If you have ever tried to kick the smoking habit, then you already know how hard it is. Why is something that comes from a plant so addictive? If you have tried to quit and not succeeded, then perhaps it is time to research just WHY smoking isn't good for you. Knowing how it affects your body might be the jumpstart you need to lay that last pack down.
Aside from the stinky breath and clothing, the expense of a pack of cigarettes, and the cosmetic effects (cigarettes can cause yellow teeth, discolored nails, and early wrinkles), but it also causes serious health effects.
Some of the things that you may have already noticed are the shortness of breath and decreased elasticity in your skin. Smoking is detrimental to your health and wellbeing. Cigarette smoke is a chemical mixture that contains tar (with over 60 known chemicals known to cause cancer. Some of these chemical include cyanide, benzene and formaldehyde. This is what causes it to be so addictive.
Lung cancer is another negative result of smoking. Tobacco leaves actually contain radioactive material, depending on the soil and fertilizers used on the plants. The radioactive particles can be a factor for causing lung cancer; smoking has been attributed to about 87% of deaths from lung cancer.
For smokers who avoid lung cancer, there is still a huge incidence among smokers of other diseases. Chronic bronchitis causes the airway to make too much mucus, which eventually causes blockages, scars and lung infections. Emphysema patients debilitate the body's ability to breath, and smokers often develop this condition. Typical signs are shortness of breath and a chronic mild cough.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects over 100 million Americans. This is the name for a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, with over 75% of deaths due to COPD linked to smoking. Patients who suffer through this disease leaves them unable to breathe, and their last days are spent gasping for breath and drowning.
Cosmetic and breathing obstructions are not the only risks of cigarettes. Smoking increases the risk of a heart attacks, and the treatments can be affected if the smoker is not willing to quit because of the peripheral disease to the arteries.
Male smokers may have erectile dysfunction/impotence, which gets worse every year they smoke.
Perhaps the worst thing about smoking is that it doesn't affect just the smoker, but the people surrounding them are at risk as well. Secondhand smoke has been shown to adversely affect the health of others in the smoking environment, including children and unborn babies. Birth defects are much higher for mothers who smoke during pregnancy.
Another aspect of how smoking affects you is the health related costs. More than 196 billion dollars are lost every year to smoking related issues, with an average of almost $2,500 in medical expense per person (on average) for smokers compared to non-smokers. (American Cancer Society)
There are so many compelling reasons not to smoke. Find the one that provides you with the inspiration to quit, and fight through the craving to a healthier lifestyle.
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