Hi Doctor. I m a 28 yr old Indian Male. I recently had a small fall while rock-climbing and passed out and do not remember clearly the events of that day (including the ambulance ride, stay in ICU). CT scan showed I suffered a traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage - tentorial and left cisterna ambiens. I had extreme dizziness for a week which has quickly improved to almost near normal pre-accident state now. I have restarted smoking (2-4 cigs/day while pre-accident it was ~15/day). Is this likely to be dangerous? I experienced mild dizziness when I first restarted smoking, but now that has passed. I also want to know what the potential effects of mild alcohol intake (say 2 pints of beer) or occasional marijuana usage (if smoking is a problem I may have it in some tea) as well as physical activity are likely to be. Thanks in advance for your response.
Hello, Smoking has many adverse effects on the body, not just only the brain. Even though you did not have the subarachnoid hemorrhage, smoking is still bad for your brain.  Subarachnoid bleeding, together with smoking, will lead to cognitive effects when you get old. The decline in memory will be fast-paced, and you may experience cognitive loss once you reach the 50s to 60s.  Without smoking, you can enjoy a mind with only a minimal decline. The advised regarding beer consumption is one bottle a day and not more than that.  Marijuana, if not taken for medical use, is also bad for executive function reasons. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Chat Doctor. 