|  | Conditions Treatments | Drug Addiction

Health Risks From Smoking

Smoking comes with many different health risks, as does second hand smoke. When you light up, you aren't just affecting your health, but the health of the people around you as well. The National Cancer Institute estimates that at least 3,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to second hand smoke. Before lighting up that cigarette, you might want to consider the many health risks that are associated with smoking.

  1. Cancer

    • According to the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoking is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Smoking also causes most cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, bladder and esophagus. Smoking contributes to pancreatic, kidney, cervical and stomach cancers, along with acute myeloid leukemia.

    Heart Disease

    • Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, especially when combined with other known causes. Smoking causes your blood pressure to rise, decreases your exercise tolerance and contributes to the formation of blood clots. Smoking is especially hard on women who are using oral contraceptives. They have a much greater risk of developing heart disease than women who don't smoke. Cigar and pipe smokers are still at risk for coronary disease, but not as much as cigarette smokers are.

    Stroke

    • According to The Stroke Association, smoking doubles the risk of a stroke. This is because it causes atherosclerosis and increases the chance of a dangerous blood clot. Quitting smoking cuts the risk of stroke in half, regardless of the age that you stop smoking. Smoking causes buildup inside the blood vessels, causing them to get smaller and increasing the risk of a stroke.

    Emphysema

    • Smoking is a major risk factor for emphysema. The chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke damage the alveoli in the lungs, ultimately breaking them down. Alveoli are tiny sacs in the lungs that are responsible for picking up oxygen and discarding carbon dioxide from the air you breathe. When these sacs are damaged, breathing is much more difficult. Symptoms of emphysema are: shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic cough, anxiety, feet and ankle swelling, weight loss and fatigue.

    Other Health Problems

    • The thousands of chemicals in cigarettes wreak havoc on your body. Some of the other conditions that cigarette smoking contributes to are male impotence, female infertility, osteoporosis, diabetes, diverticulitis, thyroid disease, cirrhosis, macular degeneration, gum disease, wrinkles, baldness and premature gray hair, inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcers, cataracts, incontinence and hearing loss. Smoking while pregnant causes irreversible damage to the unborn baby.

Drug Addiction - Related Articles