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.

Irish Actor Michael Patrick, known for his significant role in Game of Thrones, has sadly passed away at the young age of 35.

Sharing the news in a post on social media platform Instagram, his wife Naomi Sheehan shared that Michael Patrick (whom she fondly calls Mick) died after a years-long battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

"Last night, Mick sadly passed away in the Northern Ireland Hospice. He was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease on 1st February 2023. He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully, surrounded by family and friends," Naomi said.

Calling Michael a "titan of a ginger-haired man", she said that “Words can’t describe how broken-hearted we are".

Naomi called Michael an "inspiration to everyone."

Also read: Dismissed as Anxiety: Terry Crew’s Wife Rebecca Shares Decade-Long Struggle With Parkinson’s

What Is Motor Neurone Disease (MND)

MND is a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disease. According to NHS UK, it causes muscle weakness that gets worse over a few months or years. It's usually life-shortening, and there's currently no cure, but treatment can help manage the symptoms.

Symptoms of MND include:

• stiff or weak hands
• weak legs and feet
• twitches, spasms, or muscle cramps (where muscles painfully tighten).

It makes everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or gripping objects difficult.

Also read: Grey’s Anatomy Star Eric Dane Dies After ALS Battle

As the disease advances, patients may develop difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and speech, along with changes in mood or personality. In later stages, walking and movement can become extremely limited.

Treatment of MND

About 1,500 people are diagnosed with MND each year, yet treatment choices remain scarce. Only a small proportion of patients currently qualify for therapies that target the disease process itself.

MND can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages. But as the symptoms get worse, it can usually be confirmed.

Tests used to help diagnose MND include:

• blood tests
• tests to check how well your nerves are working
• an MRI scan to help rule out other conditions that affect the brain and nerves

1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Early symptoms include muscle weakness in the arms and legs can cause you to trip and drop things.

2. Progressive bulbar palsy (PBP): It mainly affects muscles in the face, throat, and tongue, causing slurred speech and problems swallowing.

3. Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA): It causes weakness in the hands.

4. Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS): Leads to weak legs, sometimes with other symptoms, including speech problems.

Common treatment options for MND include:

• physiotherapy and exercises to help with muscle weakness and stiffness
• dietary advice to help you maintain weight
• speech and language therapist to help with talking
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help cope with emotions and feelings, such as anxiety and depression.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a significant impact on the eyes, causing conjunctivitis (pink eye), with red, itchy, watery, or painful eyes.

A new study now shows that eye symptoms may also be key in understanding the severity of long COVID, a collection of symptoms that last three months or longer after your first COVID symptoms.

The new study, published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology, showed that the new onset of eye symptoms in people with long COVID may be an indicator of more severe disease.

Also read: Long Covid Causes Lasting Brain Inflammation And Lung Injury, Reveals Study

Key Findings

Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine analyzed survey data from 595 adults who self-reported having long COVID in surveys conducted from May 2022 to October 2023. They found that nearly 60 percent of people reported new-onset of ocular symptoms.

The findings suggest that ocular symptoms in long COVID may be interpreted as vision-related manifestations that cluster with systemic post-COVID conditions. The symptoms include a new onset of :

• blurred or lost vision,
• dry eyes,
• floaters or flashes

Notably, individuals with ocular symptoms reported:

• A greater overall symptom burden,
• Financial difficulties,
• Challenges in everyday life.

Also read: Long COVID: The Story Of Those Who Are Still Dealing With Symptoms And Illnesses

What is Long COVID

Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing. While anyone who gets COVID-19 can develop Long COVID, studies have shown that some groups of people are more likely to develop Long COVID than others, including:

• Women
• People who have experienced more severe COVID-19 illness, especially those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care
• People with underlying health conditions
• People who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine

While many of the Long COVID conditions remain to be fully recognized, some people have more than one symptom that can be moderate to severe, and also impact the quality of life. According to the US CDC, they include:

• Tiredness or fatigue
• Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes called “brain fog”)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Headache
• Dizziness on standing
• Fast-beating or pounding heart (known as heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Joint or muscle pain
• Depression or anxiety
• Fever
• Loss of taste or smell

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has raised serious concerns about growing doctor burnout, especially among junior and senior resident doctors, and warned that it is now affecting both doctor well-being and patient safety. Noting that overworked doctors are a risk for patient safety, the panel said that fatigue-driven errors and burnout could compromise care.

To tackle this, the committee recommended that the government introduce and strictly enforce a formal “Clinical Duty Hours Regulation” policy. This should mandate fixed rest periods and monitored duty rosters, with oversight mechanisms to prevent violations, stated the panel in its 172nd report presented before the Parliament.

The recommendation comes amid growing concern over long, unregulated shifts in teaching hospitals, where residents often work extended hours with limited rest.

The panel warned that such conditions not only increase the likelihood of clinical mistakes but also contribute to burnout and mental health stress among young doctors.

What The Parliamentary Panel Said

The Panel noted that due to persistent human resource shortages, the working hours of junior and senior residents doctors often stretch from 24 to 36 hours. This increases risk of clinical errors and burnout, thereby compromising patient safety. Thus it recommended a mandatory working-hour regulatory framework:

• to minimize fatigue-induced clinical errors
• safeguard their mental and physical well-being,
• improving patient safety.

However, it noted the contractual engagement must not substitute regular appointments, as excessive reliance on contractual staff may dilute institutional accountability and continuity.

Instead, the panel has recommended adopting a "Total Support model for medical professionals" to attract and retain qualified doctors and specialists in the public health system.

Also read:India Must Integrate Technology To Build Preventive, Holistic Healthcare: Experts

What Is Clinical Duty Hours Regulation policy

The policy calls to:

• Ensure mandatory rest periods, monitored rosters.
• Ensure the presence of senior faculty in wards and in operating theatres during peak hours
• Align faculty schedules with clinical demand
• Offer Structured mentorship
• Protected teaching time for trainees to gain supervised clinical experience
• Improved working conditions, including accommodation, transportation, and administrative support, on par with the facilities afforded to senior civil servants,
• Transparent career progression with time-bound promotions.
• Integrate Yoga and the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) within the workforce to address depression and psychiatric issues.

Also read: Doctors Share Preventable Risk Factors That Can Land You in the Emergency Ward

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is distinct from depression, which influences every aspect of life and often involves persistent thoughts of hopelessness or worthlessness. Burnout typically involves limited manifestations to the work environment, although its impact can resonate into other areas.

Symptoms of Burnout

1. Exhaustion: Prolonged mental and physical depletion of your energy levels.

2. Depersonalization: Cynicism and lack of concern creep into relationships and communication.

3 Reduced Personal Achievement: Your work loses worth, and you may feel you are not up to standards, giving in to frustration and reduced originality.

These signs frequently coincide with physical signs (headaches, muscle pain, sleeplessness), emotional signs (self-doubt, loneliness, unhappiness), and behavioral signs (social withdrawal, outbursts of anger, abandonment of obligations).