Today, smoking is one of the biggest causes of both premature and preventable death in all parts of the globe. In the US alone, smoking-related diseases account to more than 440,000 deaths every year. In the UK, it is more than 105,000 annually.
Smoking has many harmful effects on the body. At the most, the life expectancy of a smoker is shortened by 10 to 12 years. The younger you start to smoke, the longer you will smoke so the more likely you will die young.
Smoking is termed as a "slow killer". It has more than 4,000 toxins and chemical compounds that are deemed as very harmful to human health. It can affect not only the user but also those around him via second-hand smoke. Of course, when you compare smokers from non-smokers, the incidence of lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases is 10x greater in smokers. Other related diseases are:
. Emphysema
. Hear disease
. Chronic bronchitis
. Cancer of the mouth, throat, cervix, stomach, pancreas and breast
Found below are other facts about the harmful effects of smoking.
. Studies show that most deaths related to a lifetime of smoking occur in middle age.
. The mix of carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarette smoke can increase your blood pressure and heart rate - straining your blood vessels and heart in the process.
. Tobacco smoke also leads to certain cancers.
. Aside from heart attack, smoking can cause stroke. It can slow down your blood flow, cut off the oxygen to your hands and feet and leave you with amputated limbs.
. Tar can stick and coat your lungs - causing cancer. Even if you change to low-tar cigarettes, it's still the same. Smokers usually take deeper puffs, hold the smoke in longer and drag the tar deeper in their lungs.
. Carbon monoxide can rob your muscles, body tissues and your brain of oxygen. When this happens, your entire body including your heart will work harder. In time, your airways will swell and less air will go into your lungs.
. Pregnant women who smoke can increase the risk of low birth weight, spontaneous abortion, prematurity and perinatal mortality. This is also referred to as "fetal tobacco syndrome".
The effects of smoking are widespread. It doesn't only affect the smoker but also those around him through second hand smoke. Though the effects are not as bad as those experienced by the actual smoker, a lifetime of second hand smoke or "passive smoke" can lead to serious health problems as well. Other terms for passive smoking are:
. ETS or Environmental Tobacco Smoke
. Involuntary smoking
The risks include stroke, hear attack, SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight babies, pneumonia, middle ear infections and pneumonia.
Expert findings also show that occasional, moderate exposure to passive smoke presents a very low risk of developing cancer. However, that also depends if they are constantly exposed in an area where cigarette smoke is prevalent. It is good that because of these findings, most countries have strictly prohibited smoking in public buildings. Office buildings are also necessitated to provide ventilated smoking areas.
Author Resource:
By learning the ways to quit smoking , you can save your life and the life of those around you. Through smoking quit tips , you can lessen the risk of developing life threatening diseases.
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