SMOKING IS SILENTLY DESTROYING YOUR HEALTH - By: Graham Nicks

Smoking is the sneaky killer that gives short-term pleasure in return for long lasting health problems. The short-term pleasure, overtime, becomes a nicotine addiction that is very hard to break. The list of bad effects that this has on your body is long. Nicotine is a chemical that can bring on physical and mind altering effects on your body. Long term this can be devastating to your health. Below are the many reasons that you should consider to Quit Smoking.

Many smokers are unaware of the many different illnesses that result from the smoking habit. Usually they relate smoking to lung cancer but not much more. In reality the health problems are much wider spread, they include heart disease, vascular disease, emphysema, aging skin, pregnancy and many more.

How smoking affects your lungs

You may be surprised that smoking causes almost 90 percent of lung cancers and other lung related disease such as emphysema. It depends on how long someone has been smoking, but as a general rule, smokers are 20 times more likely to get a lung disease than a non-smoker. But all is not lost, if a smoker were to give up the smoking habit, their risk is lowered dramatically over time. It may never get to as low as a non-smoker, but regardless, the health benefits are worth the effort.

How smoking affects the heart and vascular system

There are not many parts of the body that are not under attack when you are smoking cigarettes. Your heart and circulatory systems are under attack by the chemicals found in nicotine, putting your under stress due to an increase in blood pressure and a rise in your heart rate. The combined effect of carbon monoxide taking away the oxygen form your heart and other vital organs caused by the restricting of blood vessels can lead to a greater risk of stroke and heart attack.

How smoking can cause cancer

It is widely known that smoking leads to lung cancer. What is not known is that smoking is a major contributor to other cancers, such as cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus. And it does not stop there, other vital organs and body parts can be effected by cancers also. Smoking may not be the sole cause, but certainly a major contributing factor in cancer of the stomach, cervix, kidney's, colon., rectum and the list goes on.

How does smoking affect your appearance.

This may not rank high for some people, but in reality no one wants to look older than they are, but it's a fact that your body's largest organ, the skin is also affected by the intake of smoke and nicotine. You may wonder how this is possible, well, as other parts of your body are starved of oxygen, so is your skin. It can become dry and irritated, which usually leads to many more wrinkles and an aged appearance.

Does smoking affect fertility in women

The simple answer is yes. Smoking affects not only the fertility in women but also in men. In women there is a greater risk of miscarriage, which can have a devastating effect on the whole family. In men there is a greater risk of impotence because as mentioned earlier there are vascular consequences to smoking, the blood vessels can be damaged leading to erection problems.

How smoking affects pregnancy

The well being of the unborn child should be foremost in the mind of every mother. Some mother may not be aware that they are harming their baby if they continue smoking. These are the risks…low birth weight, lung function below normal, a delivery that may be premature, still born, may be more susceptible to cot death. Children from smoking mothers may also be more susceptible to pneumonia and bronchitis or asthma.

Conclusion

Smoking does not just devastate your own health it can severely affect your family's health if they are to endure your secondhand smoke. You can also find yourself out of work due to smoking related illness, which will also impact on your family. Consider your health and the impact your smoking may have on your family before it's to late, remember if you quit now, every day going foreword your body is repairing itself for a long healthy future

About the Author

Learn why you should Quit Smoking Now at http://www.quittingsmokingtips.com - Stop smoking quickly and easily by visiting: How to Quit Smoking for free advice and resources on improving your health and fitness.

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