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Ever wonder what it means to state: “Smoking is bad for your overall health”?
This means that smoking affects every single organ and system of your body.
The results are devastating. In the United States alone, about480,000 people die from cigarette smoking annually. Smokers tend to have about ten years shorter life-spans than people who have never smoked.
But why is smoking tobacco so destructive? The poisons that result from lighting up include carbon monoxide and tar. These poisons damage the lungs, and so, they can no longer provide enough oxygen to the rest of the body. That’s why the entire body suffers serious health consequences from smoking. Let's dig into the details.
The lungs are the most obvious victims of smoking. Smoking damages the airways and small air sacs in your lungs, but it can take many years before symptoms become apparent. So, by the time you are diagnosed, the disease is already in an advanced stage.
Aside from lung cancer, smoking can lead to lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking is the leading cause of COPD, which is the 4thleading cause of death worldwide.
Long-term smoking can also lead to chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.
Another consequence of long-term smoking is emphysema — a disease that reduces the number of air sacs (alveoli) by breaking down their walls. It causes severe difficulty breathing. People who have asthma experience a worsening of their symptoms if they smoke.
Bottom line: Smoking takes the very breath from your body.
Blood vessels circulate blood throughout the body. They carry oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body and remove waste products.
Damage to blood vessels has serious health consequences, including:
In peripheral arterial disease, plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs. Smoking is a major risk factor for PAD because it promotes the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The build-up of plaque narrows the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that cigarette smoking increases PAD risk, and the risk can persist up to 30 years after a person stops smoking.
An aortic aneurysm happens when part of the aorta balloons out, weakening the wall of the aorta and increasing the risk of rupture. The aorta is a major artery that moves blood from the heart to other organs. Smoking isa major risk factor for developing aortic aneurysms because the chemicals in tobacco smoke can weaken the walls of the aorta by causing inflammation and oxidative stress. A ruptured aorta is life-threatening.
Peripheral vascular disease happens when your arms and legs don't receive enough blood flow because of narrowed blood vessels. Poor blood flow can also result in open sores that don’t heal. That’s why certain surgeries require patients to refrain from smoking for a certain period before and after the surgery.
Smoking tobacco damages the cardiovascular system, i.e., the heart and blood vessels. This damage can lead tocoronary heart disease (CHD), heart attacks, and strokes.
Coronary heart disease develops when the heart muscle doesn't receive enough oxygen due to narrowed arteries. CHD is the number one cause of heart attacks and the number one cause of death in the United States.
Smoking poses a high risk of CHD because of the damage it does to the blood vessels of the heart.
Smoking contributes to heart attacks and strokes through:
Causing high blood pressure
Making blood more likely to clot
Lowering HDL cholesterol levels in the blood
Smoking can lead to brain damage. Research shows smokers are2 to 4 times more likely to experience a stroke compared to non-smokers. Aside from stroke, smoking can also cause brain damage by weakening blood vessels within the brain, also called a brain aneurysm.
Smoking also increases therisk of developing dementia, which is very debilitating and results in a heavy burden on families and society at large.
Most alarming are the research findings thatsmoking shrinks the brain, causing the brain to age prematurely. Moreover, studies indicate that this shrinkage may be irreversible.
Smokingweakens the immune system. It impairs the function of innate immune cells, which are the body's first line of defense against disease-causing germs. The habit also affects adaptive immunity, the system responsible for long-term immunity. The adaptive immune system is the part of the immune system that remembers threats and can respond when exposed to them again. Smoking damages the adaptive immune system, so it may not always be able to recognize previous pathogens and respond properly to them.
Diminished immune response leads to increased susceptibility to infections and inflammation. For example, smokers are more susceptible to respiratory infections like colds, flu, and pneumonia. Also, these episodes are more severe and last longer in smokers compared to non-smokers.
Researchers have also noticed a link between smoking andautoimmune disorders. For instance, smoking can cause oxidative stress, which may contribute to an autoimmune disease called lupus.
Bottom line: Smoking compromises the immune system, which is the body's armor against disease.
Your bones may be at risk if you are a smoker. Smoking can result in the following:
Increased Risk of Fractures. Nicotine and other chemicals from smoking interfere with the body's ability to absorb calcium and form new bone. This is why smoking reduces bone density. But a lower bone density in the hips and spine increases the risk of fractures.
Increased Risk of Osteoporosis. Bone loss is a major risk factor for osteoporosis, a painful condition that weakens bones, making them more likely to break. Smoking can exacerbate bone loss.
