Health Problems Caused by Smoking

Usually we trust that nature has a master plan. But what was it she expected us to do with tobacco?
~ Bill Vaughan

Well, I guess Nature invented tobacco and gave humanity access to it as a means to punish irreparable stupidity! Wondering how? Well, I can bet you the ground under my very feet that all those who smoke or chew tobacco are well aware of at least one health risk associated with it and yet they find it hard to give up even when the symptoms of ill-health arising from smoking start showing up! Therefore, isn't it fair to call this kind of conscious idiocy - deliberately turning a blind eye - stupidity of the highest magnitude? I know that most of you smokers out there are quite aware of some of the most prominent diseases caused by smoking such as lung and moth cancer, asthma, etc. but did you know that even your fertility and cardiac health can be adversely affected by your beloved poison? Well, read right ahead to get well versed with further updates on various health problems caused by smoking or chewing tobacco.

List of Health Issues Caused by Smoking

Check out this list of health issues that are a direct consequence of smoking. I'm sure you'll make some startling discoveries in terms of various health issues that you didn't realize could be a result of smoking!

Cardiovascular Diseases and Disorders
Heart attack, stroke, arterial blockage, peripheral vascular disease, arteriosclerotic vascular disease, vascular thrombosis - did I leave anything out? Oh yes, cardiomyopathy too. All these are the eventual and inevitable result of years of commitment to the cancer stick. Another startling revelation made by recent studies shows that the smoke of cigarettes can alter the cell division process that takes place in the cardiac muscle which can lead to a change in the shape of the heart itself!

Various Cancers
Your lungs and your mouth are not the only parts of your anatomy that are susceptible to the carcinogens released by tobacco. Studies and clinical cases have firmly established the relationship between smoking and cancer of the larynx, kidneys, throat, stomach, bladder, neck, head, breast, liver, cervical region, ovaries, colon, small intestine, adrenal glands and pancreas besides lung and mouth cancer. Leukemia of the myeloid tissue and squamous-cell carcinoma are also included in the malefic health package of smoking.

Fertility Issues
Low sperm count and impotence is what smoking does to men and ovarian cancer and tampering with the estrogen cycle is what it does to women. In both cases, the reproductive health and fertility of both males and females are seriously compromised. Do you still think smoking's worth it?

Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and chronic bronchitis are some of the diseases that lead to breathing problems caused by smoking. Besides these, a lot of other respiratory tract infections including sore throat, common cold and influenza, tonsillitis, sinusitis, nasal congestion, etc. are also chronic conditions experienced by veteran smokers.

Some other health issues brought on by smoking are as follows:-

• Stress
• Rapid biological aging evidenced by early appearance of wrinkles and gray hair, drying of the skin, etc.
• Weakened immune system making way for a lot of bacterial and viral infections including increased HIV susceptibility
• Receding gums and inflammation around teeth
• Oral lesions and ulcers
• Unhealthy mood patterns
• Miscarriages in pregnant women and congenital disorders and deformities in newborns
• Crohn's disease
• Renal damage
• Alzheimer's disease and dementia due to cerebral atrophy and nerve damage

While smoking weakens the immune system, it also lowers the body's ability to absorb nutrition from food and dietary sources, thereby acting as a double-edged sword that leaves no stone unturned to make sure that the body is unable to strengthen its defenses. Also, smoking in pregnant women leads to newborns exhibiting signs of withdrawal as, when it is born, the continuous supply of nicotine that it was getting inside the womb (carried by the mother's blood) is abruptly cut off. So much for looking cool and getting relaxation! There are many other alternative means by which these two ends can be attained and which have far less negative impacts on your health and life compared to tobacco. Statistics show that on an average, a regular smoker loses about 13.5 years of his life - if that doesn't motivate you to quit smoking, I don't know what else will. If you're so hell-bent upon killing yourself then look for some quicker, more instant way - why go through all this drudgery?