Cigarette Smoking Effects

Cigarette smoking affects on the entire body and can worsen existing medical conditions. The effects of smoking increase with the number of cigarettes smoked and the duration of the habit. Although some of the effects of smoking cigarettes can be reduced by quitting smoking, other health effects may be long lasting or permanent.

Lung Disease

• Smoking cigarettes can worsen asthma and cause emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), bronchitis and lung cancer.

Heart Disease

• Heart disease includes peripheral artery disease (PAD), heart failure, vascular disease and heart attacks, all of which can be caused or made worse by smoking cigarettes.

Cancer

• According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 60 known carcinogens in cigarette smoke that can cause cancer of the mouth, throat, pancreas, stomach, kidney, bladder and cervix.

Diabetes

• Smoking can increase the complications from diabetes including circulatory problems, kidney disease and insulin resistance.

Skin

• The chemicals in cigarettes can cause the teeth, fingernails and skin to turn yellowish, and causes wrinkles around the mouth from holding the cigarette between the lips.

Infections

• Smoke irritates the lungs and reduces the body's defense against respiratory infections such as colds, influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Pregnancy

• Women who smoke while they are pregnant increase the risk of having a miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight baby, and babies exposed to smoke after they are born are more likely to succumb to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).