In Ghana, it’s increasingly common for both women and some men to resort to skin lightening and body enhancement methods.
Many individuals opt for skincare creams and pills to achieve their desired lighter complexion and improve their physical appearance.
However, recent findings suggest that the use of skin bleaching products and medications may contribute to hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Luv News delves into this concerning trend, which also extends to expectant mothers who are resorting to medication abuse in hopes of delivering babies with lighter skin tones.
“I looked ugly whenever I watched myself in a mirror. I felt I had a disfigured body and skin so I decided to tone my skin. I wasn’t happy,” Aba Martin, popular Ghanaian Tiktoker, revealed on the Delay TV show as she confirmed her high school teacher made her feel less about herself.
Aba Dope, widely known by her moniker, underwent a transformation from her original dark skin to her current fair complexion due to dissatisfaction with her appearance.
Her journey mirrors that of countless Ghanaian women, both young and old, who have opted to alter their skin tone for various reasons.
Skin bleaching, also referred to as skin lightening or toning, is a prevalent cosmetic practice worldwide, aimed at achieving a lighter complexion.
This trend is often driven by cosmetic aspirations deeply rooted in historical, economic, socio-cultural, and psychosocial factors.
It typically involves the use of topical products containing substances like corticosteroids, hydroquinone, or mercury to lighten the skin.
Dr. Elliot Koranteng Tannor, an expert in kidney disease at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, warns that the absorption of these chemical substances into the skin and subsequently into the body can lead to high blood pressure.
“When you absorb some of these steroids into your body for a long period of time which makes them fair, that would lead to hypertension. Steroids directly is the cause of hypertension. These steroids can also lead to diabetes. Diabetes, especially affecting the kidneys, when not controlled can lead to hypertension,” he said.
Corticosteroids, Hydroquinone, and Hypertension
Corticosteroids, a type of medication, possess the ability to alleviate inflammation, regulate the immune system’s responses, and address hormonal irregularities. They find utility in treating various ailments such as allergies and eczema, a dermatological condition.
However, corticosteroids have the potential to induce hypertension through a mechanism involving the overstimulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor.
This process triggers sodium retention within the kidneys, leading to volume expansion and consequent elevation in blood pressure levels.
Dr. Koranteng Tannor
Hydroquinone, a skin-lightening compound, serves as a beneficial treatment for various forms of hyperpigmentation.
However, excessive usage of this chemical has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease.
According to a 2023 report from the Integrated African Health Observatory, skin bleaching has emerged as a significant global public health issue, with approximately 80% of African women regularly employing skin-whitening products.
In Ghana, the prevalence rate of this phenomenon stands at 39%, reflecting a concerning trend where many women opt for cosmetic creams in pursuit of a complexion deemed desirable by Ghanaian men.
“There may be some skin bleaching products that do not contain these steroids, like the natural products. But how many of these women are not aware of the component of the bleaching creams they use.
Disturbingly, some expectant mothers have caught on the vogue as they take in medications like Prednisolone in an attempt to bleach their unborn babies.
“Interestingly, some women who take these products are now doing that because they believe their children will turn out to be fair,” he revealed.
The Food and Drugs Authority in Ghana intensified a nationwide Post Market Surveillance (PMS) and enforcement on the ban of hydroquinone in cosmetic products but the sale of the product seems to be on the rise on the market.
“The FDA must have a look at the content of these products because the steroids are too high,” Dr. Koranteng Tannor said.
However, skin bleaching is only one of the many causes and risk factors of high blood pressure.
Hypertension, as a major cause of death amongst Africans, comes about as a result of various lifestyle habits.
While family history, and ageing are termed “uncontrolled” risk factors of the disease, poor dieting, intake of excess salt, and sedentary lifestyle are common causes of the disease.
“Having hypertension is not a death sentence. You can actually live long if you control your salt intake, control your dieting, take your medications and exercise regularly,” Dr. Koranteng Tannor advised.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a serious health condition that can lead to various cardiovascular problems. While it’s essential to follow a balanced diet and consult with a healthcare professional for appropriate management, certain drinks may help manage high blood pressure when consumed as part of a healthy lifestyle. Here are five drinks that may be beneficial:
Water: Staying well-hydrated is essential for overall health. Proper hydration helps maintain blood volume and reduce the strain on your cardiovascular system.
Hibiscus Tea: Hibiscus tea has been studied for its potential to lower blood pressure. It contains compounds that may help relax blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. Enjoy it as a caffeine-free alternative to traditional tea.
Beet Juice: Beets are rich in nitrates, which can help dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow. Drinking beet juice may lead to a modest reduction in blood pressure.
Green Tea: Green tea is packed with antioxidants called catechins, which may have a mild blood pressure-lowering effect. It’s also a healthier alternative to sugary beverages.
Celery Juice: Some studies suggest that celery juice may help lower blood pressure due to its natural diuretic properties. It may help flush excess sodium and reduce blood pressure.
