Smoking Health Effects

Cigarette smoking has various negative health effects on the user. They include;

The smoker may develop ulcers; stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers which can result in stomach cancer.
May increase blood pressure and heart rate.
Carbon monoxide in the smoke causes the heart to strain which may lead to stroke.
May cause male impotence.
Pneumonia, chronic asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer.
Pregnant women can deteriorate the health of their unborn children by just smoking 1 cigarette a day.
Yellowing of teeth
Brain damage
Results in faster skin aging
May result in weaker and brittle bones

Smoking Health Risks

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the world. This is because cigarette smoking can result in different fatal diseases such as;

Different types of cancer.
Coronary heart disease.
Pneumonia.
Heart attack.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases.
It can cause impotence in men.
Passive smokers may develop meningitis.

Smoking And Ulcers

It contributes to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcers.
Smoking increases the risk of H. pylori infection
Smoking also reduces the secretion of mucus
It slows the healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers

Smoking And Cancer

Cigarette has very many harmful chemicals which when ingested increase the risk of different cancers. Cigarette smoke typically causes damage to DNA. The build-up of damage from frequent smoking is what results in cancer. e.g. cigarette smoke has been proved to damage the inner lining of the lungs resulting in cancer. Other types of cancer caused by cigarette smoking include;

Esophagus bronchus
Stomach
Blood
Pancreas
Kidney
Pharynx
Mouth
Cervix
Colon and rectum

Smoking increases the risk of death from cancer and has been proved to be the main cause of deaths due to cancer in the USA. Therefore it is wise to quit cigarette smoking as early as possible.

What Smoking Does To Your Lungs

Smoke from cigarettes negatively affects the health of the user’s lungs by;

It can result in lung cancer.
May develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
May trigger asthma attacks in asthma patients and even make them severe.
Nicotine causes inflammation in lung tissue reducing its ability to fight foreign bodies.

How Smoking Affects Your Heart

Causes stroke which may result in death.
May result in cardiovascular disease.
Can narrow arteries making the heart strain in pumping blood, this may result in hypertension.

What Smoking Does To Your Skin.

Hurts your physical appearance by leaving your skin dry and discolored. This is possible as carbon monoxide displaces oxygen in the skin. It can also result in scaly skin.
Nicotine stains your fingers and nails.
Smoking in youths can result in wrinkle formation and premature aging. This is due to nicotine that inhibits the flow of blood which makes skin tissues appear healthy.
May lead to skin cancer.

Smoking Withdrawal

Nicotine creates an addiction to the cigarette making it difficult for users to quit the fatal habit. Nicotine withdrawal may be characterized by the following symptoms;

Nicotine cravings.
Anxiety and inability to concentrate.
Constipation.
Depression.
Dry mouth.
weight gain.
Shaking of hands and feet.

Smoking During Early Pregnancy

This practice is highly discouraged as it poses a health risk not only to the unborn child but also the mother. Once a woman knows she’s pregnant she should totally avoid smoking and cigarette smoke. It may result in;

Birth defects such as;
- Placenta praevia-This is when the placenta attaches just above the cervical opening.
- Congenital heart defects – This mainly involves problems with the heart structure.
Low birth weight
Preterm delivery.
Miscarriage or stillbirth.
Skull malformation.
When born children may develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other breathing-related diseases.
Women risk contracting respiratory infections and heart attacks.
Lung cancer.

Can Smoking Cause Infertility

Smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day may lower a female’s ability to conceive. This is because;

It can block the fallopian tube and prevent the sperm from fertilizing the female egg.
Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage due to placental abruption.
It can also damage and reduce female reproductive eggs.
Smoking can lead in early ovary premature causing early menopause.

Smoking With Asthma

Smoking hurts the lungs by narrowing airways resulting in shortened breath. This can result in frequent and more severe asthma attacks in asthma patients. It is therefore advisable that asthma patients abstain from cigarettes and cigarette smokers as it can have serious negative health effects on their breathing.

Smoking And Diabetes

Diabetes results in high blood sugar levels in the body. Research shows that smoking is a causal factor of type 2 diabetes. It increases body inflammation and oxidative stress which damages different body cells. These are the main causal factors for diabetes 2. Smoking can also increase the risk of obesity.

Smoking And Blood Pressure

Nicotine results in blood vessels contracting thus cooling down the flow of blood, this results in an increase in the body’s blood pressure. Increasing the number of cigarettes relatively increases blood pressure while reducing the cigarettes also reduces blood pressure which ultimately reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Can Smoking Cause Sore Throat

Exposure to cigarette smoke can result in a sore throat. Excess smoking also leads to throat cancer. However, a sore throat can be due to various reasons thus its important to consult your doctor before making any irrational decision on medicine intake.

Smoking And Weight Loss

The nicotine part in a cigarette acts as an appetite suppressant thus increasing energy expenditure. This property enables a smoker to decrease food intake thus controlling their eating habits. However, this practice is more prevalent among adolescents than any other age group. Due to this characteristic, researchers developed the nicotine gum which is used by non-smokers to quit progressively and reduce appetite, thus acting as a weight loss mechanism.

People quitting smoking can also gain weight due to increased calorie intake.

Smoking On Airplanes

Smoking on planes is highly prohibited. This is because of;

Its negative health effects on the smoker and people in the plane.
The probability of fire erupting from the cigarette that may lead to fatal accidents.

However, some airlines provide a smoking area though they do not promote the practice.

Cigarette Smoking and Its Effects