What Diseases Do Cigarettes Cause?

It is no secret that smoking tobacco leads to serious health problems and a wide variety of diseases. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable, health-related deaths in the United States. Quitting smoking, or never starting in the first place, significantly reduces your risk of contracting several life-threatening diseases.

Emphysema

• Smoking tobacco is the leading cause of emphysema. Cigarette smoke damages tiny air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli, which makes it difficult for the lungs to expand and contract. Symptoms of emphysema include breathlessness, wheezing and chronic cough.

Coronary Artery Disease

• The toxins in tobacco smoke, particularly tar and carbon monoxide, harden the arteries and increase the risk of blood clots. This can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Lung Cancer

• Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens, which damage the cells in the lungs. Over time, these damaged cells can become cancerous and spread to create malignant tumors. The vast majority of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking cigarettes.

Throat Cancer

• Smoking tobacco is one of the primary causes of throat cancer. The carcinogens in tobacco smoke damage the cells in the throat just as they do in the lungs, increasing the risk of tumor formation.

Bladder Cancer

• The toxins in tobacco smoke are absorbed into the blood stream. The kidneys eventually filter them out, but the toxins are then stored temporarily in the bladder. This consistent presence of toxins can damage the bladder lining, causing cancerous cells to develop.