WebMD - Why can't doctors be honest and upfront.

[warren]

All true sable. But, there is no arguing with success. People love 'em cause they are cheap, less time than a visit to the doctor. I really believe hypochondriacs drive the count on that site. People can list their aches, pains and other symptoms (real and imagined) and then massage the information until they get a diagnosis that suits their wishes.
Participatory medicine at its best! And, best of all, no doctor is really involved. The down side being, no-one to sue when things go terribly wrong.
It is well known as a site for people wishing to commit insurance fraud and for those looking for an ailment which will entitle them to a week or two off work with pay.

 

[brass]

Studies show that statements that include the phrase "Studies show" without any attribution, are utter B.S. :D

 

[phred]

Again, the actual risk of an American male lifetime cigarette smoker (who of course inhales) dying from lung cancer is only 5-7%. But naturally they rarely publish these numbers. Instead they use the good 'ol scary 15-30 times more likely to die from lung cancer numbers.

Yep. When I first thought about taking up pipe smoking, this was one of the first things I looked up because every site that I found online used that same "X% more likely" phrasing, which left me asking "X% more likely than WHAT?". Having taken elementary statistics at one point, it didn't take long to figure out that the actual risk numbers were a lot lower than anyone wanted to admit, as the "X% more likely" is far scarier. Between that and finding out that the much-ballyhooed numbers on secondhand smoke were also being blown way out of proportion, I decided that I'd go ahead and accept the risks.
I'm not blind to the risks, honestly - they are there, and there's decent science out there linking inhalation of particles with various lung ailments. My non-smoking father died of pulmonary fibrosis (his father smoked, and also died young), and my mother-in-law died of lung cancer at precisely the same time that I was doing my research on the risks of smoking, so it's not as if I'm simply ignoring the possibility. I just don't really like being lied to, either by tobacco companies or by the doctors trying to save me from the tobacco companies...

 

[mustanggt]

Politics plays a huge role in all of this. You could not have government run healthcare without a majority of Drs. buying into a lot of nonsense like this and the old saw, eggs are bad/eggs are now good. Politics is mostly a foundation built on lies so it's no wonder so many lies are perpetuated generation after generation.

 

[literaryworkshop]

Oh, WebMD overstates the case, to be sure. Out of curiosity a couple years ago (and because I have access to academic databases), I decided to dig up as many scientific studies as I could on pipe smoking and pipe smokers. I'm not a scientist or medical professional, but I understand some things about how this research gets done (sample sizes, control groups, double-blind, etc.). Here are a few things I found:
-There's some evidence to suggest that not inhaling the pipe smoke is safer than inhaling it, but not inhaling only lowers risk; it doesn't eliminate the risk. Think about how second-hand smoke works--even if you're not pulling the smoke directly into your lungs, it's in the air around you and eventually gets into your lungs anyway, but at lower levels than you would get from inhaling it directly.
-Exclusive pipe smokers tend to be healthier and live longer than cigarette smokers, but they tend to be less healthy and die sooner than non-smokers. That is probably because pipe smokers tend to consume less tobacco per day than cigarette smokers. Pipe smokers who consumed the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day in pipe tobacco had health problems about equal to pack-a-day cigarette smokers. Naturally, light-to-moderate pipe smokers (a bowl or three a day) were significantly more healthy than heavy pipe smokers (10+ bowls per day).
-Although pipe smokers are more likely (about five times more likely) than non-smokers to contract lung cancer, most never contract it at all. Hence, we hear a lot of anecdotal evidence about long-time pipe smokers never having smoking-related health problems. On the average, though, it is still healthier not to smoke at all.
-I couldn't find any links between pipe smoking and erectile dysfunction.
Personally, I think that if you're going to engage in risky behavior, whether it's climbing a mountain, operating a chainsaw, or smoking a pipe, you owe it to yourself to be realistic about the risks. Denial is not the answer to paranoia.

 

[mustanggt]

Life is a risk period. Everyday I drive to work I risk not coming home in the evening. Can't live in a bubble. That aint livin brothers.

 

[jackswilling]

This makes sense:
"Reducing Risks of Pipe and Cigar Smoking

Summary Notes from the lecture of Henri P. Gaboriau M.D.
March 2002
1) The highest to lowest risks from tobacco products are as follows:

Risk Primary Risk

#1) Cigarettes Lungs, throat (Erytroplaleia)

#2) Cigars Lip, tongue

#3) Smokeless – snuff, chew etc. Gum line (Leukoplakia)

#4) Pipes Tongue
2) Lung cancer risk index study*:
Risk

· Non-smoker 1.0 (base number)

· Cigarette – 20 grams / day 16.0 (i.e. 16 x the risk of non-

smokers)

