Lung cancer, emphysema and addiction are well-known health factors involved in smoking. Smoking affects almost every system of the body one way or another. In addition, tobacco use is one of the causes for skyrocketing medical costs and premature deaths. Smoking has a detrimental effect on unborn children, causing low birth weight and other issues with pregnancy and childbirth. If you smoke, stopping now is the best thing you can do. The sooner you quit, the less damage it will cause. Help is available in the form of nicotine replacement products such as nicotine gum and lozenges, prescription medications, and support groups.
Cancer
Tobacco is a carcinogen. Linked to many different forms of cancer throughout the body, lung cancer being the most well known, smoking has been proven to cause many other cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes cancer of the kidneys, pancreas, pharynx, larynx, bladder, stomach, mouth, lung, uterus, mouth and esophagus. Smokeless tobacco, while it would seem safer, is not. It causes cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, stomach and bladder. The effects of tobacco use can take years to show. Tobacco damages the DNA, which leads to cancer. Stopping smoking immediately reduces your cancer risk. However, it may take years to repair some of the damage done by smoking.
Respiratory System
Smoking damages your lungs by releasing toxins from the tobacco into your airways. According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes contain more than 4,800 toxic chemicals, 69 of which are carcinogenic. The ALA also notes that smoking causes about 90 percent of deaths from lung cancer, and approximately 80 to 90 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, deaths are due to smoking. Among smokers who quit, smoking-related conditions account for half of all respiratory illnesses, explains the ALA, which adds that smoking is the main cause of cancer and COPD.
Heart Disease
Heart disease linked to smoking is a major health problem in America. According to the American Heart Association, tobacco smoke increases the risk of heart disease. It is a risk that you control. Other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, are also controllable. Smoking raises the risk of heart disease and when accompanied with other factors, the risks sharply increase. Smoking raises blood pressure and decreases the ability to exercise due to shortness of breath. It causes the blood to clot abnormally and increases the risk of recurring coronary heart disease after bypass operations. The risk of oral contraceptives and smoking causing heart disease is higher in women taking them.
