Smoking: 05 Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Smoking

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Each year, smoking-related illnesses claim the lives of more than 480,000 Americans.

Smoking kills more Americans each year than alcohol, car accidents, HIV, guns, and illegal drugs combined. And yet, despite these risks, millions of Americans continue to smoke cigarettes. Why is cigarette smoking so addictive and difficult to quit? And what are the health risks associated with smoking? In this blog post, we will explore the answers to these questions and more.

Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths each year, or about 1 in 5 deaths.

Smoking causes immediate damage to your body, which can lead to long-term health problems.

The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. These chemicals damage your lung tissue and make it harder for your lungs to work properly.

As a result, smoking causes lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. It also increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other types of cancer.

In fact, smoking is linked to about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. And while quitting smoking can be difficult, it’s never too late to enjoy the benefits of a smoke-free life.

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year, including more than 41,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and nearly 34,000 deaths from cancer.

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause about one-third of all cardiovascular disease deaths. smoking also greatly increases the risk for peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the legs and feet.

In addition to causing numerous cancers, smoking is also a major cause of respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers, and smokers are also at increased risk for developing other types of cancer, including those of the bladder, kidney, pancreas, mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach.

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease. It accounts for about one-third of all heart disease deaths.

Smoking damages the lining of your arteries and makes them more likely to become blocked. This increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Smoking also raises your blood pressure and makes your heart work harder. Over time, this can lead to heart failure.

If you have cardiovascular disease, smoking makes it worse. Smoking doubles the risk of dying from a heart attack in people with heart disease. It also increases the risk of having another heart attack or stroke.

Smoking is also a major cause of respiratory disease. It increases your risk of developing lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema.

Smoking and Respiratory Disease

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year. Of these, nearly 36% are from lung cancer, 30% are from other cancers, and 34% are from cardiovascular disease.

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Smoking also increases the risk for many other types of cancer, including bladder, throat, mouth, and pancreatic cancer. In addition to causing cancer, smoking damages blood vessels and leads to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It also raises blood pressure and puts stress on the heart muscle. These effects increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Smoking is also a major cause of respiratory disease. Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 70 that can cause cancer. These chemicals damage the airways and lungs and make it difficult to breathe. People who smoke are more likely to get bronchitis, emphysema, and other respiratory diseases. They are also more likely to have coughing fits, wheezing episodes, and shortness of breath.

Smoking and Cancer

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths each year.1 Cigarette smoking causes more than just lung cancer; it is also a major risk factor for other cancers and health problems.

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Smokers are also at increased risk for other cancers including bladder, kidney, pancreas, mouth, throat, and esophagus.1-4 Smoking is responsible for about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States.5

In addition to cancer, smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes. It is also a major contributor to respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.6 Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause approximately 90% of all COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths.7

Smokers are also at increased risk for other health problems including:

• weak bones and osteoporosis

• macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness)9

• cataracts10

• infertility11

• erectile dysfunction12

• rheumatoid arthritis13

Fortunately, quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits.14 Within minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate drop.15 Within a few weeks to months,

Smoking and Other Health Risks

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. They also have an increased risk for other cancers, including bladder, kidney, pancreas, and throat cancers.

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease. It damages the lining of the arteries and makes them narrower. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Smoking is also a major cause of respiratory disease. It damages the lungs and airways, making it harder to breathe. smokers are at increased risk for developing emphysema, bronchitis, and other lung diseases.

In addition to these health risks, smokers are also at increased risk for developing other conditions such as osteoporosis and cataracts. Quitting smoking can greatly reduce these risks.

Quitting and Reduced Risks

When smokers quit, their risks for health problems associated with smoking—such as heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer—begin to decrease. Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits and is the most important thing smokers can do to improve their health.

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer—the three leading causes of death among smokers.1,2 Smoking is also linked with many other types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix, and uterus.3

Smoking damages blood vessels and contributes to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.4 It also raises blood pressure; damages blood vessel walls; decreases the good cholesterol (HDL) that helps remove fat from arteries; increases clotting; and decreases oxygen levels in the blood.5

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths in the United States each year—that’s about 1 in 5 deaths.6 More than 36% of these deaths are from cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and about 16% are from cancer (lung and other cancers).7

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States8 because it increases your risk for:

Heart Disease: Smoking causes damage

Conclusion

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. smoker’s are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Quitting smoking reduces these risks.