Smoking and health risks.
Being aware of the very serious health risks may make a person getting alarm and motivate him/her to quit smoking. This is not always the case, though. The problem  with many smokers is that although they acknowledge the risks, for one or another reason, they want to believe they are not likely candidates for health problems due to their habit. Somehow, they have the
weird
sensation or confidence that these problems happen only to others. The truth is that anyone can be badly affected by nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, free radicals and the rest of tobacco’s chemical components and the thousands of by-products, occurring when this is burnt. Bellow we will try to list the most common health problems, occurring as an aftermath of smoking.
 Cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, blood clots, angina, arrhythmias, heart attack, possible aneurysm and stroke.
Cancer, of the mouth, larynx, lung, esophagus, kidney, bladder, cervix and pancreas.
Thyroid gland conditions, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Crohn's disease.
Impaired immunity that makes smokers more prone to viral or bacterial infections.
Diabetic foot ulcers develop or deteriorate far easier in smokers.
Gum disease which is also referred to as periodontitis.
Fertility problems in both genders.
Early erectile dysfunction in men.
Eye conditions, such as macular degeneration and cataract.
Incontinence in females.
Premature extrinsic skin aging.
Stomach ulcers and gastritis.
Impairment of smell and taste senses.
Regular exposure to passive smoking involves similar risks. The use of smokeless tobacco involves all of the above risks, as well. Especially if you have the habit of chewing it, your risk for mouth cancer is fifty times more than the average figures among non users.
Harmful effects of smoking in women.
In general, women who smoke have earlier menopause and they can
encounter osteoporosis far easier than others. Smoking, in combination with the use of oral contraceptives, may render a woman far more prone to cardiovascular disease than other smokers, especially if she is older than thirty years of age.
Pregnant women, who smoke, are at increased risk for presenting complications, such as premature birth, and miscarriage. Problems after birth, including infant’s low weight and sudden infant death syndrome can occur, as well. Children, whose mothers used to smoke during pregnancy, have an increased risk for developing conduct disorders or learning difficulties. Studies have also shown that maternal smoking in pregnancy increases the likelihood for these women's daughters to become smokers at some stage of their life too.
Living dangerously.
Smoking cigarettes and cigars or using a pipe have become very popular since the beginning of last century and they have widely replaced other uses of tobacco, like chewing and snuffing. Until the late ‘40s the harmful effects of smoking were not known. Ever since, the addictive properties of nicotine and the risk for carcinogenesis, due to intake of tar have been studied and well acknowledged. Contemporary statistics show that smoking, along with stress, unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle, is a prominent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The latest is the condition with the highest mortality rates worldwide. Some experts have estimated that the cases of premature deaths due to smoking are well over the 400,000 in the US. However, this figure may be controversial, because in many cases smoking coexists with other causative factors which might lead to cardiovascular disease anyway. In cases of cancer, smoking appears to be a trigger for the condition to develop in people having a genetic predisposition. In fact, this is the reason why smoking does not always result in cancer.
Regardless of any controversies, the sole truth is that smoking is a very dangerous game and the chances are only to one direction; if you play you may lose or you may not but definitely, you will have no gain whatsoever.
|
