The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that smoking accounts for approximately 443,000 deaths each year in the United States. That is one of every five deaths that occur, or more than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, suicides and murders combined. Cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals and can affect the body in a variety of different ways. According to the American Heart Association, the surgeon general has called "cigarette smoking the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States."
Heart Disease
Cigarette smoking increases the likelihood of developing heart disease by itself, but when combined with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes, the risk is greatly magnified. Chemicals within cigarette smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels. This damage within the walls of the arteries also leads to atherosclerosis—the buildup of fatty deposits that can block blood flow and cause heart attacks. According to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency of blood to clot. All of these factors increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease and heart attack.
Cancer
Smoking can cause prominent damage to virtually every organ of the body and can have a detrimental effect on overall health. According to Cancer.gov, smoking is a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. It causes cancer of the lungs, esophagus, mouth, kidney, bladder, pancreas and stomach, among others. The CDC reports that 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent in women are caused by smoking. When someone quits smoking, the person's risk of developing cancer greatly reduces with time. The more time the individual remains smoke-free, the more the risk decreases.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic disease of the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe. COPD actually is a blanket term that includes two conditions called emphysema and chronic bronchitis. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, and most people who develop this disease either smoke or used to smoke. COPD causes inflammation and destruction of the small air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult or impossible to move air in and out of the lungs. Symptoms of COPD include chronic coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and severe production of mucus.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is decreased or stopped. This can occur in two different ways. A blood vessel may be broken or it may be blocked by a clot. According the National Stroke Association, cigarette smoking doubles the risk of having a stroke. It does this by reducing the amount of oxygen available in the blood, which causes the heart to have to work harder, increases blood clotting and increases the development of atherosclerosis.