It’s important to note that while these drinks can be part of a heart-healthy diet, they should not replace prescribed medications or lifestyle modifications recommended by your healthcare provider.
Managing high blood pressure typically requires a comprehensive approach that includes dietary changes, regular exercise, stress reduction, and, if necessary, medication. Always consult with your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on managing your blood pressure.
I feel sad seeing so many youths engaging in this shisha smoking. It is rather unfortunate that as young men and women, most of us leave life in the present and do not consider the future.
I read a Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association(2019) that report that about 4.8 percent of high school students and 13.6 percent of adults 18 to 24 years old participate in shisha smoking.
Rates of shisha smoking among those ages 18 to 24 are more than 50 percent higher than in adults 25 to 44 years old, and nearly 200 percent higher than adults ages 45 to 64. About 1.2 percent of middle school students smoked shisha in 2018, King noted.
Among adults, hookah smoking is the fifth most commonly used tobacco product behind cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco, King added. People who use a hookah are more likely to start smoking cigarettes compared to those who have never smoked hookah, the study authors say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also found that up to 17 percent of high school senior boys and 15 percent of high school senior girls in the United States have used a shisha.
The CDC notes that shisha smoking is slightly higher among college students, with about 22 percent to 40 percent having tried it. This might be because it’s typically a group event and done in special cafes, tea houses, or lounges.
Some also believe that shisha is less harmful as compared to smoking cigarettes because the tobacco is filtered through water, but there is no scientific evidence that supports that claim. However, there is evidence to suggest that hookah smoking is addictive and can lead to the use of other tobacco products such as cigarettes.
The report further explained people who smoke from a water pipe, also known as hookah, narghile, or shisha, can inhale more toxic chemicals than if they smoked a cigarette.
Each hookah smoking session lasts for about 30 or more minutes. Burning charcoal is placed on top of a bowl filled with tobacco, which is connected with a water base and hose that attaches to a mouthpiece. The tobacco often includes dried fruit, flavored tobacco, and other substances so the tobacco does not dry out.
Users inhale many liters of smoke that are filled with large quantities of particulate matter. One hookah session results in more carbon monoxide exposure compared with smoking one cigarette.
Hookah smoke includes other chemicals that can impair the cardiovascular system such as nicotine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acrolein, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Again, most of the toxin levels are higher in hookah than in cigarette smoke.
Also, a study by Rezk-Hanna et al.(2018) found that people’s heart rates went up by 16 beats per minute after 30 minutes of shisha smoking. Also, their blood pressure rose. Smoking also stiffened arteries to a degree similar to the damage that can be caused by having one cigarette.
“Hookah smoking has many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking, and hookah smoke contains several toxic chemicals known to cause lung, bladder, and oral cancers,” Brian King, PhDTrusted Source, deputy director for research translation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health, told Healthline. “Because of the way a hookah is used, including the number of puffs over a longer period, smokers may even absorb more of these toxic chemicals than cigarette smokers.” In this article, I explore the scientific aspect of shisha.
Shisha can make you high
Shisha is made up of a rubber hose, pipe, bowl, and smoke chamber. Tobacco is heated on coals or charcoal, and it may have flavors added to it, like apple, mint, licorice, or chocolate. A common myth is that hookah smoking is safer than cigarette smoking. This isn’t true. Though shisha smoking won’t get you high, it does have other health risks and can be addictive. The tobacco in it can give you a buzz. You may feel lightheaded, relaxed, dizzy, or wobbly.
Shisha smoking can also make you feel sick to your stomach. This is more common if you smoke too much or smoke on an empty stomach. The coals used to light a hookah might make some people feel nauseous. Fumes from the coals can cause other side effects, including slight headache pain. Shisha tobacco is the same tobacco found in cigarettes. This means that when you smoke shisha, you’re breathing in nicotine, tar, and heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. Smoking one shisha for 45 to 60 minutes is about the same as smoking a pack of cigarettes. Nicotine is the chemical that causes addiction when you smoke or chew tobacco. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine.
In the course of shisha smoking, the body absorbs nicotine. It gets into the brain in about 8 seconds. The blood carries nicotine to the adrenal glands, where it triggers the production of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight hormone.”
Adrenaline raises your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. It also makes you feel more awake and less hungry. This is why nicotine makes you feel good for a little while. In the long run, nicotine can confuse the brain, causing you to feel sick and anxious if you don’t have it. As a result, smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products with nicotine may make you feel better. This is known as nicotine addiction.
Shisha smoking is often done in social situations. A study by Jawad et al.(2013) of 32 people who smoke shisha found that they believed they had a “social addiction” to it. They didn’t believe they were addicted to nicotine.
Even, an “herbal” hookah may still contain tobacco. Though tobacco-free shisha exists, they’re not as common. Besides, even if you’re not smoking tobacco, you’re still inhaling chemicals from coal and other substances. In a shisha, the smoke passes through water before it reaches the hose and mouthpiece. A common myth is that the water filters out harmful substances. This isn’t true.
