Effects of Smoking

Smoking is one of the leading causes of many respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the world. Yet, still many of us are indulging in smoking cigarettes and tobaccos. The major factor of the rampant increase of smokers is because of too much stresses in their lives, peer pressure, or merely going with the trend. Unfortunately, many of us, especially the smokers, don’t know the harmful effects of smoking. Let’s look into the harmful effects of smoking as we go along.

Risks and Effects of Smoking

Did you know that every cigarette you consume is equals to six minutes of your life? Cigarette smoking is really dangerous to a person’s body. The smoke of the cigarette contains almost 4,000 chemicals, and the majority of these chemicals are toxic to the body. Let’s name some of these harmful chemicals. Nicotine, which is the primary chemical in cigarettes, gives a relaxing effect to the person inhaling it. This chemical causes the addictive effect in smoking cigarettes. But did you know that it can travel so fast (10 seconds) to the brain and be deposited on the tissues and cells as well as to other parts of the body. On the other hand, carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, attaches to hemoglobin, preventing the cell to carry large amount of oxygen. This may cause decreased perfusion to the tissues and organs of the body, thus, bringing fatigue to the smoker’s body. Carcinogen (benzo-a pyrene) damages the genes of the body that is responsible for cell growth, causing them to proliferate abnormally (tumors). Smoking also affects the function of the immune system, and that’s why smokers are prone to infections. Smoking also creates plaque deposits in the lining of the blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis. This may lead to cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarction or heart failure. The most common effects of habitual smoking are COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The two leading COPDs are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. These are irreversible conditions and may require palliative measures when diagnosed later in life and treatment is provided.

Quit Smoking

A smoker’s body tends to deteriorate depending on the duration of smoking. There is a big chance that you will not acquire these harmful effects if you quit smoking. Because of its addictive effects, many smokers find it hard to quit smoking. Having control of your life is the essential factor that will help you quit smoking. Let’s not put our lives to waste. Take into consideration the harmful effects of smoking and think twice before lighting your next cigarette!