The dangers of thirdhand smoke

In the past, health authorities have raised awareness regarding secondhand smoke and its effects. However, the effect of a person's smoking habits doesn’t end when others inhale the fumes from a smoker's cigarette. Researchers from Yale University released studies on the so-called "thirdhand smoke.” In this blog, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon explains how it can affect people and the environment.

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Thirdhand smoke isn't really smoke. These are tobacco contaminants that may remain in surfaces walls, carpets, beddings, and even in clothing. Places such as bars and movie theatres that can still smell like cigarette smoke even when no one is smoking indoors may most likely have these harmful particles. A home with one smoker can have nicotine and other toxic residues that can expose other residents to potentially dangerous fumes. As this is still a developing study, researchers are still considering whether e-cigarettes have the same effect.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares that, according to the study, non-smokers can be exposed to nicotine and other toxic chemicals from public spaces that they could be sharing with smokers. What these researchers even discovered is that a person could have been exposed to up to 10 cigarettes in less than two hours. Thirdhand smoke can also be transmitted through a person's clothing. These particles can only be eliminated through meticulous and regular cleaning. Children and infants are most prone to the harmful effects. While the study is still developing, scientists are still gathering data on how it can damage a person's health.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 15 years. She graduated with a degree in medicine from New York Medical College and completed her fellowship in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the renowned Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. For more updates, visit Dr. Lisa M. Cannon on Twitter.

Sleeping positions and their effect on your health

Have you ever woken up with a sore neck or back? Or how about waking up with a dry throat? If you have experienced any of these, chances are you didn’t have a good night’s sleep. And if one doesn’t have a good night’s sleep, one could feel tired and even cranky throughout the rest of the day. This is why knowing what sleeping position is right for you matters, says Dr. Lisa M. Cannon.

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As one grows up, there are massive changes in the body that affects sleep. Weight, for instance, matters a lot when it comes to finding the right sleeping position. Any woman who’s carried a child for nine months can tell you that sleeping on their backs was painful due to the added weight and the pressure it caused their spines.

The body often shifts to a more comfortable position when sleeping. However, some people sleep through the discomfort, which then translates to other problems. Besides stiff body parts, they could easily develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that is often associated with other illnesses like stroke or heart failure, diabetes, depression, and severe headaches.

If you feel like no sleeping position works in giving you a good night’s rest, consider changing mattresses. There are a lot of mattresses out there, several of which are made specifically for certain body types. It could be possible that what you need is a mattress that suits you in terms of stiffness or firmness. If all else fails, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon recommends visiting a sleep clinic as no person should suffer sleeping problems for an extended period.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a New Jersey-based physician. She earned her degree in medicine from New York Medical College. She has board certifications in critical care medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonary disease. Her practice focusses on pulmonary and respiratory medicine and sleep medicine. For similar reading materials, visit this blog.

Increase lung capacity in five ways

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Individuals who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary fibrosis often have difficulty in breathing. The fear of experiencing a flare-up may hinder them from living their best lives. In this blog, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares a few tips to increase lung capacity.

Proper exercise helps in increasing lung capacity. While it may seem counterintuitive to work out with COPD, getting the muscles in shape can improve breathing. Toned and strong muscles use energy efficiently. Breathing exercises such as pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing help improve the use of proper muscles when breathing.

Keep the house clean. The air quality at home must be a priority, as it can be more polluted than the air outside. Houses and offices should be cleaned regularly to reduce allergens inside.

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Eat smaller meals throughout the day. Doing this can lessen the chances of experiencing COPD symptoms, as eating large meals at a time can cause one’s stomach to bloat, thus pressing the lungs, keeping them from expanding to the fullest, and resulting in shortness of breath. When medical professionals say that smoking kills, we better believe it. Also, quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke. Such environmental irritants make the lungs weak.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon encourages individuals to get vaccinations for flu and pneumonia to help avoid contracting lung infections. In keeping the lungs healthy, one must be proactive; prevention is always better than cure. Improved breathing can help one experience better overall health.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease, critical care, and internal medicine. To continue giving her patients the best service, she completed her Master’s in Public Health from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Subscribe to this blog for similar reads.

How choosing the time to exercise affects overall wellness and sleep

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Looking at health and wellness from all angles, doctor and sleep expert Dr. Lisa M. Cannon has researched the various factors affecting a person’s sleep. To say that many things are affecting the quality and duration of sleep is an understatement.

For this blog, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon wishes to address exercise, specifically the time of day people work out, in relation to its effect on a person’s overall wellness and sleep.

A rather hot topic in fitness circles, the time a person works out has been studied as much as anything else in the universe of exercise. With factors such as personal goals and daily schedules, individuals have had their own say at which time is best.

