The Effects of Smoking Go From Head to Toe
It’s very tricky for some people to comprehend, but the effects of smoking touch more than just your lungs alone. While many associate lung cancer with smoking, they’re often uneducated about just how absolutely dangerous smoking effects can be.
Think about these parts of the body that are damaged by smoking. Your skin is usually effected by premature aging and wrinkles, as one of the general effects of smoking is poor blood circulation and a loss of oxygen, both of which are required for healthy skin. A smoker’s mouth usually has stained and discolored teeth and plaque, and teeth can actually become loose as the gums dry up and become brittle.
Cancers of the lips, mouth, throat and larynx are common effects of smoking, as are constant sore throats, a reduced sense of taste, and breath that smells of smoke. Poor blood circulation means cold hands and in particular cold fingertips, which are usually stained with tar.
Lung cancer is not the solitary smoking effect that hits the respiratory system. For the most part smokers are more prone to bronchitis, a constant shortness of breath and persistent cough with sputum, and are more liable to get colds, flu, pneumonia, and asthma. Smoking also complicates tuberculosis and virtually any other respiratory condition you can get.
The heart, one of the most important organs in the body is not immune to the effects of smoking. A lot of heart attacks can be linked back to smoking. Smoking causes arteries of the heart to block and weaken. Also smoking constricts blood vessels, making the heart need to work harder to do its job.
When thinking about the body’s mid-section, cancers of the esophagus, abdomen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and colon are all traced back to the effects of smoking.
Similarly the bones are not immune to the effects of smoking. Osteoporosis, spine and hip fractures, and degenerative disc disease can be linked to smoking.
Infertility is another issue with heavy and chronic smokers, both male and female. Men can have lower sperm counts and decreased sperm motility, and women can have difficulty with ovulation when smoking.
As for the rest of the body, the effects of smoking are many, including blood diseases, decreased circulation to the feet and toes, and difficulty recovering from wounds. Really, when you think about it, there is not one place on the human body that does not suffer, and suffer greatly, from smoking’s effects. Really, is there any reason why it’s not time to quit?
If your trying to quit smoking I can highly recommend Allen Carr’s book ‘Easy Way to Stop Smoking’ It’s available in the USA from Amazon.com and in the UK from Amazon.co.uk
Filed under: Effects of Cigarette Smoking
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I smoked for a long time and stopping was literally impossible. I used all of the stop smoking tricks but not one worked for me. Then I heard about the e cigarette. The ecig uses a nicotine liquid that holds nothing but nicotine. No poisons at all. They have actually improved my life.
I probably wouldn’t be reading this topic if I hadn’t quit smoking after 25 years. People criticize ecigarettes, but I doubt I’d have quit smoking without them. Simple things like relaxing online were always interrupted by getting my nic fix before. Anyway, just wanted to say I’m glad I quit smoking so I can read blogs!