Kylinn Boyer #4. Octa 242 Productive Aging . Instructor

Kylinn Boyer #4 OCTA 242 Productive Aging Instructor: Witsken 2 March 2017 Smoking Cessation and Elder Wellness General Overview of Topic As we age, it affects overall functioning and our organ systems. By smoking cigarettes, elders can increase their risk for getting a life threatening disease or progressing one they may already have. It is important for elders to stop smoking cigarettes and focus on their overall health. Elders can achieve smoking cessation by receiving occupational therapy services promote healthy habits, recognize triggers, and balance daily occupations properly. According to The American Heart Association, older adults were smoking cigarettes long before there was any extensive research on the effects of†¦show more content†¦Older adults tend to have more surgeries. Therefore, quitting smoking prior to surgery would be beneficial because smokers have a more difficult time recovering. Overall, individuals who smoke cigarettes are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop cataracts, which is the number one cause of blindness in the United States and world wide. For older women, after menopause the bones become weak. Smoking in addition to having weaker or less dense will progress and worsen the process. Therefore, it is easier to break weak and brittle bones, making an increased risk for hip fractures. For older men, intimacy may be affected by smoking (Polito, J. R., 2015). There are approximately 4,000-7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Chemicals included are: nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, acetone, benzene, butane, Cadmium and DDT. The chemicals previously listed are typically found within nail polish remover, hair dye, rat poison, rubber cement, active ingredients in battery acid, embalming fluid, and materials for paving roads. Forty-three of the chemicals within a cigarette are known cancer-causing compounds, and over 400 other toxins. In addition, depending on the type of cigarette that is smoked, the effects could be even more harmful to one’s body by containing more additives and chemicals than others (Kleinman, L., M.D., D. M., M.P.H., 2016). Promoting Wellness in Elders â€Å"Cigarette smoke damages the cells lining the