Facts About the Effects of Smoking on Your Health

According to KidsHealth, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day adds up to roughly $1,642 per year; however, smoking hurts more than just your wallet. Smoking takes a toll on your health and physical appearance. This bad habit can even have a negative effect on the health of those around you.

Heart Disease

• Cigarettes contain nicotine, a substance that increases your heart rate while decreasing the flow of oxygen to your heart. According to WebMD, in America, 20 percent of deaths from heart disease correlate with habitual cigarette smoking.

Cancer

• The American Cancer Association reports that more than 60 chemical compounds in tobacco smoke may lead to cancer. Cancer of the mouth, throat, lung, stomach, kidney and pancreas are conditions that threaten smokers.

Infertility

• Smoking puts you at risk for fertility problems. For example, the chances of a miscarriage increase when a pregnant woman smokes. Men are not immune to these reproductive complications. Smoking can decrease sperm count and lead to erectile dysfunction. In some cases, you can reverse these effects by dropping the habit.

Appearance

• In addition to internal damage, smoking harms your personal experience. WebMD reports that smoking leads to poor skin tone, sagging skin, age spots, stained teeth and hair loss. Smokers are also more likely to lose teeth and suffer from gum disease. Creams and medical procedures, such as laser treatments, can repair the damage caused by smoking; however, some of these remedies are costly.

Secondhand Smoke

• According to PBS Kids, each year around 3,000 non-smokers die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke. Even if secondhand smoking doesn't lead to fatality, it can cause lung infections, ear infections and other health complications. Always avoid smoking around children; their bodies are especially sensitive to the effects of cigarette smoke.

Addiction

• Smoking is an extremely addictive habit. Those who try to stop often experience withdrawal symptoms within the first several weeks. According to WebMD, 75 percent of individuals who quit smoking fall into relapse. It may take several attempts to break the mental and physical addiction.