Active and passive cigarette smoking affects the human body in ways that lead to serious illness and death. After determining which health problems tobacco use causes, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General evaluated cumulative research on the mechanism of smoking diseases. Findings were recently published about the relationships between smoking and disease in its 2010 report, "How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease". Understanding how smoking damages the body may prompt some users to quit and keep health-conscious young people from picking up the habit.
Tobacco Addiction
Addiction is a brain disease that raises the likelihood for other health problems related to cigarette smoking, simply because 9 out of 10 smokers can't or won't quit. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that the nicotine in tobacco acts in much the same way as the addictive substances in heroin. Neurotransmitter levels in the brain become elevated, creating a pleasant feeling that rapidly fades. In just a few sessions with cigarettes, smokers can gain a tolerance for nicotine that strongly compels them to seek more.
Pneumonia
Ingesting heated material damages the bronchial cilia, or tiny filters in the airways. The cilia are needed to remove toxins and obstructions in the bronchi that lead to the lungs. When this function becomes hampered, the chances for sustaining respiratory infection increase. The surgeon general's report notes that pneumonia results in this manner by cigarette smoking.
Chronic Bronchitis
Dysfunctional cilia also play a part in how chronic bronchitis develops in tobacco users. As the airways become scarred by persistent smoke inhalation, the body produces more mucus. The cilia, which normally sweep mucus out of the airways, fail to do their job, the surgeon general's report states. A chronic "smoker's cough" develops in order to clear away this obstruction to breathing.
Emphysema
The American Lung Association describes the onset of emphysema as the degradation of lung tissue that occurs when the normally flexible lungs become rigid, due to cigarette smoking. The brittle tissue collapses and holes form. This health problem can't be reversed. The result is poor oxygen transfer to the blood and, therefore, the rest of the cells in the body. This condition can result in death.
Cardiovascular Disease
Coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease and heart attack are caused by the action of tobacco use on blood cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association reports. Decreased HDL, or good, cholesterol makes plaque form inside the blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis. This narrowing of the arteries and the greater tendency for clots to form promotes heart health problems.
Cancer
The surgeon general's report notes that the decreased immunity and distribution of carcinogens in the blood allow cancerous growth throughout the body. Smoking is known to give rise to leukemia and cancers of the throat, stomach, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, bladder and cervix.