· Cigar – 20 grams / day 3.2

· Pipe – if > 10 bowls per day 6.7

· Pipe – if 5 bowls per day 3.2

· Pipe – if 3 bowls per day 1.5

· Pipe – if 2 bowls per day 1.26

· typical - 2 bowls every 2-3 days ~1.05 (almost same as non-smoker)
(*Source Webline – reviewed 22 articles. 21,520 smokers studied between 1969 – 93)
3) Bladder cancer risk index (although more rare in smokers than is lung and throat cancer)
Risk

· Non-smoker 1.0

· Cigarette 3.5

· Cigar 2.3

· Pipe 1.9
4) Do Pipe and Cigar smokers inhale?
Most Cigar and Pipe smokers do not inhale - unless they were former cigarette smokers. To test the theory, a study* was conducted with an endoscope camera down the nose and throat to observe breathing patterns in smokers. Here were the results:

· Former cigarette smokers inhaled pipes like cigarettes

· Cigar and pipe smokers – breathed normally first, then inhaled into mouth only, smoke was mostly blocked from throat by tongue, then exhaled the smoke w/o going into the lungs.

· You can test this on yourself. Take a toke on a pipe or cigar as you normally would. Now breathe in and out through your nose two or three times. Do you see smoke when you in exhale? If yes, you are inhaling. If no, now exhale the smoke from your mouth. Did smoke come out of your mouth? If yes, you are not inhaling and are tremendously decreasing your risk of lung cancer.
*"Pattern of inhalation of Tobacco Smoke in Pipe, Cigarette and Never Smokers” AM Rev Respir Dis 1985
5) Reducing the risk of tongue burn and/or tongue and mouth cancer.
· A burn or scar from hot smoke is what you are trying to avoid. This can lead to cancer.

· Don’t leave the pipe clenched in your teeth in one position touching your tongue for a long time. Move the pipe around your mouth as you smoke.

· Sip your pipe like a fine wine, don’t draw heavily.

· Find a cool burning tobacco that you enjoy. Aromatic tobaccos tend to burn hotter than do English.

· Always drink while you smoke. This helps cool the mouth, quench the thirst from dry smoke, coat the mouth from hot smoke, and wash away any hot debris. Water, sodas, coffee, tea are fine. Don’t drink anything very hot though.

· However, sorry everyone, do not drink alcohol while you smoke. The combination of alcohol and smoke is not just a linear risk, but exponential. This is a huge mistake most smokers make. The alcohol destroys the flora and protective lining of mucus in the mouth. Then the hot smoke will directly come in contact with the unprotected mouth lining. Drink alcohol only after you smoke.

· Smoking depletes the body of vitamins A and C. Take up to 3000 mg of VC a day. Also take selenium and other antioxidants that will help buffer your body from free radicals, cancer and anti-aging.
6) Medical examination:
At least once a year, tell your physician you are a pipe smoker and would like to have your mouth and tongue examined. Schedule your teeth exams ~ 6 months after your physician’s and have your dentist give another exam. You now have two exams a year, by two different medical specialists.
7) Life expectancy for Pipe Smokers:
Okay, sit down for this…. A US Surgeon General report “Smoking and Health” (No. 1103, page 112) noted, “Death rates for current pipe smokers were little if at all higher than for non-smokers, even with men smoking 10 pipefuls per day and with men who had smoked pipes for more than 30 years.” On page 92 the report also stated, “Pipe smokers who inhale live as long as nonsmokers and pipe smokers that don’t inhale live longer than non-smokers.
What? Life expectancy for pipe smokers is three years longer than… Non-Smokers! Just try to use that argument with an anti-smoking activist! Of course this is not to encourage people to smoke, but has more to do with the personality of a typical pipe smoker. Most are type “B” where most cigarette smokers are type “A”. So a pipe smoker, on average, is a more laid back person. Second, smoking a pipe is very relaxing. You just can’t be angry when you are smoking a pipe.
Cigars are also relaxing but it seems, not as much as pipes. Most cigarette smoking is not so much a relaxing experience as it is a need for nicotine.
8) Other interesting facts and some to keep in mind:
1) Pipe smoking is the lowest tobacco risk - but the risk is not zero.

2) Pipe smoking risk is much like a second hand smoke risk

3) Pipe tobacco has less nicotine per gram than cigarettes and contains very little of the additives.

4) Wet smoking is the worst risk so be sure and clean pipe thoroughly.

5) If you have any sores in your mouth or a sore throat, wait to let the mouth heal first.

6) The main risks from cigars is chewing the cigar and the direct contact with the lips.

7) 27% of all smokers are pipe smokers in Sweden. In US only 2%
I hope you follow the tips above. If you do, you should significantly lower your health risks from pipe and cigar smoking. Wishing you a wonderfully aromatic, relaxing and healthy enjoyment of your favorite pipe and cigar for a long lifetime."

http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=969877&module_id=17020

 

[mustanggt]

Thank you Jack, that is some good work.