The Dangers of Smoking Revealed
October 7, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Stop Smoking General
It’s very difficult for some people to understand, but the health effects of smoking touch more than just your lungs alone. While many still connect lung cancer with smoking, they are often uneducated about the dangers of smoking and how completely destructive smoking can be to your health.
Sure, we all know about lung cancer and bronchitis. But did you know that cigarette smoking is the number one contributor to heart attacks as well? Did you also know that many types of cancers are also thought to be caused by the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, including liver cancer, bladder cancer, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the throat, cancer of the mouth and tongue, esophageal cancer, cancer of the large intestine, and even cancer of the bloodstream?
Cancers of the lips, mouth, throat and larynx are common effects of smoking, as are constant sore throats, a reduced sense of taste, and breath that smells of smoke. That poor blood circulation means cold hands and especially cold fingertips, which are usually stained of tar.
Lung cancer is not the only effect of cigarette smoking that hits the respiratory system. Most smokers are more prone to bronchitis, a constant shortness of breath and persistent cough with sputum, and are more likely to get colds, flu, pneumonia, and asthma. Smoking also complicates tuberculosis and virtually any other respiratory condition one can get.
The effects of cigarette smoking also reach out to those around you as well. Those who are exposed to second-hand smoke inhale about 15% the amount of nicotine as those who are active smokers, so for every ten cigarettes you have around your children, they may as well have smoked one a half cigarettes themselves.
When thinking about the body’s mid-section, cancers of the esophagus, abdomen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and colon are all traced to the effects of smoking. The bones are also not immune to smoking’s effects. Osteoporosis, spine and hip fractures, and degenerative disc disease can be traced back to smoking. Infertility is another issue with heavy and chronic smokers, both male and female. Men can have lower sperm counts and decreased sperm motility, and women can have difficulty with ovulation when smoking.
As for the rest of the body, the effects of smoking are many, including blood diseases, decreased circulation to the feet and toes, and difficulty recovering from wounds. Really, when you think about it, there is not one place on the human body that does not suffer, and suffer greatly, from smoking’s effects. Really, is there any reason why it’s not time to quit smoking for good?
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