How Smoking affects the body

More than any other disease, smoking is the major source of death and disability worldwide today. Not surprisingly, the consumption of snuff is responsible for about 3 “5 million deaths a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. 80% of these deaths are from lung cancer, bronchitis cancer emphysema, while nearly 17% are due to cardiac arrest.

Smoking reduces fertility of men and women. On the other hand, the snuff increases the risk of sexual impotence.

Why smoking causes diseases?

Research has identified more than 4,000 chemicals in the smoke particles snuff. It is shown that at least 60 of them, such as nickel, are carcinogenic. Nicotine, the addictive ingredient of snuff, stimulates the nervous system, which speeds up the heart rate and raises blood pressure.

Tar, generated when smoke condenses snuff is a mixture of different chemicals, including arsenic and cyanide. Tar settles in the lungs and respiratory system, being gradually absorbed by the body.

Carbon monoxide clings to the hemoglobin in the blood more easily than oxygen. This causes the blood to carry less oxygen throughout the body, which increases the risk of thrombosis.

Why is addictive snuff?

Nicotine is a stimulant that works by distributing dopamine, a brain chemical that produces feelings of pleasure. Studies suggest that nicotine depresses the brain’s ability to experience pleasure long term. Hence smokers require higher doses of nicotine to experience the same levels of satisfaction.

The snuff is as addictive as heroin or cocaine, according to a study by the Royal College of Physicians in the UK. The addictive power of snuff is reflected in that 70% of smokers want to quit, being very low number of those who finally get. On the other hand, it highlights the fact that, normally, smokers who have quit smoking have been several previous attempts.

One example is “addiction” that half of the patients with lung cancer start smoking again after being surgically treated.

How the snuff does affect your body?

Cancer: It is shown that snuff is a very potent cause of cancers of the lung, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas. Some research impact that smoking is associated with an increased risk of leukemia and stomach cancer, breast, liver and cervix.

Lungs: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, produced by bronchitis and emphysema, it produces a progressive respiratory impairment. This obstruction is caused by narrowing of the air passages in the lungs and the destruction of the alveoli. The onset of this disease is gradual and respiratory failure arises when it has been destroyed almost half of the lungs. Once the disease has been established is rarely reversible. Hence, for example, pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, is more common among smokers.

Heart: The minute light a cigarette smoker’s heart starts beating faster 30%. Blood pressure also increases, forcing the heart to work harder and increasing the risk of coronary heart disease.

Fertility: The fertility of men and women is reduced. On the other hand, the risk of male impotence is increased by the consumption of snuff.

Pregnancy and childbirth: The probability of abortions is substantially higher in female smokers. In addition, they tend to have more complications during pregnancy. Babies of mothers who smoke tend to weigh an average of 200 grams less at birth than children of nonsmoking mothers. This weight reduction is associated with increased risk of death and disease in infancy and early childhood. On the other hand, children whose parents are smokers are twice as likely to suffer serious respiratory infections.

Teeth: The teeth become yellow and usually the smoker suffers from bad breath or halitosis.

Fingers and nails: are subject to change color.

Skin: you may tend to wrinkle and to present psoriasis.

What happens when you stop smoking?

As soon as you stop smoking, your body will thank you deeply and will undertake a task of repairing the damage that consumption of snuff has caused thus will begin a series of changes for the benefit of your health.

• Eight hours oxygen levels in the blood return to normal state, and nicotine and carbon monoxide are reduced by half.
• At 24 hours, the carbon monoxide leaves the body and lungs begin to expel mucus.
• At 48 hours, nicotine has disappeared. Taste and smell improve markedly.
• At 72 hours, breathing becomes much easier. Bronchial tubes relax and energy levels increase.
• From 2 to 12 weeks, blood circulation improvement.
• From 3 to 9 months, coughs, “beeps” and breathing problems improve as lung function is increased by slightly more than 10%.
• In 12 months, the risk of heart attack is halved with respect to the risk of smoking.
• 10 years, the risk of lung cancer is also decreased by half compared with the same risk suffering a smoker.
• In 15 years, the risk of heart attack is reduced to having a person who has never smoked.

Remedy: Use of Aromatherapy inhalers and menthol mint are good remedies to quit smoking.