Smoking affects almost every organ and system in the body, but it can also have visible effect on your appearance. Smoking is a leading cause of several serious illnesses and it is directly linked to thousands of deaths every year.
When you smoke you inhale around 80 different chemicals, many of which are poisonous.
How does smoking affect the body?
Smoking is a major risk factor for cancer, heart attacks, strokes, atherosclerosis (a condition, which occurs when fat deposits collect in the arteries around the heart, obstructing blood flow) and respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (commonly referred to as COPD). If you smoke and you are aged between 30 and 40 years old, you are around five times more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker and half of people who smoke die from illnesses directly linked to smoking; around half of those who die as a result of smoking only reach middle-age.
Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer, in addition to being a risk factor for several other forms of cancer, including breast cancer, cervical and uterine cancer, kidney and liver cancer and oral cancer. Studies carried out in the USA show that men who smoke are up to 22 times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers; women are around 12 times more likely to develop and die from lung cancer than non-smokers.
Smoking is also extremely dangerous for pregnant women; smoking increases the risk of birth defects, premature birth and low birth weight and it can also affect the growth and development of the child once it has been born.
Smoking also increases your risk of oral health problems, especially gum disease, which can cause irreversible damage to your teeth and may eventually cause them to fall out.
Smokers also often find that they get short of breath when they walk, exercise or climb the stairs, for example and many suffer from a chronic cough and a hoarse throat.
How does smoking affect your appearance?
If you’re image conscious, then smoking is a really bad idea; as well as affecting your body’s cells and organs’; smoking also has horrendous implications for your appearance. Smoking ages the skin, making it look dull, lifeless and tired and increasing the prevalence of wrinkles and lines. Smoking also causes your nails and teeth to become stained and once smoking has stained your teeth and nails, It’s very difficult to reverse this, even through teeth whitening. It also affects your breath, which can make social situations embarrassing.
Smoking has an array of negative implications for the inside and outside of your body, but thankfully, giving up can start to reverse the effects very quickly. Giving up will reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and strokes and you will save a huge amount of money, as well as adding years to your life. If you need help with giving up, you should contact your doctor.