The American Cancer Society (ACS) indicates that cigarette smoking is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It states that 23.7 percent of people 25 to 44 years old were current smokers in 2008. Cigarettes contain nicotine, the substance that makes smoking so addictive. Unfortunately, people try to quit smoking but the ACS reports that only 4 to 7 percent are successful in doing so. There are several bad effects associated with smoking.
Lung Cancer
The National Cancer Institute says that smoking causes 90 percent of lung cancer fatalities in men and 80 percent of lung cancer fatalities in women. Unfortunately, lung cancer can also develop in people who have never smoked. Smoking damages lung tissue and can lead to a rapid overgrowth of lung cells.
Lung cancer manifestations include a chronic cough, hoarseness, wheezing, coughing up blood (hemoptysis), unintentional weight loss and a headache. Lung cancer also leads to chest pain and even bone pain.
Treatment for lung cancer involves surgery to remove parts or all of the lung. Radiation and chemotherapy are also used to destroy the abnormal lung cells. In some cases, targeted drug therapies such as erlotinib and bevacizumab may also be used to prevent lung tumors from developing the blood supply they need to survive, says the Mayo Clinic. Severe pain, fluid accumulation in the chest (pleural effusion), spread of the cancer and death can occur if lung cancer is untreated.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is commonly referred to as mouth cancer. According to MedlinePlus, 70 to 80 percent of smokers and tobacco-users develop oral cancer. Specifically, smoke damages the mouth's mucosal lining and leads to such manifestations as a mucus membrane ulcer or lesion. These lesions or ulcers are either dark or pale in color and typically develop on the tongue, mouth or lip. These lesions or ulcers are initially painless but can become painful as oral cancer progresses. Oral cancer's other manifestations include trouble swallowing, mouth sores and tongue problems.
Treatment for oral cancer involves surgically removing the cancerous lesion (tumor) or using radiation or chemotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells. MedlinePlus says that complications of oral cancer include metastasis (spread to other body parts) and facial, head or neck disfigurement.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
According to MedlinePlus, smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a chronic lung disease that can present as two forms: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis refers to a lung infection that involves persistent coughing with productive mucus while emphysema refers to a condition in which the airways narrow. Both diseases present with wheezing, fatigue, shortness of breathing, coughing with sputum (mucus) production and respiratory infections.
COPD treatment involves using such medications as bronchodilators like ipatropium to widen the airways and inhalation steroids to decrease lung inflammation. Other COPD treatments include antibiotics, oxygen therapy and surgery to remove part or all of the lung and replacing it with a transplanted lung.
