called dendrites. This results in problems conveying messages between the neurons. The cell itself isn't damaged, but the way that it communicates with others is altered.
Brain damage is a common and potentially severe consequence of long-term, heavy alcohol consumption. Even mild-to-moderate drinking can adversely affect cognitive functioning.
Young people who being drink could be risking serious damage to their brains now and increasing memory loss later in adulthood.
Hope this helps you.
Wishing you good health...
Regards.
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Can Occasional Smoking, Drinking Alcohol Damage Brain Cells?
Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic It is very good that you made the effort to stop smoking and plan not to restart. There is evidence that it can damage brain cells and it is also associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke and a number of various cancers. However by ceasing this habit and adopting an otherwise healthy lifestyle your risks will start to decrease. This means using a healthy diet and exercise. This would help with general health. Specifically with regard to the brain , engaging in activities which stimulate the brain such as cross words, logic activities and games, suduko, learning something new, changing a routine. I hope this helps