Delayed Bone Healing. Smoking reduces blood flow and oxygen to the bones, which slows down healing after fractures or surgeries.
Disruption of Hormones Necessary for Bone Health.Smoking disrupts several hormones in the body, including hormones necessary for maintaining strong bones. Smoking reduces estrogen levels in women and may affect testosterone levels in men.
Damage to Cartilage Increases Risk of Arthritis. Smoking decreases blood flow and oxygen to joints, including the cartilage and joint lining. This lack of oxygen and other nutrients can speed up the deterioration of joint cartilage.
This not only slows down healing but also accelerates arthritis progression.
Smokingnegatively affects reproductive health, fertility, pregnancy, and even offspring.
Women who smoke have more trouble getting pregnant than women who don’t smoke. Smoking negatively affects sperm quality, making it difficult to father a baby. Smoking affects blood flow to the penis, leading to erectile dysfunction.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause pregnancy complications such as abnormal bleeding during pregnancy, premature labor, and delivery.
Smoking also increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg grows outside the womb. Such pregnancies are dangerous, as such babies often don’t survive.
Smoking during pregnancy poses multiple health risks for the unborn child, including:
Low birth weight.
Underdeveloped lungs.
Birth defects such as a cleft lip and/or a cleft palate.
Greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Smoking negatively impactsthe digestive system in several ways:
Increased Risk of Heartburn and Acid Reflux: Smoking weakens the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve between the esophagus and the stomach. This allows stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus, causing discomfort and potential damage to the sphincter.
Higher Risk of Peptic Ulcers: Smoking increases the risk of developing ulcers. It also makes it difficult to fight Helicobacter pylori infection, which is often associated with ulcers.
Increased Risk of Crohn's Disease:Studies show a higher incidence of inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn's disease in smokers than non-smokers..
Increased Risk of Colon Cancer: Smokers increase their risk of developing colon cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer.
Disruption of Gut Biota Composition: Smoking affects thecomposition of gut biota, potentially leading to dysbiosis. Researchers are looking into the potential treatment of the condition withprobiotics.
The skin is also a victim of not getting enough oxygen because of smoking's effect on blood vessels and blood flow. The skin carries the destructive effects of smoking for all to see. Smoking can lead to:
Facial skin with a dull appearance
Early wrinkles
Baggy eyelids
Uneven skin tone, with a tendency toward a pale, grey, or yellowish tinge
Skin that appears dry and coarse
Yellow fingers and fingernails
Reduced blood flow to the skin slows down wound healing, makes skin infections more likely, and can worsen skin conditions like psoriasis.
According to the National Cancer Institute, smoking causes about 20% of all cancers. Smokingincreases your risk for or can cause the following cancers:
Acute myeloid leukemia
Bladder cancer
Cervical cancer
Colorectal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Kidney cancer
Throat cancers
Liver cancer
Lung cancer
Oral cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Stomach cancer
Experts stress that all forms of tobacco use cause cancer, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe-smoking, and chewing tobacco.
It's not easy to stop smoking, but it is possible if you put your mind to it. I know of someone who stopped smoking the day the doctor told her that clogged arteries caused the pains in her legs due to her smoking habit. But most people are not that single-minded.
For the rest of mankind, the following tips might be helpful.
Tell your smoking buddies that you are quitting and not to offer you any smokes. Better still, avoid people who smoke for a while.
Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you're quitting and ask them to support and encourage you. Telling people helps you feel accountable.
Remove temptations. Get rid of your cigarettes and everything you use when you smoke, such as lighters, matches, and ashtrays.
Know your triggers so you can avoid them. Consider when you usually smoke, with whom, and the emotional state that leads you to need a smoke.
Avoid places where you know people are smoking.
You might be tempted to smoke in social situations. During the first few weeks of quitting, try to avoid situations where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available.
Start exercising. Cycling, swimming, jogging, and lifting weights require good lungs. You'll soon discover that smoking hinders your performance.
Consider nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT). NRT products like nicotine-replacement gum, patches, and lozenges have helped countless people to stop smoking.
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and to improve your quality of life. From your lungs and heart to your digestion, bones, and circulatory system, smoking has a wide-ranging effect on the body, and the effects are not always noticeable until it's too late.
Fortunately, stopping can reverse the damage, and the benefits of quitting are evident almost immediately. The first signs that your health is improving will be noticeable in better breathing, a more pronounced sense of taste, and a sharper sense of smell.
Every day you don't light up, you show respect for the gift of life.