Cigarettes are extremely addictive due to the presence of the chemical nicotine. Nicotine works as a mild stimulant and also causes the release of certain chemicals in the brain associated with pleasure. Over time, the brain adjusts to the effects of nicotine, resulting in dependence on this stimulation. Aside from being addictive, smoking can result in an increased risk of developing a number of different diseases.
Toxic Chemicals
There are many different toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke that can affect your health, the American Cancer Society reports. Tobacco smoke contains ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol and acetylene. People also inhale the poisonous gases carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide while smoking. Tobacco leaves also contain small amounts of radioactive material, which can become implanted in the lungs.
Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking has a profound effect on the cardiovascular system. Some of the compounds found in tobacco smoke cause the arteries in the body to constrict, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, explains, which results in decreased circulation throughout the body. Smoking also increases a person's chance of developing coronary artery disease, a stroke and an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta, which occurs if the walls of the aorta are weakened. Smokers are between two and four times more likely to die from a heart attack or a stroke than non-smokers, the CDC notes.
Lung Disease
Smoking also damages the lungs, which can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, commonly known as COPD. There are two main forms of COPD that smokers get: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is caused by the destruction of the small sacs in the lungs, which collect oxygen and pass it through to the blood; over time, this prevents the lungs from being able to efficiently transport oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the body. Chronic bronchitis is the result of constant irritation of the airways, which causes the lungs to produce excess mucus. This can cause the airways to become blocked and also increases the risk of respiratory infections.
Cancer
Tobacco use is responsible for approximately 30 percent of all fatal cases of cancer, the American Cancer Society reports. Eighty-seven percent of lung cancer fatalities have been linked with smoking. In addition, smoking can result in cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, throat and bladder. Smoking may also increase your risk of developing pancreatic, stomach, kidney and cervical cancer, as well as some kinds of leukemia.
Considerations
One of the major considerations when calculating the health risks of smoking is the number of cigarettes smoked per day, as well as how the tobacco was prepared and whether the cigarette had a filter, NetDoctor notes. The quantity of tobacco smoked per day, combined with the length of time that a person has been a smoker are directly related to the risk that smoking will result in health problems. A person's smoking history is often described in pack years, which is the number of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years the person has smoked.