Typically, people who live extremely active lifestyles with day jobs love working out in the morning, explaining that doing so gives them the energy to tide them over the day. A plus is that working out in the mornings helps people avoid huge crowds. On the other hand, people who don’t exactly love mornings work out at the end of their workday (late afternoon or evening), saying that it’s a great way to relieve themselves of the stresses of the day.

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In the context of sleep, there are two beliefs. Morning workouts use up a person’s energy enough to tire them by the end of the day, creating a feeling for a good night’s rest. Exercising at the end of the day, however, may help a person burn more fat and sleep better.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon believes that while both times are good for one’s overall health, some people who work out at night find it harder to sleep due to the adrenalin spike, she adds.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991 and completed her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. She was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Dr. Cannon has since focused on her own private practice in New Jersey. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

Causes of acute and chronic bronchitis: An overview

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Lisa M. Cannon is a doctor who has, for decades, helped clients with respiratory and sleep problems. Through her series of blogs, she has imparted parts of her vast knowledge of health and wellness. While Dr. Lisa M. Cannon’s blogs are highly informative, she still recommends a doctor’s visit as the first course of action.

For this, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon sheds light on acute and chronic bronchitis, specifically on their causes.

Bronchitis is one of the more common lung conditions that patients have diagnosed and treated. It happens when the lining of the bronchial tubes experience inflammation and swelling, making it difficult for people to breathe in oxygen and clear out the phlegm from the airways.

Acute bronchitis lasts for a few days. Causes of acute bronchitis are viruses and bacteria. Sometimes, acute bronchitis leads to colds and maybe even a fever. Influenza (the flu), rhinovirus, and other viral infections may also lead to acute bronchitis and vice versa. Viral infections account for 9 out of every 10 cases. The remaining 10% of acute bronchitis patients suffer from bacterial infection.

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Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, can last for as short as three months to as long as two or more years, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon notes. For patients with this condition, medical intervention is important. Causes of chronic bronchitis include prolonged and heavy exposure to chemicals, pollutants, or even dust. However, heavy use of cigarettes and tobacco is the most common trigger, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon adds.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991 and obtained her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. Before starting her own private practice in New Jersey, she was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

A sleep expert’s guide for mothers everywhere

One of the biggest challenges young mothers face is getting enough sleep. Dr. Lisa M. Cannon explains that since physical and mental health greatly depends on the amount and quality of sleep a person gets, young mothers often experience physical and mental health issues.
On that note, Dr. Lisa M. Cannon suggests a few strategies that could help both mothers and toddlers get the sleep they need.

Keep busy during the day.

By doing this, mothers can make sure that their toddlers expend enough energy during the day to seek rest and relaxation for the night. This strategy ensures that the little ones are no longer as active when bedtime arrives. By busy, Lisa M. Cannon doesn’t just mean physical play. Mothers can also introduce books and other educational tools, so a toddler remains active. At the end of the day, odds are both mothers and toddlers will get a good night’s sleep

Avoid sweets.


Aside from being unhealthy, sugar in one’s body demands to be used. And when consumed at night, it causes a person to be more active rather than relaxed. This goes double for children, who when experiencing a second wind, maybe next to impossible to lead to sleep.

Make sleeping quarters as comfortable as can be.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon explains that many mothers sleep with their toddlers by their side. Because of this, it’s important that everything in the room, from the bed to the smell to the temperature, is all conducive for sleeping.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991 and obtained her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. She was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Dr. Cannon has since focused on her own private practice in New Jersey. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

How light affects the quality and length of your sleep

Light can profoundly affect sleep and wakefulness. In fact, since indoor and artificial lights became more prevalent, people have moved farther and farther away from their natural sleep patterns as they remain awake long past sunset. Here’s a quick look at the significant effects of light in getting restful sleep.

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 Light is very important in establishing circadian time. External environmental, as well as social cues, set the phase for the circadian cycle, with daylight as the most powerful factor. This makes it harder to sleep in bright light than in dim light, and better for people to perform cognitive and physical tasks when there’s light than when it’s dark, independent of whether they feel sleepy.


Darkness or the absent of light sends a critical signal to the body that’s time to rest. Light exposure at the wrong times changes the body’s internal sleep clock, interfering with both length and quality of sleep. Melatonin, a hormone that influences sleep, naturally increases in levels during the early evening as darkness falls and continues to rise throughout most of the night.

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Artificial light wreaks havoc on sleep in today’s modern world. It disrupts circadian rhythm that governs not just sleep patterns but also the possibility of having sleep disorders, depression, and cardiovascular disease, to name a few. This sleep-disrupting light is mostly obtained from artificially lit screens such as television and iPhones.

Perhaps the most basic advice regarding artificial light is to shield it properly in the bedroom and use light at night only when it’s absolutely needed. There’s absolute merit to staying away from one’s gadgets at least an hour before hitting the sheets, especially if one’s after good, uninterrupted shuteye.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991. She received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. She has since focused on developing her own private medical in New Jersey. More posts like this on this page.