A study by Strulovici-Barel et al.(2016) compared respiratory (breathing) health in shisha smokers compared to nonsmokers. They found that young people who smoked from a shisha only sometimes had several lung changes, including more coughing and sputum, and signs of inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs. In other words, even occasional shisha smoking can cause health effects. Like cigarettes, shisha also gives off harmful secondhand smoke.
Strulovici-Barel et al.(2016) study also found that shisha smokers also had some of the same chemicals as cigarette smokers. They found other harmful chemicals, like carbon monoxide. These chemicals likely come from the coal that’s used to burn tobacco.
Another study by Kadhum et al.(2014) tested 61 people, including 49 men and 12 women, immediately after shisha smoking in London cafes. They found that shisha smokers had levels of carbon monoxide that were about three times higher than those of cigarette smokers.
Carbon monoxide can lower how much oxygen the body absorbs. This is because it can bond to the red blood cells 230 times stronger than oxygen. Breathing in too much carbon monoxide is harmful, and it might raise your risk of heart disease and other illnesses. The researchers also found that study participants had higher blood pressure after shisha smoking. The average blood pressure rose from 129/81 mmHg to 144/90 mmHg. Over a period, shisha smoking may cause chronic high blood pressure, which can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Infection risk
Healthline.com explained that shisha smokers normally share one shisha in a group. Smoking from the same mouthpiece can cause infections to spread from person to person. Additionally, some bacteria or viruses may stay in a shisha if it isn’t cleaned properly.
Infections that can spread from sharing a shisha include:
A 2013 review by Aslam et al. established that shisha smoking may also be linked to some cancers. Tobacco smoke has more than 4,800 different chemicals, and more than 69 of these are known to be cancer-causing chemicals.
Moreover, shisha smoking may lower the body’s ability to fight some cancers. That 2013 review also highlights research in Saudi Arabia that found that shisha smokers had lower levels of antioxidants and vitamin C than nonsmokers. These healthy nutrients may help prevent cancer. Several other studies mentioned in the review link tobacco use to mouth, throat, pancreas, bladder, and prostate cancers.
Other risks
Healthline also found that shisha smoking causes other health effects, including:
low birth weight of babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy
higher blood sugar levels, which can increase one’s diabetes risk
larynx (voice box) swelling or damage
changes in blood clotting
stained teeth
gum disease
loss of taste and smell
Shisha is Dangerous
A study by Primack et al.(2016) compared shisha with a single cigarette and found that smoking shisha for “one session” delivers 25 times the tar, 125 times the smoke, 2.5 times the nicotine, and 10 times the carbon monoxide.
The danger is that the smoking of shisha goes beyond those who smoke alone. For instance, one study by Zhou et al.(2015) confirmed that secondhand shisha smoke is damaging as well. Another issue is that employees at shisha bars are exposed to “elevated concentrations of indoor air pollutants,” which may cause “adverse health effects,” concluded the authors.
So comparing cigarettes to shisha is not an apple-to-apple comparison. Cigarette smokers generally smoke at least several cigarettes throughout the day, whereas someone who likes to smoke shisha, may only do so on the weekends or a few times a week but the health implications are the same. Some studies confirmed the health implications of shisha surpass that of cigarettes.
Take Home
Shisha smoke comes in many aromatic flavors, the evidence shows that one smoke session delivers more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide than a handful of cigarettes.
I recommend that our universities and schools have to start raising awareness of these dangers to correct the many misconceptions surrounding shisha.
After reviewing studies on shisha, I feel there is a pretty good chance that the young adults who smoke shisha lack clarity on what exactly they’re doing to their bodies. I also feel the majority of them have been misinformed and led into this without knowing the future implications.
Parents must take the responsibility to educate their children that shisha is more than smoking cigarettes. I also believe that it is the responsibility of everyone and the Food and Drugs Authority(FDA) has to act on this issue to save the youth. It is a call for National Action.
NB: Prof. Nyarkotey has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations to justify his write-ups. My articles are for educational purposes and do not serve as Medical advice for Treatment. I aim to educate the public about evidence-based scientific Naturopathic Therapies.
Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare, a Medical Journalist, and a science writer. Regina Adu Safowaah is a Celebrity and Enterprenuer. E. mail: professor40naturopathy@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Two persons have died while several others were reported injured after a dynamite blast at a stone quarry site at Abura Tetsi in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District of the Central Region.
Locals told GHOne TV that three people have lost their lives, while at least ten have also been injured just this year as a result of the stone quarry dynamite blasting in the enclave.
Many of the residents say they’re now living with diseases such as High Blood Pressure and Asthma as a result of the dynamite blasting in the community.
They also complained their buildings have become death traps due to huge cracks developed in their walls. Several buildings according to reports have also collapsed as a result of the constant blasting.
The company which has been operating for about a year now in the area allegedly blasts the dynamite at night when most residents are asleep causing fear and panic to them.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Abura Tetsi, Nana Okogyeaman Preprah X says he’s not aware of any permit granted to the quarry company to operate on his land.
