Every pack of cigarettes contains a statutory warning about the health hazards of smoking, but how dangerous are they? The number of smokers across the world is increasing on a daily basis. From acetone and tar to nicotine and carbon monoxide, tobacco in any form contains everything that can turn out to be fatal over time.
According to a report from the American Lung Association, cigarettes contain 600 different ingredients which, when burnt, produce 7000 harmful and poisonous chemicals, out of which 69 are carcinogenic. The harms of smoking may not be immediate, but the complications and damage attached to it may last for years, and many times even prove to be fatal and irrevocable.
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What are the harmful effects of smoking? Smoking slowly and silently damages our internal body organs. Here is a detailed listing of the harms of smoking on the human body.
Did you know smoking could increase mood swings and be the reason why you get anxious all of a sudden? Smoking puts you in a good mood only temporarily, but anxiety and irritability can become difficult to manage as smoking leads to major mood stimulation. However, you might not find it very simple to put a stop to your nicotine intake all of a sudden. A break from nicotine can put you on the edge if you happen to miss your cigarette session for long.
Women who smoke regularly can face hormonal imbalances, including early menopause. Smoking is one of the major causes behind women getting their menopause earlier than their non-smoking counterparts. Hot flashes in women are also caused as a result of this habit. Smoking can further cause infertility in women which can be quite alarming at a later stage. Women who smoke are even subjected to a much higher risk of having cervical cancer than those who don’t.
Do you smoke & have been coughing lately? Smoking damages the airways, which leads to persistent coughing. Smoking causes bronchitis, even in second-hand smokers, including children. It even worsens other respiratory problems like tuberculosis and pneumonia among others. Moreover, a regular or chain smoker is subjected to a much higher risk and the possibility of having lung cancer which has proven to be fatal for both men and women.
To know its impact, you can also take a Smoking Impact Checkup.
This package includes a range of blood tests that can help trace the ill effects of smoking on your health. This package includes tests such as Liver Function, Kidney Function, Cardiac Risk Markers, Lipid Profile, Cancer Markers, Vitamin B12, Thyroid, Blood Sugar tests, Iron Studies and more to help your doctor detect any adverse health issues early on. This package is suitable for anyone with a habit of smoking or tobacco consumption in any other form.
Nicotine tightens blood vessels, which restricts the easy flow of blood to the veins and heart, thereby causing high blood pressure, heart attack, and other fatal diseases. Smoking is a key factor in the growing cause of heart attacks. Also, COPDs (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases) are very common among smokers. The HDL (good cholesterol) levels decrease and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels increase, leading to a rise in total cholesterol and triglycerides levels in people who smoke on a regular basis. This too is one of the major causes of growing heart problems.
Smoking constricts blood flow which is adequately required for an erection. Men who smoke regularly often experience this problem. As such, smoking is one of the key factors responsible for the growing problems of conception and infertility in both men and women.
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Smoking regularly worsens vision problems and can lead to diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. It leads to a dull sense of smell and taste, which, in turn, reduces a person’s appetite. Dryness of skin and premature ageing is caused due to smoking as it reduces blood flow to the skin, depriving it of the nutrition required to stay healthy. Long-term smoking can also cause stains on your teeth. It also increases the chances of gum infections and inflammations which can lead to tooth decay.
Smoking suppresses your appetite by diminishing your senses. You stop enjoying your food and start eating much less than the required amount. Smokers are more prone to infections as their immune system gets majorly affected.
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Having known about the dangers of smoking in detail, do you still want to continue smoking and risk your life as well as those around you? Remember, life is too precious to be wasted due to negligence and giving in to addictive short-term pleasures like smoking. Be strong, be determined and bid adieu to nicotine forever.
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