7 ms·

Here in Ireland we have a lot of limestone and new houses must have radon barriers in their foundation. People living in older houses without them are susceptib

by knolan 5y ago

Here in Ireland we have a lot of limestone and new houses must have radon barriers in their foundation. People living in older houses without them are susceptible to lung cancer. Growing up my parents always kept our windows open when possible. My grandmother, a non-smoker, died of lung cancer.

coldcode 5y ago
My mom died of lung cancer (actually brain cancer which often is the end result) but never smoked; however her father smoked all his life, and my dad smoked for decades before quitting. We never did figure out where the original cancer came from. End stage lung/brain cancer is a terrible way to go, which is why I have zero idea why anyone smokes at all.
- TaupeRanger 5y ago
  If you don't die from lung cancer you'll die from some other terrible thing. I don't smoke but I can see why, if it gives someone satisfaction and/or relaxation, they would be willing to risk that kind of death in exchange for a lifetime of mental hacks (though there are arguably safer methods of similar efficacy).
  - usgroup 5y ago
    Unfortunately smoking doesn’t really do that either. I’d say it has close to no benefits from a day to day cognitive perspective anecdotally. I think it’s the same for coffee. Great for socialising though . Smokers have more fun at parties since you end up chatting to other smokers whilst outside in sub zero weather sucking on your death stick. And damn do I miss a cig after dinner
    - m00dy 5y ago
      Your comment made me smile :)
    - halikular 5y ago
      You have more fun in the actual party inside.
    - anders_p 5y ago
      I was a smoker for 20 of the 45 I've been alive. Around 1 pack a day. It was exactly the social aspect of smoking that I liked the most, now that I look back at it. Smokers have an easier time establishing a bond, when placed in new groups like work or school. They meet up at the designated smoking spot and chat while smoking. It's a great ice breaker. I found that I had an easier time, when having to do group work, than non-smokers since there was already a loose connection with the other smokers. It was always the non-smokers, who were having difficulty finding group mates. I now vape on an e-cigarette instead. Still go with the smokers, so I have not lost the social benefits :) I highly recommend giving e-cigarettes a try, for any of you smokers out there, who are having a difficult time, quitting the habit. I'm aware that it's in no way healthier, but am convinced that it's less damaging. Anecdotal, yes, but it sure feels like a better alternative. Tried nicotine gum, band-aids etc., but I guess there was more to my addiction than just the nicotine. The rituals of inhaling and fondling with something. It's the only thing that's worked for me.
      - anders_p 5y ago
        Correction. Can't edit, but the last paragraph should've been: "I know that it's in no way HEALTHY*, but..."
      - pvarangot 5y ago
        I got one of those vape things people use for dry weed that gets up to 405F and vape dry rolling tobacco. You can do it inside as it doesn't smell or the smell is pleasant or you can use as an excuse to go hang out with the other smokers too. You also are only burning tobacco and inhale almost no plant matter. I would give it a try. I feel better with that than with e-cigs.
    - TaupeRanger 5y ago
      What? Who are you responding to? I said it helps one relax and/or gives satisfaction, and then you said "it doesn't do that" (using a personal anecdote as evidence?) but then your last sentence suggests you did actually experience those things you said you didn't? I can't understand what your point was here.
  - halikular 5y ago
    The nicotine is what CAUSES the stress in the first place, and you have to relive it by smoking or ingesting the nicotine in another way. So essentially what you have done is raised the baseline stress level and you temporarily lower it when you get your nicotine. Then the stress levels will be ascending proportionally to the nicotine concentration in your blood which is constantly metabolized and descending. Nicotine has a half life of about 1-2 hours, so it doesn't last very long.
