Smoking is one of the chief causes of death in the world today. Every year thousands of people die from side effects of smoking and smoking related illnesses.
Smoking is extremely harmful for your health. When cigarettes burn they generate over 7000 chemicals and most of them are poisonous. Almost 69 of them can lead to cancer. Smoking can increase your chance of contracting over 50 serious health issues. Every puff of your cigarette is harming almost every organ of the body. Here are some harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes.
Effects on the respiratory system
When you smoke, you are taking into our lungs substances that are very harmful and can cause severe damage. Smoking coats your lungs in tar. Also, smokers are at a higher risk of respiratory infections, colds, and flu. Children of smoker parents are at a risk of wheezing, coughing, and asthma attacks than children whose parents don’t smoke. They also have a tendency to develop ear infections. Such children have more risk of bronchitis and pneumonia.
Effects on the central nervous system
One of the chief ingredients in tobacco is nicotine. It stimulates the central nervous system and can make you feel energised temporarily. When the effect of it goes down, you feel drained and tired.
Effect on eyes
Just as with the rest of the body, the health effects of smoking cigarettes are visible in the eyes as well. Smoking also increases the chances of cataracts, macular degeneration, and poor eyesight. It can have an adverse effect on your sense of smell and taste.
Effects on the cardiovascular system
Smoking can cause a lot of damage to your cardiovascular system. Nicotine in cigarettes causes the blood vessels to tighten and this restricts the blood flow. Tobacco smoke also decreases the levels of cholesterol and increases blood pressure. This can lead to bad cholesterol build-up. Smoking also causes the formation of blood clots and this increases the chances of stroke.
Effects on the skin
The side effects of smoking are visible on the skin. The substances present in tobacco smoke can lead to a change in the structure of the skin. Smoking often leads to skin discoloration, wrinkles, and premature aging. Smokers usually have yellow stains on their fingers or hands and brown or yellow stains on their teeth. They also get wrinkles sooner than people who do not smoke.
Also Read: Men, Women, and the Dangers of Smoking
Effects on the digestive system
Smokers can develop dangerous oral problems. It can lead to infection and inflammation in the mouth. This can further cause tooth decay, tooth loss, and bad breath. The bad habit can increase the chances of developing cancer in the mouth, larynx, throat, and oesophagus.
Effects on sexuality
Smoking can have an adverse effect on both male and female smokers. Smokers may find it difficult to have an orgasm and have a high risk of infertility. Female smokers may experience pregnancy complications and early menopause as health effects of smoking cigarettes. Babies of mothers who smoke may suffer from birth defects, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Type 2 diabetes
Smoking has also been recently shown to cause type 2 diabetes. People who smoke have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes than people who do not smoke. The more cigarettes a person smokes, the higher the chances of developing diabetes.
Cancers
Smoking is the most important cause of lung cancer and it has been shown to cause cancer in other body parts as well including: Trachea, Bronchus, Esophagus, Oral Cavity, Lip, Nasopharynx, Nasal Cavity, Larynx, Stomach, Bladder, Pancreas, Kidney, Liver, Uterine Cervix, Colon and Rectum.
Also Read: Benefits of Quitting Smoking
There is a range of immediate as well as long term benefits of quitting smoking. You become free of all the dangerous side effects of smoking. Quitting decreases the risk of developing any smoking related ailments and enhances your overall health in numerous ways. You can contact your doctor to help you to quit the habit.
