Tobacco and Your Health (or the lack thereof...)
It is well documented that tobacco contains 1000's of chemicals, including over 50 known carcinogens. It is no wonder that tobacco use directly corresponds with hundreds of severe health risks.
Everyone knows about how smoking causes lung cancer, right? But did you know that tobacco is directly responsible for many other types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat, voicebox, esophagus, upper digestive tract, bladder, stomach, pancreas, and kidney? It's true.
Everyone knows about how smoking causes lung cancer, right? But did you know that tobacco is directly responsible for many other types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat, voicebox, esophagus, upper digestive tract, bladder, stomach, pancreas, and kidney? It's true.
THE FACTS ABOUT SMOKING AND YOUR HEALTH:
Smoking is also associated with many respiratory diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma. This also includes the risk of respiratory symptoms which includes
coughing, phlegm, wheezing and difficult or laboured breathing (dyspnea).
In addition to the more obvious lung conditions, tobacco also leads to many cardiovsacular diseases. Smokers have 3 times the risk of heart attack and stroke compared with non-smokers and they are more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack than non-smokers.
Why is this? It's because smoking causes the plaque in your bloodstream to build-up and clog your arteries (a deadly condition called "atherosclerosis"). This is not very well-known, but it is a very true fact. One of the most common causes of heart-attack and stroke-causing
atherosclerosis is smoking, as it contributes greatly to the clogging.
Smoking during pregnancy causes premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and certain pregnancy complications. Infants can succumb to sudden infant death syndrome if they are living in a house where smoking occurs indoors. Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke on a regular basis are more prone to developing asthma and respiratory infections.
Like to see? Heavy smokers are at far greater risk for blindness due to retina and other eye complications later in life.
Smokers are at greater risk for sexual and fertility problems.
Smoking is also associated with many respiratory diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma. This also includes the risk of respiratory symptoms which includes
coughing, phlegm, wheezing and difficult or laboured breathing (dyspnea).
In addition to the more obvious lung conditions, tobacco also leads to many cardiovsacular diseases. Smokers have 3 times the risk of heart attack and stroke compared with non-smokers and they are more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack than non-smokers.
Why is this? It's because smoking causes the plaque in your bloodstream to build-up and clog your arteries (a deadly condition called "atherosclerosis"). This is not very well-known, but it is a very true fact. One of the most common causes of heart-attack and stroke-causing
atherosclerosis is smoking, as it contributes greatly to the clogging.
Smoking during pregnancy causes premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and certain pregnancy complications. Infants can succumb to sudden infant death syndrome if they are living in a house where smoking occurs indoors. Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke on a regular basis are more prone to developing asthma and respiratory infections.
Like to see? Heavy smokers are at far greater risk for blindness due to retina and other eye complications later in life.
Smokers are at greater risk for sexual and fertility problems.
BOTTOM LINE: As a result of the many health risks, a male smoker will lose, on average, 13.2 years of life. A female smoker will suffer an even greater loss of life. The average female smoker will lose 14.5 years of life. The negative affects of smoking will also lessen the quality of your life, long before you die.
