Smoking tobacco is dangerous to your health, whether you choose cigars, hookah, or electronic cigarettes. No method of tobacco use can reduce tobacco's harmful effects on your body.
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, nearly 70 of which are known to cause cancer. Some of these chemicals are nicotine, carbon monoxide, arsenic, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. Simply breathing in some of these chemicals can cause headaches or dizziness. Now imagine the damage these can cause when consumed regularly.
Smoking affects not only your lungs but also your whole body and even the people around you. It increases the risk of various complications and health problems.
1. Increases Risk of Cancer
The most common type of cancer associated with smoking is lung cancer. According to the
American Cancer Society, smoking causes 80% of lung cancers and 80% of lung cancer deaths.
Furthermore, tobacco use can increase the risk of other forms of cancer. Smoking contributes to 20% of all cancers and 30% of all cancer deaths in the US. Prolonged smoking has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer, and women who smoke tobacco are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer.
2. Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Active smokers have a 30-40% increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes compared to those who do not smoke. Smoking also increases the risk of diabetes complications, such as reduced blood flow to the legs. This can cause infection and lead to limb amputation.
3. Weakens the Cardiovascular System
Tobacco use can weaken your entire cardiovascular system. The chemicals in tobacco can increase your risk of developing atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The plaque buildup can harden and narrow your blood vessels, limiting blood circulation.
Smoking also increases the risk of ischemic heart disease and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Ischemic heart disease occurs when the artery connected to the heart is blocked. And PAD is caused by the restricted blood circulation to the arms, legs, stomach, and head. These diseases increase the risk of experiencing chest pains, heart attack, stroke, or even death.
4. Smoking Can Cause Infertility
Both male and female smokers have twice the infertility rate of nonsmokers.
For women, cigarette smoking can speed up the loss of eggs. This circumstance means that menopause (when all eggs are depleted) can come earlier for them. It is also harder for female smokers to get pregnant due to changes in hormone levels.
For men, smoking leads to a higher risk of erectile dysfunction. The substances in tobacco also decrease sperm counts. Smoking can even affect the shape of the sperm and its ability to fertilize eggs.
5. Increases Risk for Pregnancy Complications
Smoking and pregnancy should never go together. Smoking while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, and low birth weight.
Ectopic pregnancies occur when the fallopian tube is narrowed, preventing the fertilized egg from reaching the uterus. This situation can lead to the embryo being removed to avoid complications for the mother.
Babies with low birth weight have a harder time eating or fighting infections. They also have an increased risk for multiple conditions, such as:
- Difficulty breathing
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delay
- Blindness
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
6. Causes Vision Problems
Studies show that cigarette smoking can lead to eye problems and even loss of vision. Smoking can increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, among other eye diseases.
People who smoke are three to four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration than nonsmokers. And heavy smokers have three times higher risk of developing cataracts.
7. Smoking Leads to Poor Oral Hygiene
People who smoke have two times more risk of developing periodontitis. Periodontitis is a gum disease that can destroy the bones that support your teeth. The more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you've used them, the higher the risk of gum disease. Not only that, but the treatment for periodontitis may not be as effective for smokers as it is for nonsmokers.
8. Weakens the Immune System
The immune system is the body's defense against infection and diseases. Tobacco use decreases immune function, making it harder for your body to fight against illnesses.
Smoking also increases the risk for rheumatoid arthritis—an autoimmune disease. In addition to that, cigarette use is linked to higher severity of this condition.
9. Makes You Look Older
Smoking can change your skin and hair. The chemicals in tobacco dry out your skin and cause wrinkles to appear. These substances can also deprive your skin of oxygen and nutrients, leading to skin discoloration and sagging.
The limited supply of nutrients can also affect hair growth, causing hair loss or baldness. Smokers are also 2 1/2 times more likely to have premature greying of hair than nonsmokers.
It's never too late to quit smoking or using tobacco
Some benefits are immediate, while other benefits will accrue over time. Let the doctors at
Phoenix Medical Centers help you
put a stop to this destructive habit. Schedule an appointment with us today by calling
(813) 462-2595.
