Of the 25 percent of Americans who smoke, it is estimated that 70 percent desire to quit. However, in the end, approximately 50 percent will be successful, according to Heart Point. While everyone has various reasons for wanting to quit, many may be motivated by health reasons. Smoking is the leading cause of many diseases--diseases that may not develop if one is successful in his attempt to kick his smoking habit.
Erectile Dysfunction
Smoking constricts the blood vessels leading to your penis, increasing your risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction by as much as 50 percent for men in their 30s and 40s, according to Net Doctor. To become erect, the penis needs to receive a surge of blood, but when the arteries are too narrow to allow blood through due to smoking effects, erectile dysfunction may be the result.
The Risk of Infertility
Fertility Factor states that not only does smoking lower sperm counts in men, it also reduces the quality of the eggs in women, thus making it more difficult for fertilization to take place.
Cancer
Various cancers are caused as a result of smoking. The most common are lung, throat and mouth cancer. Ninety percent of all lung cancer cases are a result of smoking, according to Net Doctor. Your risk of developing this and other cancers depends on the number of cigarettes you smoke each day and how long you have been smoking. Once you quit, your risk of developing lung cancer can be the equivalent to that of a nonsmoker. However, it takes 15 years to see this decreased risk.
Other Respiratory Diseases
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a general term used to describe a group of respiratory diseases that block a person's airflow, making it difficult, sometimes impossible, for them to breathe. The first disease in this category is emphysema. Upon dying, an estimated 94 percent of those who smoke 20 cigarettes a day have some form of this disease, while 90 percent of nonsmokers have very little, if any at all. Those with emphysema become short of breath due to damaged air sacs in the lungs.
Chronic bronchitis is another common form of COPD found among smokers. It causes a cough that lasts for at least three months and produces a large amount of mucus.
COPD typically begins between the ages of 35 and 45 as this is the time when lung functioning begins to decline.
Gum Disease
Robert Genco, D.D.S., Ph.D. and editor of the Journal of Periodontology states that tobacco reduces the amount of oxygen received by the gum tissue, resulting in loose teeth, a slower healing time as well as making patients less likely to respond to periodontal treatments. In addition, the publication states that smokers are four times more likely to suffer from advanced periodontal disease than nonsmokers.
