It has been appropriately said that it’s not you who’s smoking the cigarette; the cigarette itself is smoking you. Smoking kills you from the inside and out, leaving nothing but a lifeless soul out of you. Often, the young budding minds begin smoking under their peer’s influence.
In order to gain acceptance, they agree to do anything, even a detrimental activity like this. Further, they find themselves getting involved in the web of addiction. Every year about 70% of the lung disorders reported are caused by these deleterious activities i.e. smoking.
The Ten Diseases Smoking Can Lead to
The analysis also states that more than 400,000 deaths are due to the harmful effects of smoking. Here’s a list of some deadly diseases caused by smoking.
1. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Smoking is the leading cause of COPD, a life-threatening disease involving lungs. Smoking, linked with harmful effects on the air-sacs and airway towards lungs, leads to this disease. Patient finds it difficult to breath due to damaged airway and obstructed air passage of the lungs.
2. Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease
Not just the lungs, even the heart is affected by smoking. Coronary heart disease and strokes are very common amongst people who smoke regularly.
Smoking destructs the vessel lining, thereby developing a fatty substance over it. Narrowing of the vessel leads to decreased blood supply to the heart.
Even the cigarette packs possess a label saying, “Smoking Causes Cancer”. Cancer is the ultimate result of smoking; it causes the normal cells to become cancer cells which grow enormously to become tumours.
And, it’s not just one or two types; about 12 to 15 types of cancers are caused by smoking including lung cancer, oesophagus cancer, larynx cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, kidney cancer and many more.
Shortness of breath is the main feature of this disease. Smoking is the characteristic reason behind emphysema. It obstructs the airway and leads to disturbed air passage towards the lung for gaseous exchange. This, in turn causes breathlessness and ultimately Emphysema.
5. Chronic Bronchitis
Bronchitis is the inflammation of bronchial tubes, the passage which brings air in and out of the lungs. Smoking affects the bronchus and impedes with its air passage. Hence, irritation of the tubes leads to long-term bronchitis which is a fatal condition.
Asthma is not exactly the condition that lets one stroll around carelessly. The patient has to be careful about the temperature and quality of the air. Cold air, pollution and pollen can all trigger the reaction that should be avoided. And smoking can just make it worse.
Asthma affects everybody, including children. It’s been seen that more than 5.4 million people have been affected by asthma, around one in every eleven children. There is an increased need to use inhalers and nebulizers to deal with the problem and open up the airways. Some of the more serious cases have seen children requiring breathing support in intensive care as well.
It’s been seen that if there is a lot of pollution around where you live including higher dust and mite concentration, the more likely will children develop serious asthma. Gases like carbon dioxide and supplier dioxide in the air can be some other causes as well.
The month of autumn often seem more aggrieved asthma symptoms. However, habits like not smoking inside the house can have a difference. It’s a good idea to take the child away from any place that has smoking.
Airway lining that takes air towards lungs is lined with Cilia which filter the dust particles via incoming air. Tobacco smoke inhaled via smoking causes these cilia to damage, hence impairing with dust particle’s filtering. This leads to allergic attacks in smokers broadly classified as Asthma.
Smoking leads to recurrent strokes and related heart anomalies. Fatty plaque gets build up along the vessels due to smoking. This impedes the blood supply towards the heart. Hence, strokes occur due to decreased blood supply to the brain.
Stress, depression, hypertension are things that most people have to deal with. It is important that we do not get bogged down. We all have our own races to run and our own goals to achieve.
This puts us in a stressful environment that impairs our brain functions. This often frames us into umpteen sleepless nights.
Smoking is associated with long-term hypertension and anxiety issues. Cigarette smoke consists of nicotine which leads to elevated blood pressure, narrowing of vessels and increased heart rate. All this finally results in hypertension.
Smoking and atherosclerosis have a serious link as far as the physiology is concerned. Tobacco smoke initiates plaque formation along vessel linings.
Further, this waxy plaque impairs the circulation of blood and the blood supply to heart is decreased. Hence, this activity is the ultimate cause of atherosclerosis, a life-changing disease.
Smoking has been linked with erectile dysfunction and impotence for several years now. Blood supply gets decreased due to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. This further decreases the blood supply to penis. Without proper blood supply, it’s not feasible for any organ to function normally.
Hence, smoking leads to impotence and erectile dysfunction amongst males. It’s Better to Lead a Healthier Life. Consider this – cigarettes are more expensive than ever and can significantly burn a hole to your pocket.
If you are smoking, it is important to think about how to leave it. There are many cessation devices and rehabilitation centres that can help you start leading a normal life again.