Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Smoking is one of the most harmful habits or rather, addictions among people of all age groups, all over the world. Although it is very clearly mentioned on a packets of cigarettes that 'SMOKING KILLS', most of us tend to ignore it and continue their regular puffs of cigarettes. If you are not aware of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking (active or passive), you can take a look at the following mentioned smoking effects and think about it.

Harmful Effects of Cigarette Smoking

If you were under the illusion that cigarettes affect only the lungs, then you would better note that cigarette smoking can affects most of the vital organs of the body like the brain and the heart. Harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes can be observed immediately or within a couple of years or decades; depending on the amount of cigarettes the person smokes and his/her overall health. The following are the side effects of smoking.

... on Lungs
As mentioned above, cigarette smoking mostly affects the lungs. Cigarettes contain carcinogenic factors which lead to lung cancer. secondly, the tar content in the tobacco gets accumulated in the lungs resulting in respiratory disorders. Lung cancer, emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstructions are some of the smoking effects on lungs.

... on the Heart
If you wish to know about the smoking effects on heart, then note that cigarette smoking can result in several fatal heart diseases. The harmful substances in cigarettes and fats get deposited in the arteries resulting in coronary heart diseases and heart attack. Atherosclerosis, Peripheral Vascular Disease and angina are some of the health effects of smoking on heart.

... on the Brain
One of the best known cigarette smoking effects on the body is that it creates a feeling of relaxation and reduces stress. However, this is temporary and when the body loses the feeling, the person feels an urge to smoke again. This leads to addiction which is harmful for the brain. One of the other harmful effects of smoking is that it leads to blocking of the carotid artery which results in stroke!

... During Pregnancy
Women are advised against smoking during pregnancy as well as while trying to conceive. This is because cigarette smoking affects fertility in people and can even lead to infertility. The effects of smoking during pregnancy include higher risk of miscarriage and chances of still birth. The mother and the child may also suffer from respiratory disorder if the woman continues smoking during pregnancy.

Effects of Passive Cigarette Smoking
One should remember that the harmful effects of second hand smoke are equally severe as those of active smoking. Passive smoking is a condition where a person is exposed to cigarette smoke without actually smoking cigarettes. Passive smokers may also suffer from respiratory diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and lung cancer. Passive smoking is found to affect babies and children the worst as they can develop asthma and chronic cough. Long term passive smoking is also associated with coronary heart diseases.

These were some of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. Lastly, you should note that death is the ultimate risk one is exposed to through effects of smoking cigarettes and if you wish to avoid it, you need to stop smoking immediately. Remember SMOKING KILLS!