    - TaupeRanger 5y ago
      Hard to follow this. Do you mean the lack of nicotine causes stress during withdrawal? Of course it does, but that doesn't mean a person can't get a net overall decrease in stress by smoking regularly. I'm not suggesting it of course, but I can understand the personal motivation of someone who does.
      - halikular 5y ago
        The nicotine levels rapidly decrease just minutes after smoking and stress levels are beginning to climb in response until you smoke another cigarette. The cycle repeats and the average stress levels over time than for a non-smoker. If you're addicted you always stress about when you are getting your next dose of nicotine.
        robben1234 5y ago
        What about non-regular smokers? Anecdotally I smoke once a month to once a year (sometimes not cigarettes but vape, hookah, cigars) and feel the stress relief without going into cycles. Even when I was semi-regularly vaping nicotine heavy liquid it wasn't because of _need_ to get the next dose, but the distinct relief.
  - Robotbeat 5y ago
    Man, lung cancer and stomach cancer are two of the worst ways to go...
    - TaupeRanger 5y ago
      Not much different than other ways of slowly dying TBH. They're all mostly horrible.
      - da_big_ghey 5y ago
        i have knew persons who were dying in peace while sleep. i only am hoping i shall be this fortuneate.
        refurb 5y ago
        That happened to my grandfather as well. 3 pack a day smoker and died in his sleep at 70. But I agree otherwise. My wife’s parents both lived into their late 90’s but had lost most of their cognitive ability for the last 5 years - so much they couldn’t live independently. Not sure that’s a great alternative death.
verelo 5y ago
Glad someone brought up radon. No one knows about it. Get a HRV or ERV and ideally slab depressurization, Google the terms if unfamiliar folks! Enjoy the diy projects haha
- dboreham 5y ago
  Slab depressurization (essentially creating a partial vacuum under a building's concrete slab floor) can work very well. These days usable radon concentration meters are quite affordable. I used one in a building I own to verify the effectiveness of a slab depressurization system. It reduced measured radiation levels to a small fraction of the baseline. Of course you need a building with a slab foundation to use this technique.
  - verelo 5y ago
    Yeah it’s an amazingly simple approach. I did it in a house i renovated, the building inspected tried to stop me as he wasn’t familiar with the system and thought it would actually allow radon in. Turns out he had a family member die from lung cancer and they believed they was a possible link. I expect at some point it’ll be part of most modern building codes where there is a basement connecting to a living space.
secondcoming 5y ago
My parents house was part of a national radon survey in Ireland back in the 90's I think. I had a small little black monitor/'counter' in my bedroom for maybe a year (I'm a bit fuzzy on the details). Anyway, they sent us the results when the experiment ended and we sent the device back. The results were quite bad I seem to recall (I may be mis-remembering according to [0]) Our house was in rural Cork and was build by my parents in the 80's. My father died from lung cancer but he was a heavy smoker; my mother smokes very occasionally and she's fine. However, my aunt, who lived next door, maintained a very healthy lifestyle and also died of lung cancer; her husband is also fine. [0] https://www.epa.ie/radiation/radonmap/ https://www.epa.ie/radiation/radonmap/
vharuck 5y ago
It's a good idea to test basement radon levels when buying a new house. In my state, it's a check box on the required paperwork, so every buyer can see it's an option. The tests are cheap and quick. Check with your state for any help with finding testers or paying for the tests and mitigation systems. Radon levels vary a lot. In Pennsylvania, the worst areas lie along the Appalachians, but even then neighboring houses can have huge differences in radon. So even if your soon-to-be neighbors didn't have a problem, do the test.

