Assignment 1 - Health

http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/tobacco/smoking.html

SMOKING

 Smoking is bad for your health. Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco
    contains nicotine, which is highly addictive.

 These are the causes smoking can affects your health:

 Bad skin. Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and
    nutrients from getting to the skin — which is why smokers often appear pale and
    unhealthy.


 Bad breath. Cigarettes leave smokers with a condition called halitosis, or persistent
    bad breath.


 Bad-smelling clothes and hair. The smell of stale smoke tends to linger — not just
    on people's clothing, but on their hair, furniture, and cars. And it's often hard to get
    the smell of smoke out.


 Reduced athletic performance. People who smoke usually can't compete with
    nonsmoking peers because the physical effects of smoking.


 Increased risk of illness. Studies show that smokers get more colds, flu, bronchitis,
    and pneumonia than nonsmokers. And people with certain health conditions, like
    asthma, become sicker if they smoke.




http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/default.htm

HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)

High blood pressure is a common condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.


Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.



There are two types of high blood pressure.

• Primary (essential) hypertension

          For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. This type of
          high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension,
          tends to develop gradually over many years.

• Secondary hypertension

          Some people have high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. This 
          type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear
          suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension.
          Various conditions and medications can lead to secondary hypertension,
          including:

• Kidney problems
• Adrenal gland tumors
• Certain defects in blood vessels you're born with (congenital)