The effects of smoking are not just experienced in the lungs. They can affect the other systems of the body, too, such as the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well. Aside from that, there are other health risks that smoking can bring. Undeniably, cigarette smoking can harm almost every organ of your body.
Moreover, what we consider as a vice, can also result in various diseases, not to mention, reduce any smoker’s good health condition in general. Therefore, if you are a smoker and you start quitting as soon as possible, you can lower your risk of smoking-related illnesses and can even prolong your life.
Some Facts About Smoking
Essentially, every stick of cigarette that you smoke is dangerous. Indeed, smoking is the major cause of avoidable deaths. In addition, based on the data Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last year, there are 16 million Americans who live with an illness because of smoking. Relatively, a separate study has it that “One in every 2 smokers is dying from a smoke-related illness”.
In addition, tobacco use in the world causes over 7 million fatalities each year. Therefore, if the patter of smoking all over the world remains unchanged, over 8 million people each year are likely to die by 2030. The sad truth is that smoking is responsible for over 480,000 death each year in the U.S. and these include over 41,000 deaths fatalities because of secondhand smoke exposure. This is an equivalent of one in every 5 deaths each year, or over 1000 deaths every year.
What are the Effects of Smoking on People’s General Health?
As mentioned, smoking can affect almost all organs of your body. That is why if you are a smoker or if you smoked in the past, it is important to know what particular organ in your body is likely to be affected. Here they are:
- Lungs
- Smoking can badly impact your lungs. Some of the symptoms you are likely to encounter if your lungs are the ones affected by smoking include :
- Asthma
- Colds
- Wheezing
- Coughs
- The symptoms above are just the onset. The painful reality is that this vice can result in fatal diseases like:
- Lung cancer
- Emphysema
- Pneumonia
- Smoking can badly impact your lungs. Some of the symptoms you are likely to encounter if your lungs are the ones affected by smoking include :
- Stomach
- If you are a smoker, you may also be at risk of developing ulcers or stomach cancer. Additionally, smoking makes your muscles weak. Muscles play an important role in your body that when the muscles become weak, as can allows acid from your stomach to travel the wrong direction. Similarly, poisons coming from the tar in your cigar when you smoke, penetrate your blood.
- Heart
- Undeniably, regular puffing of cigarette or tobacco can damage your heart, as well as your blood circulation, which increases the risk of certain conditions such as:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Peripheral vascular disease or damaged blood vessels
- Undeniably, regular puffing of cigarette or tobacco can damage your heart, as well as your blood circulation, which increases the risk of certain conditions such as:
- Bones
- The effect of bones can also make your bones to become brittle and weak. If you are a woman, you must be especially careful as you are more likely to experience brittle bones compared to the non-smokers.
- Brain
- The brain is one of the organs affected by smoking. Aside from high blood pressure, smokers have a bigger chance of suffering from stroke than those who are not smoking. Having an increased risk for stroke can also result in brain damage and even death. More so, by smoking, your risk of fatality from a stroke even doubles.
- Reduced Fertility
- Smoking, whether it’s a cigar or tobacco smoke, can lead to impotence in males, as it can damage the blood vessels that serve as blood suppliers to the penis. Moreover, another effect of smoking is the damage to the sperm, reduced count of sperm count, and can lead to testicular cancer, among others.
Are there Easy Ways to Stop these Smoking addictions?
Smoking has already been a daily habit of millions of people all over the world. Whether you are smoking just a little and not so often, or this has been a regular thing to you, one thing is sure – it can harm you in the long run. Therefore, decide to start quitting now while there’s still time. Here are some of the easy and effective ways:
- Get ready for your ‘quit day’
- The moment you decide to stop smoking, you are all set for your quit date. When you pick the date, choose a day that’s not too far in order for you not to change your mind. But don’t choose a day that’s so near either so you still have enough time for your preparation.
- Consider taking non-nicotine medicines
- Varenicline or Chantix and Bupropion or Zyblan are two of the FDA-approved and trusted non-nicotine drugs that can help you quit if you are already a heavy smoker. Or, to be sure to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider to know how safe it is for you to take any of the two medicines.
- Aside from needing a prescription from your doctor, you should be cautious as well, about the risks when you take these medicines. Some of the risks are:
- Depressed mood
- Changes in the behavior
- Hostility
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
- Aggression
- Try some alternative or substitute therapies
You may find alternative therapies that will support your decision to quit smoking. However, at present, there is no strong evidence that even just one of these can improve your ardent hope of becoming smoke-free.
Here are some of the alternative approaches to help you quit smoking:
- Smoke deterrents
- Lollipops, nicotine drinks, lip balms, and straws
- Acupuncture
- Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness
- Supplements and herbs
- Cold laser treatment