by knolan 5y ago

coldcode 5y ago

My mom died of lung cancer (actually brain cancer which often is the end result) but never smoked; however her father smoked all his life, and my dad smoked for decades before quitting. We never did figure out where the original cancer came from. End stage lung/brain cancer is a terrible way to go, which is why I have zero idea why anyone smokes at all.

TaupeRanger 5y ago
If you don't die from lung cancer you'll die from some other terrible thing. I don't smoke but I can see why, if it gives someone satisfaction and/or relaxation, they would be willing to risk that kind of death in exchange for a lifetime of mental hacks (though there are arguably safer methods of similar efficacy).
- usgroup 5y ago
  Unfortunately smoking doesn’t really do that either. I’d say it has close to no benefits from a day to day cognitive perspective anecdotally. I think it’s the same for coffee. Great for socialising though . Smokers have more fun at parties since you end up chatting to other smokers whilst outside in sub zero weather sucking on your death stick. And damn do I miss a cig after dinner
  - m00dy 5y ago
    Your comment made me smile :)
  - halikular 5y ago
    You have more fun in the actual party inside.
  - anders_p 5y ago
    I was a smoker for 20 of the 45 I've been alive. Around 1 pack a day. It was exactly the social aspect of smoking that I liked the most, now that I look back at it. Smokers have an easier time establishing a bond, when placed in new groups like work or school. They meet up at the designated smoking spot and chat while smoking. It's a great ice breaker. I found that I had an easier time, when having to do group work, than non-smokers since there was already a loose connection with the other smokers. It was always the non-smokers, who were having difficulty finding group mates. I now vape on an e-cigarette instead. Still go with the smokers, so I have not lost the social benefits :) I highly recommend giving e-cigarettes a try, for any of you smokers out there, who are having a difficult time, quitting the habit. I'm aware that it's in no way healthier, but am convinced that it's less damaging. Anecdotal, yes, but it sure feels like a better alternative. Tried nicotine gum, band-aids etc., but I guess there was more to my addiction than just the nicotine. The rituals of inhaling and fondling with something. It's the only thing that's worked for me.
    - anders_p 5y ago
      Correction. Can't edit, but the last paragraph should've been: "I know that it's in no way HEALTHY*, but..."
    - pvarangot 5y ago
      I got one of those vape things people use for dry weed that gets up to 405F and vape dry rolling tobacco. You can do it inside as it doesn't smell or the smell is pleasant or you can use as an excuse to go hang out with the other smokers too. You also are only burning tobacco and inhale almost no plant matter. I would give it a try. I feel better with that than with e-cigs.
  - TaupeRanger 5y ago
    What? Who are you responding to? I said it helps one relax and/or gives satisfaction, and then you said "it doesn't do that" (using a personal anecdote as evidence?) but then your last sentence suggests you did actually experience those things you said you didn't? I can't understand what your point was here.
- halikular 5y ago
  The nicotine is what CAUSES the stress in the first place, and you have to relive it by smoking or ingesting the nicotine in another way. So essentially what you have done is raised the baseline stress level and you temporarily lower it when you get your nicotine. Then the stress levels will be ascending proportionally to the nicotine concentration in your blood which is constantly metabolized and descending. Nicotine has a half life of about 1-2 hours, so it doesn't last very long.
  - TaupeRanger 5y ago
    Hard to follow this. Do you mean the lack of nicotine causes stress during withdrawal? Of course it does, but that doesn't mean a person can't get a net overall decrease in stress by smoking regularly. I'm not suggesting it of course, but I can understand the personal motivation of someone who does.
    - halikular 5y ago
      The nicotine levels rapidly decrease just minutes after smoking and stress levels are beginning to climb in response until you smoke another cigarette. The cycle repeats and the average stress levels over time than for a non-smoker. If you're addicted you always stress about when you are getting your next dose of nicotine.
      - robben1234 5y ago
        What about non-regular smokers? Anecdotally I smoke once a month to once a year (sometimes not cigarettes but vape, hookah, cigars) and feel the stress relief without going into cycles. Even when I was semi-regularly vaping nicotine heavy liquid it wasn't because of _need_ to get the next dose, but the distinct relief.
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  Man, lung cancer and stomach cancer are two of the worst ways to go...
  - TaupeRanger 5y ago
    Not much different than other ways of slowly dying TBH. They're all mostly horrible.
    - da_big_ghey 5y ago
      i have knew persons who were dying in peace while sleep. i only am hoping i shall be this fortuneate.
      - refurb 5y ago
        That happened to my grandfather as well. 3 pack a day smoker and died in his sleep at 70. But I agree otherwise. My wife’s parents both lived into their late 90’s but had lost most of their cognitive ability for the last 5 years - so much they couldn’t live independently. Not sure that’s a great alternative death.

verelo 5y ago

Glad someone brought up radon. No one knows about it. Get a HRV or ERV and ideally slab depressurization, Google the terms if unfamiliar folks! Enjoy the diy projects haha

dboreham 5y ago
Slab depressurization (essentially creating a partial vacuum under a building's concrete slab floor) can work very well. These days usable radon concentration meters are quite affordable. I used one in a building I own to verify the effectiveness of a slab depressurization system. It reduced measured radiation levels to a small fraction of the baseline. Of course you need a building with a slab foundation to use this technique.
- verelo 5y ago
  Yeah it’s an amazingly simple approach. I did it in a house i renovated, the building inspected tried to stop me as he wasn’t familiar with the system and thought it would actually allow radon in. Turns out he had a family member die from lung cancer and they believed they was a possible link. I expect at some point it’ll be part of most modern building codes where there is a basement connecting to a living space.

secondcoming 5y ago

My parents house was part of a national radon survey in Ireland back in the 90's I think. I had a small little black monitor/'counter' in my bedroom for maybe a year (I'm a bit fuzzy on the details). Anyway, they sent us the results when the experiment ended and we sent the device back. The results were quite bad I seem to recall (I may be mis-remembering according to [0]) Our house was in rural Cork and was build by my parents in the 80's. My father died from lung cancer but he was a heavy smoker; my mother smokes very occasionally and she's fine. However, my aunt, who lived next door, maintained a very healthy lifestyle and also died of lung cancer; her husband is also fine. [0] https://www.epa.ie/radiation/radonmap/ https://www.epa.ie/radiation/radonmap/

vharuck 5y ago

It's a good idea to test basement radon levels when buying a new house. In my state, it's a check box on the required paperwork, so every buyer can see it's an option. The tests are cheap and quick. Check with your state for any help with finding testers or paying for the tests and mitigation systems. Radon levels vary a lot. In Pennsylvania, the worst areas lie along the Appalachians, but even then neighboring houses can have huge differences in radon. So even if your soon-to-be neighbors didn't have a problem, do the test.