“Smoking kills”, “smoking causes cancer”, “smoking is dangerous to your health”. These are some of the common quotes on smoking that you see in everyday life. Even in cigarette packets, these sorts of things are mentioned. But even knowing these facts, our people are still inserting this poisonous smoke into their lungs and run after doctors and hospitals for treatments. Don’t know why. Yes, smoking is injurious to health. If you need a healthy life, quitting smoking is a must. Studies have found that chain smokers are not having that life span as usual people are having. Smoking causes serious health issues and can completely ruin your life. This article is about smoking and its effects on health.
Tobacco is way too Dangerous
Tobacco causes cancer. You had heard this many times. Is it true? Of course, tobacco causes cancer and also leads to many health issues. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills half of its users. WHO also found that tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. Why is tobacco this dangerous? The main reason is that the ingredients in tobacco smoke are toxic. Tobacco smoke contains around 7000 chemicals out of which 60 of them are cancer-causing. Let’s have a look at the major chemicals in tobacco smoke,
- Acetone: Found in nail polish remover
- Acetic Acid: An ingredient in hair dye
- Ammonia: A common household cleaner
- Arsenic: Used in rat poison
- Benzene: Found in rubber cement and gasoline
- Butane: Used in lighter fluid
- Cadmium: Active component in battery acid
- Carbon Monoxide: Released in car exhaust fumes
- Lead: Used in batteries
- Naphthalene: An ingredient in mothballs
- Methanol: The main component in rocket fuel
- Nicotine: Used as an insecticide
- Tar: Material for paving roads
- Toluene: Used to manufacture paint
- Radon: A radioactive gas
- Polonium– 210: A radioactive element
These are only a few chemicals in tobacco smoke and remember there are many other chemicals too. These are the toxic elements present in cigarettes, beedis, weeds, etc. which people are inviting into their lungs and as a result are affected by serious health issues. In short, smokers are killing themselves by taking in these deadly chemicals into their bodies. In other words, smoking is equal to consuming poison.
Smoking is Injurious to Health
“Hey, smoking is injurious to health”– tells someone to a chain smoker. What will be his response? Majority of the smokers will not even care about it. That is the truth. It is really difficult to stop something too quickly which we are very much addicted to. Smoking is such an addiction. Anyways let’s come to the point. Smoking is injurious to health in many ways. Let’s see how smoking affects our health,
Heart Disease
Smoking leads to a heart attack. People who smoke are two to four times more vulnerable to heart disease. Nicotine, the toxic element in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen your heart gets, raises your blood pressure, speeds up your heart rate, damages your blood vessels including the vessels in the heart and leads to blood clotting which in turn can cause heart attacks.
Bronchitis
Studies show that over 40% of smokers develop chronic bronchitis. The toxic elements in tobacco smoke can affect your lungs very badly and can lead to disorders like bronchitis.
Cancer
Smoking causes different types of cancers. It can cause cancer on any part of your body. Lung cancer, Blood Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Mouth Cancer, Throat Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Bladder Cancer, etc. are the most common types. It is found that lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to smoking. Remember, smokers insert the toxic materials in tobacco smoke directly into the lungs and there is no wonder why lung cancer is common among smokers.
High Cholesterol
Smoking can also lead to high cholesterol. Tobacco smoke consists of acrolein, a yellow foul-smelling vapour which is very toxic. Acrolein gets into your body through smoking and affects your lungs. This can lead to high cholesterol and ultimately cause heart diseases.
Persistent Coughing
You may have heard about the famous “smoker’s cough”, right? Continuous smoking leads to serious coughing problems. A study found that 40 per cent of people who smoke daily and 27 per cent of people who smoke occasionally develop a chronic cough. Chronic cough also leads to other serious issues like bronchitis.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Smoking triggers COPD, a very dangerous lung disease. COPD leads to coughing, wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two most common conditions that lead to COPD. COPD may also lead to heart disease, lung cancer, and other serious health issues.
Eye Disorders
Smoking can lead to several eye disorders. The toxic elements in tobacco smoke can also lead to poor vision and in some cases can even lead to blindness. In smokers, the risk of eye disorders such as Cataracts and Macular Degeneration is very high compared to non-smokers. Studies have also found that smoking can cause other eye problems such as Diabetic Retinopathy, Dry Eyes, Optic Nerve Damage, and Conjunctivitis.
Dull Sense of Smell and Taste
Smoking may also lead to a dull sense of smell and taste. The toxic elements in tobacco smoke such as tar and nicotine can have a negative effect on your sense of smell and taste. Remember, if you don’t have these sensations properly, then how can you have your food comfortably? How can you live well?
Infertility
Infertility is another serious issue that can occur as a result of smoking. The toxic elements in tobacco smoke can damage the sperms and eggs in males and females respectively. Smoking affects every stage of the reproduction process in both men and women. It is found that smoking affects the DNA in eggs and sperms, smoking affects the hormone production in men and women and smoking can also affect the uterus, the place where the baby grows. Researchers found that smokers are more prone to infertility than non-smokers. Hence, even the top gynaecology doctors in Kozhikode can not help you in such situations.
Yellow Fingers
You may have noticed that most of the smoker’s fingers will be yellowish. This is due to nicotine, one of the highly toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke. Smoking can turn your fingers more yellowish and can make it very ugly.
Unhealthy Teeth
Smoking can have a very bad effect on your teeth too. A study showed that smokers experience tooth loss and alveolar bone loss at a very high rate. Smoker’s tooth will not be that clean and maybe having black and yellow spots. The condition of the teeth will be worse, such will be the unhealthiness of the smoker’s tooth.
Problems with Pregnancy and Newborns
Smoking while pregnant is very very dangerous. It will affect your health as well as the baby’s health. Toxic elements like nicotine, carbon monoxide, etc. reach your baby and that can cause many serious issues to the baby. This can,
- null
- Increase the heart rate of your baby
- Reduce the level of oxygen available for you and your baby
- Increase the chances of the baby to be born with low birth weight or born prematurely
- Increase your baby’s chances of getting respiratory problems
- Increase risks of birth defects
- Increases risk of cancer
Conclusion
After reading this article, what did you understand? Yes, smoking is harmful to health in all aspects. It doesn’t have even a single advantage to point out. Knowing all these facts, still, people are smoking. They are inviting cancers, they are inviting heart diseases, they are inviting different disorders and are simply ruining their lives. In short, by smoking, you attain nothing other than these health issues. For the thrill of some minutes, you are destroying your own life. Remember, smoking will increase the risk of several diseases and cancers and in turn, will reduce your lifespan. Just think you have a long way to go in this life. Why are you simply stopping that long way? Just imagine a happy life with your family and friends. Why are you simply killing those happy days? Life is only once. Enjoy that life up to the extent you can. Try to acquire a healthy life and for that, quit smoking. Remember, if you do that the risk of certain health issues will reduce and you can lead a healthy life. The last word- “the greatest wealth is health”.