Smokers who are new to the habit or who are considering quitting may wonder about how smoking affects the body over the years. The risks for serious health problems are higher among smokers because of their repeated exposure to toxic chemicals.
While cigarette smoking produces many acute symptoms in a short time, physical damage that compounds little by little can cause life-threatening conditions. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that these long-term effects contribute to nearly 500,000 smoking-related deaths per year.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Breathing restrictions develop early on in smokers. If cigarette smoking persists, damage to the airway and lungs begins to cause long-term complications. The bronchi become inflamed and scarred, exacerbating "smoker's cough" until it becomes a daily symptom of chronic bronchitis, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The American Lung Association notes that the lungs sustain damage that causes holes in tissue, reducing the capacity to release oxygen into the blood. This irreversible form of COPD, known as emphysema, severely limits breathing ability. COPD is the fourth major cause of death in the United States.
Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke
Heart rate is affected immediately by cigarette smoking, and stress on the heart and blood vessels builds over the years to cause progressive atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. With less room for blood to flow, and a greater tendency for clots to form, coronary heart disease sets in.
The American Heart Association reports that health problems related to tobacco use include peripheral vascular disease, aneurysm, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Long-term consequences may include heart attack and stroke, also leading causes of death in America. The practical effect on smokers is a decrease in the capacity for physical exercise, which may extend to simple work or household activities.
Cancers
Cancer is America's No. 2 killer, with death from lung cancer highly likely among smokers who develop it. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women can be attributed to smoking. With more than 60 major carcinogens in cigarettes, the National Institutes of Health reports that the cancer risk to smokers and those who breathe secondhand smoke is high.
Because these substances are circulated through the bloodstream, other types of cancers can form. Life-threatening health problems such as leukemia and cancers of the cervix and uterus are more likely in smokers than among the general public. The CDC also connects cigarette smoking with cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney and bladder.
