Cigarette smoking is commonly associated with lung cancer, emphysema, asthma and a wide variety of other respiratory problems. Many people mistakenly think that the health risks stop there. The sad truth is that cigarette smoking can damage your body in a wide variety of ways, and can cause severe problems in many organ systems, not just the lungs.
Bladder
It seems an unlikely place for cigarette smoke to cause problems, but smoking is directly linked to half of all of cases of bladder cancer. According to the website Medical News Today, bladder cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer in America, so this is no small effect.
Large Intestine
Smoking also increases your chances for developing colon cancer. In addition, as a smoker you have a higher risk for developing Crohn's disease, which is a swelling of the lining of the small or large intestine. This causes pain, diarrhea and can often require surgery to treat, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Stomach and Esophagus
Smoking makes it more likely for you to have heartburn or develop a peptic ulcer, which is a sore in the stomach or intestine. Continued smoking can also make it harder for your body to heal a peptic ulcer if one has already developed.
Heart
The Surgeon General calls smoking the "leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States." This is partly because smoking increases your risk of atherosclerosis, or plaque in the arteries, as well as coronary heart disease. The American Heart Association cites both of these conditions as heart attack risk factors. Smoking also decreases your HDL, the so-called "good" cholesterol, and is especially harmful in those with a family history of heart disease.
