Effects of Smoking

Effects of Smoking

By now, it’s already a well-known fact that smoking is bad for the health. Unfortunately, not even the effects of smoking are enough to help people overcome this nasty habit. There are already a lot of devices invented to curtail smoking amongst people but their proliferation has not curbed the number of smokers all over the globe today. There are many smokers who desire to kick the bad habit but most attempts are unsuccessful. The sad thing about it is that many smokers only muster the courage and the determination to pull off a successful attempt to quit smoking when they’ve finally experience the horrible long-term effects of smoking.

Some smokers are quick to defend their smoking with the reason that the nicotine in cigarettes helps enhance the mood as well as improve concentration and short-term memory. Some even say that the experience of drinking (even socially) is enhanced with smoking. However, they have to realize that the negative effects of smoking outnumber the positive ones. Long-term smoking builds up the nicotine, tar, and other cigarette chemicals in your body that can lead to a multitude of problematic, and at times, irreversible health issues.

Smoking gravely affects the blood vessels and ruins the circulation of blood in the body. Smoking hardens the arteries resulting in permanent damage. This happens when the brain responds to the nicotine that enters the body. The body instantly goes on a fight or flight mode as a mode of defense. When it does, the body releases the stored fat into the bloodstream as energy to respond to the fight or flight defense. However, there is no outlet for this energy. As a result, the fat that’s supposed to be converted into energy for fighting the stress sticks to the blood vessel walls instead. This is how it hardens the arteries and the blood vessels. Poor circulation of blood opens a door to coronary heart disease, aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, etc.

Effects of smoking

also include the increased chances of contracting cancer. Studies have linked smoking to the following cancers such as lung cancer, tongue cancer, esophagus cancer, mouth cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, larynx cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, and even leukemia. It’s so hard to believe that it causes a lot of diseases but this is the harsh reality of smoking.

It doesn’t end there too. Expectant moms who smoke while they’re pregnant slow down the transport of oxygen and other nutrients in the blood to nurture the baby. This can lead to a premature birth or stillbirth. When the baby comes out, it can be underweight or underdeveloped. They will come out of the womb, carrying with them many health problems. Some of these are permanent disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, retardation, and other mental disabilities. Smoking will also make the pregnancy risky. It makes the pregnant woman prone to an ectopic pregnancy, bleeding, and placenta abruption.

Lastly, don’t forget that smoking is harmful to the smoker and the people around. Second-hand smoking raises the risk of asthma attacks as well as heart and lung diseases. When you think that it’s difficult to quit smoking, think of the effects of smoking. Decide which is harder to deal with.