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The Hazards of Smoking Cigarettes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Smoking causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general." The American Cancer Society states that cigarette smoking causes nearly one in five deaths in America and these deaths are the most preventable in our society.

  1. Cancer

    • Cigarette smoking is linked to causing 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States. While lung cancer is the cancer that is most commonly caused by and associated with this acquired habit -- causing nine out of 10 cases of the disease -- it actually increases the risk for several other types of cancer, including bladder, kidney, stomach, larynx, oral and esophagus. This is because of the fact that the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke damages the DNA required for cell growth, often resulting in the growth of malignant, or cancer cells, throughout different areas of the body.

    Cardiovascular Disease

    • The CDC states that cigarette smoking causes coronary heart disease, which is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. The chances of acquiring peripheral vascular disease also increase because of cigarette smoking. This disease, characterized by an obstruction of the large arteries in the arms and legs, can cause a host of problems, including gangrene. Other cardiovascular diseases associated with smoking include heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure.

    Emphysema

    • Nearly 85 percent of all cases of emphysema are smoking-related, as indicated by emphysema.org. This chronic lung disease occurs when the lungs air sacs are damaged, causing destruction to the alveoli and surrounding tissue in the lungs. Air cysts form where normal lung tissue should be, causing air to get trapped inside the lungs and preventing oxygenation of the blood. People acquire this disease after years of smoking, and it develops slowly and progressively -- meaning that it gets worse as time goes on. Though the damage done by this disease is irreversible, quitting smoking can slow down its progression. Those who suffer from emphysema experience shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic cough and loss of cognition and motor skills because of a lack of oxygen in the blood.

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