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Health hazards

Today, smoking is the one disease that can be prevented, if only people took adequate care. Smoking-related diseases include damage to the vital organs of the body including the lungs, heart and brain. Besides, the poisonous chemicals contained in cigarettes cause emphysema and bronchitis, heart attacks, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Smoking can also have these effects on you:

High blood pressure: The nicotine content in cigarettes narrows down the blood vessels which then increase the blood pressure and causing hypertension. Blood pressure is also raised due to acute increase in plasma ACTH, cortisol, aldosterone and catecholamine levels. With every cigarette smoked, the blood pressure rises. Each time a cigarette is smoked there is an acute rise in blood pressure.

Heart Disease: Smoking causes cardiovascular disease by levying pressure on the blood vessels and increasing the burden of the heart and decreasing exercise tolerance. It causes coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral vascular disease. Smoking also increases the term period of ischemia in patients with coronary heart diseases and the number of times he gets ischemic attacks. It also decreases HDL (good) cholesterol.

Stroke: As a result of smoking, the blood vessels are loaded with fatty deposits called atherosclerosis. Blood flow also slows down as a result of smoking and can lead to the formation of thrombus, leading to a stroke.

Peripheral vascular diseases: Smoking causes vasoconstriction of the blood vessels and causes large vessel peripheral vascular disease and vein inflammation.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases: Cigarette smoke contains substances that damage the lung tissue and reduce their ability to absorb oxygen. When cigarette smoke irritates the bronchial tree in the lungs, the result is a smokers’ cough. Bronchitis and emphysema are common results of smoking.

Hoarseness of voice and laryngeal polyps: If you are a chronic smoker, you’re sure to have a hoarse voice and a soft benign growth in your vocal cords called vocal cord polyps.

Impotence: Since blood flowing into the penis is blocked by atherosclerosis, the chance of having erectile dysfunction is very high. Smoking also causes abnormal sperm shape, fewer sperms and a low volume of ejaculate.

Infection in the nose: Smoking irritates the nasal lining and causes nasal secretions and swelling.

Oral diseases: Smoking causes periodontal disease, leading to poor oral hygiene and bad breath.

Loss of skin elasticity: Tobacco thickens the elastic fibers of the skin and fragments it, thereby decreasing its elasticity. Water and oxygen supply are also greatly reduced.

Ulcers: Smoking not only increases acid secretion but decreases mucosal blood flow leading to acid peptic ulcer and a slow healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Pregnancy: Smoking causes complications at childbirth, increases the chances of premature births, low-birth weight baby, slow growth of the fetus, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning disabilities in newborns.

Other problems are:

Everyone wants to lead a healthy life, and if smoking can’t give you that, why bother smoking at all?