Arthritis, cancer, blindness, erectile dysfunction... smoking can have adverse effects on your overall health, warns Dr Harish Chafle, senior consultant-pulmonology and critical care, Global Hospitals, Mumbai.
Among all the addictions that have troubled mankind for ages, smoking is one of the most dangerous ones, because it affects the new born, young and old alike.
Even those who don't smoke face health consequences due to passive inhalation.
While Covid has overemphasised the importance of healthy lungs in a healthy body, smoking continues to be a major cause of poor health across the world.
What exactly happens in your body when you smoke?
Every time you smoke, more than 5,000 chemical substances enter the body causing damage to the cilia, the hair-like structure whose responsibility is to keep the airways clean.
It then fills the alveoli, the tiny air sacs that allow the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and blood.
Due to this, a toxic gas called carbon monoxide crosses that membrane into the blood, binding the hemoglobin and displacing the oxygen it would otherwise have transported around the body.
This is one of the reasons smoking can lead to oxygen deprivation and shortness of breath.
Within 10 seconds after the first inhalation, the bloodstream carries a stimulant called nicotine to the brain trigging the release of dopamine that creates pleasurable sensations with the body which makes smoking highly addictive.
Nicotine and the other chemicals in cigarettes constrict blood vessels and damage their delicate endothelial lining, restricting blood flow and leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in India in rural as well as urban areas. Approximately 500,000 people (one in five deaths) die due to smoking every year -- nearly one in five deaths globally is caused due to consumption of tobacco.
While you may have heard enough about how smoking affects your lungs, there are other serious health consequences of smoking you need to be aware of.
1. Blindness
Smoking isn't good for your eyesight.
Regular consumption of tobacco increases your risk of age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in adults over the age of 65 all over the world.
2. Type 2 Diabetes
Smoking contributes to Type 2 diabetes and increases the risk of complications from the disease, including poor blood flow to legs and feet.
This can lead to infection further prompting amputation of the affected limb.
As the lumen of the blood vessel narrows down, you could lose your leg due to atherosclerosis, another adverse effect of smoking.
3. Erectile dysfunction
Male sexual functions are also affected when you smoke regularly.
Tobacco causes the narrowing of blood vessels all over your body, including those that supply blood to the penis, leading to poor performance in bed and erectile dysfunction.
The good news is if you quit smoking well in time, you can prevent permanent changes in your blood vessels.
4. Ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening reproductive complication in women that is more likely in smokers.
With the increase in the incidences of smoking in the female population all over the world, this complication is increasing.
It occurs when a fertilised egg implants somewhere other than the uterus. The egg will not survive, thus putting the mother's life in danger.
It can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes which might lead to sterility in females.
5. Hip fractures
Smokers lose bone density at a faster rate as compared to non-smokers, which puts you at risk for breaking body parts, particularly your hip.
Putting down the cigarettes can help slow down this process and keep you on the dance floor breaking a sweat rather than your bones.
6. Colorectal cancer
Cancer, which forms in your intestines (colon or rectum), is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and other countries around the world.
Cigarette smoking is linked to an increased risk of developing and dying from this type of cancer.
7. Rheumatoid arthritis
Early rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the joints in the hands and feet that is more common in women.
It produces severe swelling, which can lead to bone loss and joint deformities in the long run.
Smoking is one of the causes and is also associated with developing the disease at an earlier age if someone develops this addiction in the early part of life and continues for a significant amount of time.
8. Cleft lip and Cleft palate
These birth defects, commonly called orofacial clefts, occur when a baby’s lip or mouth doesn't develop properly during pregnancy.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of having a baby with orofacial clefts.
With the rise in female smoking rates around the world, this issue may become one of the most common birth defects when compared to other congenital malformations.
9. Fertility issues
Females of childbearing age should take note of their ability to conceive. It causes reduced fertility in women and can contribute to other problems during pregnancy and also problems in their lives.
10. Gum disease
As if potentially losing a limb isn’t enough, you also risk losing your teeth from smoking.
Periodontitis, a gum infection that destroys the bone that supports the teeth, is made worse by smoking.
Smoking is a major cause of tooth loss in adults all over the world.
In addition to all the above-mentioned health effects, smokers are more likely to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
Research estimates prove that smoking increases the risk:
- For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times
- For stroke by 2 to 4 times
- Of men developing lung cancer 25 times
- Of women developing lung cancer 25.7 times
- Diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and increased health care utilization and cost.
A few effective tips to quit smoking:
Consult a doctor
Once you decide to quit smoking please visit an expert who can analyse your addiction and help you cope with the side effects of de-addiction.
If you have a strong willpower, nobody can stop you from achieving your goal. Don't shy away from seeking medical help whenever necessary.
Consider nicotine replacement therapy
Short-acting nicotine replacement therapies, such as nicotine gum, lozenges, nasal sprays, or inhalers, will help you overcome intense cravings.
These are generally safe to use in combination with long-acting nicotine patches or one of the non-nicotine medications.
Start physical activity
Activities like running, playing, gym, or just a simple walk can distract you from nicotine cravings.
If physical activity doesn't interest you then pursue something you love. Play an outdoor sport, read, write, pursue one of your hobbies and keep yourself busy.
Replace tobacco with a healthy snack
To avoid tobacco craving, give something for your mouth to chew. You may opt for sugarless gum or your favourite snack. It will help you fool your mind a little to quit smoking.
No excuses
Once you decide to quit smoking, no matter what happens, stick to the routine you have decided for yourself.
The excuse 'one last time today' never ends. So don't fool yourself!
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