The hookah has increasingly gained in popularity and been identified as a stylish pastime of young and old alike. The traditional Mediterranean water pipe may seem like a lesser evil when compared to cigarettes or cigars. The truth, however, is quite different. The hookah has even more harmful effects than cigarettes.
Research suggests that hookah smokers are at 5 times greater risk of periodontal disease as compared to non-smokers. That’s an even greater risk than cigarette smokers, who have a 3.8 times higher chance of developing periodontal disease!
Hookah vs. Cigarettes
Smoking a hookah for an hour is on par with smoking 100 to 200 cigarettes! The smoke inhaled is relatively higher through a water pipe, which considerably increases the potential damaging effects. If you smoke a hookah and consider it harmless in comparison to the other smoking options, consider these detrimental consequences before lighting up.
Bad Breath: Smoking of any kind causes bad breath, and smoking through a hookah involves inhaling even larger amounts of smoke. Don’t let the sweet smell of the different flavors of the hookah mislead you. Halitosis is indeed an embarrassing side effect, and hookah smokers are even more prone to suffer from it.
Risk of Oral Cancer: A serious effect of smoking a hookah is that the sweet flavor does little to protect your mouth from the potentially fatal disease. The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates the number of Americans who are likely to be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer at 42,000.
Dry mouth: Smoking a hookah causes a decrease in the production of saliva, which plays the role of a natural oral cleanser. A dry mouth makes your mouth susceptible to cavities.
The leisurely activity of smoking the sweet-smelling hookah is not as safe as it seems. Do your oral health a great favor by kicking the habit for good!