Harmful effects of smoking
The harmful effects of smoking are many, each scary than the other. Every year, hundreds and thousands of smokers across the globe die of smoking induced diseases, many at a young or middle age, following traumatic suffering.
Each innocent-looking cigarette hides within itself as many as 4000 chemicals. Out of these, 400 have been proven toxic for the human body, with 25 of them having every potential of causing cancer. These include nicotine, ammonia, tar, formaldehyde, arsenic, acetone, carbon monoxide, DDT, hydrogen cyanide.
The most common effects of smoking on beginners have been noted to be shortness of breath, cough, wheezing and phlegm.
The lungs, one of the most important organs of the human body, are one of the worst affected. Lung cancer among smokers is more common than we know or are ready to admit. Heavy smoking causes Emphyema, which damages the lungs beyond help. This deadly disease finally leads to chronic bronchitis and lung and heart failure. These diseases are categorized under irreversible Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The heart, the lifeline of the body, is also adversely affected by smoking. Nicotine and carbon monoxide puts unnatural pressure on the heart, which makes blood pressure and heart rate shoot up, apart from making the blood clot. Regular smoking can do irreversible damage to the heart, which, helped by fat deposits in the blood vessels and deposit of cholesterol in the arteries (other harmful effects of smoking), often causes heart failure.
The mouth suffers from the direct effects of smoking, resulting in bleeding gums, yellow and unsightly teeth, bad breath and tooth decay. Smoking also has the potential to cause cancer of the larynx, mouth, throat, lips, voice bok and tongue.
Also, it leads to discoloration of the fingers and nails and causes and multiplies premature wrinkles on the face besides cellulite deposition. Effects of smoking include pains, cramps etc. and cancer of the esophagus, kidney, pancreas and bladder. Smoking often leads to gangrene, leaving no choice but amputation of the affected body part.
The effects of smoking also include brittle bones, leading to fracture; and drastically reduced stamina and fitness. Smoking also plays havoc on the functions of the thyroid gland. It might lead to macular degeneration, mucus hypersecretion and multiple sclerosis.
Women who smoke are prone to some exclusive harmful effects of smoking, which includes miscarriages, infertility, abnormality in infant, menstrual irregularity, premature menopause, osteoporosis etc. The danger increases manifold in pregnant women, as smoking drastically reduces flow of nutrients and oxygen to the unborn baby, often resulting in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In men, potential effects of smoking include impotence, lower sperm count and penile cancer.
Moreover, one’s own is not the only life a smoker puts on stake. Passive smoking has also been proven to have harmful effects on non-smokers coming in proximity to smokers. Passive smoking can lead to ear infections, bronchitis, asthma, deformed lungs, distorted physical and mental growth and other disastrous diseases in children.