Cigarette Smoking
The effects of cigarette smoking can be horrifying. Smoking is dangerous not only to those who smoke, but to non-smokers and unborn children as well. Cigarette smoking is also physically and socially harming.
The large particles in cigarette smoke, commonly known as “tar”, collect in the branching points of the lungs. The tar contains carcinogenic compounds that increase the risk of lung cancer. The small particles in cigarette smoke, including carcinogens, irritants, and corrosive chemicals, collect in the small air sacs in the lungs and damage them. These air sacs are where the blood absorbs oxygen from the air. When the small particles from the cigarette smoke are absorbed into the blood
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The presence of these components in the sputum may cause mutations in the smokers genes, which may lead to the formation to cancerous tumors. The risk of developing lung cancer is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked (Schaadt, 1992).
Many of the cancers besides lung cancer may develop as a result of cigarette smoking. One example is cancer of the larynx. Sometimes the larynx has to be removed because of the presence of a tumor, forcing the smoker to breathe through a surgical opening in the wind pipe. Because the larynx is located near the voice box, the voice box will often get destroyed from the tumor on the larynx, forcing the smoker to use an artificial voice box in order to speak. Less major cancers including cancers of the cheeks, gums, lips, tongue, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas may also arise.
Another cardiovascular malfunction that cigarette smoking may cause are strokes. A stroke is damage to the brain caused by leakage from a ruptured blood vessel or an interruption in blood supply. Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affect the adhesives of blood platelets, the main clotting factor in blood. This can cause blood vessels to harden and form blood clots that can flow to the brain, a major cause of strokes. Nicotine can also cause the blood vessels to constrict. When a smokers arteries become too constricted,
Cigarettes don’t only cause lung cancers but can also cause other problems to the heart and blood vessels. Some other cancers associated with smoking include larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, and some other organs.
Exercising helps eliminate all the extra fat and waste that surrounds the heart. Also quitting smoking avails the whole body, especially the heart. Smoking cigarettes causes about 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States each year. (National Institutes of Health). Tobacco has many chemicals that harm the organs in the body. It also damages the blood vessels, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis (Smoking & Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease)). The carbon dioxide that is coming from the cigarette binds to the hemoglobin, a substance that is found in red blood cells, preventing the blood from carrying a full load of oxygen that is needed to sustain the body. Making it harder to breath and stressing the heart. Smoking also damages the heart vessels, which affects how well the blood flows around the body making the heart work more. For some people, such as women who use birth control pills and people who have diabetes, smoking poses an even greater risk to the heart and blood vessels. Cigarettes have nicotine in them which produce adrenaline, therefore causing the heart to work harder and gaining a high blood pressure and rate
Smoking can bring about lung infection by harming your airways routes and the little air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs. Smoking can bring about lethal infections, for example, pneumonia, lung growth and emphysema. Additionally smoking causes 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer (NHS , 2017) . However, there is a considerable measure of terrible illnesses connected to smoking cigarettes. Illnesses like throat malignancy, mouth tumour, bladder growth, lung growth, constant bronchitis, emphysema, and coronary illness are altogether brought about by smoking. Also smoking is addictive. Nicotine is the addictive substance
Many people start this habit because of peer pressure, family issues, anxiety and depression. Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer and it can shorten your life by 15 years or more. Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine which is a highly addictive stimulant. Teenagers smoke because they want to be cool. Many people who start smoking have a family member or close friend who smokes. Smoking leads to lung cancer, heart disease, strokes and wide variety of other diseases. Smokers experience more coughs and colds compared to non- smokers. Besides affecting oneself, it also has a negative impact on others around smokers which is known as second hand smoking. Also pregnant women who are exposed to cigarette smoke will have an increased risk of having a miscarriage or stillborn baby. There are over 4000 toxic substances in a cigarette. There are over 4000 toxic substances in a cigarette. They are arsenic, acetic acid, ammonia, butane, carbon monoxide and tar.
In addition to the short term effects nicotine addiction also has severe long term effects. A person that is addicted to nicotine has an increased chance of getting cancer. Nicotine can cause a cell mutation in a user’s body that can lead to cancer. Smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. People who are addicted to nicotine through the use of cigarettes are likely to cause damage to their lungs as a result from prolong use. The damage caused by nicotine to the lungs can result in pulmonary diseases such as
Tobacco smoking is responsible for nearly all cases of a chronic breathing obstruction known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD includes diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and leaves sufferers breathless and unable to do many activities. Lung cancer is the disease of the smoker, with 90% of primary lung cancers caused by smoking. Nearly one in four smokers who die prematurely will die of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK. Your lungs are damaged not only by the number of cigarettes you smoke a day, but more importantly by the number of years you have been a smoker. So,
Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many diseases, and reducing the overall health of an individual (Lidia Arcavi & Neal L. Benowitz, 2004). The effects of smoking start out in the respiratory system where smoke irritates the trachea and larynx which leads to reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways, and also leads to excess mucus in the lung passages. The excess mucus causes impairment of the lungs' clearance system leading to the build-up of poisonous substances which results in lung irritation and damage, increased risk of lung infection, symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, and permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs (Lidia Arcavi & Neal L. Benowitz, 2004).
When you start smoking since the very first time, the chemicals inhaled can have an immediate effect in the body. The smoke contains a chemical called carbon monoxide that transfers to the blood instead of oxygen. As a result, the blood cells suffer from oxygen making harder to breathe especially while exercising. It can also be very harmful to smoke during pregnancy due to the fact that a developing baby can suffer from breathing which can also lead to other dysfunctions in the process of the formation. The smoke of cigarettes contains millions of chemicals that cause serious damage to the tissue of the breathing system. There is clear evidence from scientist who state that tobacco smoke increase the risk of suffering many dangerous and fatal
Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 90% of lung cancers. Using other tobacco products such as cigars or pipes also increases the risk for lung cancer (Center for Disease Control). As the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states, “People who smoke cigarettes are
Carcinogens have the ability to damage and alter the DNA of cells in the body. When smoking, lung cells are exposed to these harmful substances and it can cause the uncontrollable division of cells (cancer). (eHow Health)
Cigarette smoking can damage the respiratory system greatly. There are six major parts of the respiratory system that are damaged as a result of smoking. The cilia, mucus membranes, alveoli, capillaries, and surfactant and water layers of the lungs all face damage. Normally, respiratory tubules produce mucus that coat our body and trap infectious organisms, dirt, and other unwanted substances. Cilia, small hairs, have a function that essentially eliminates these unwanted substances by sweeping it towards the mouth. When someone inhales smoke, these cilia slow down their motion. They do not move as fast as they would. Eventually, as one continues to smoke, the cilia face paralysis and will disappear in time. Smokers typically develop a cough
To begin let’s talk about the many, many health risks that are caused from smoking. I’ll start off with the biggest consequence smoking causes. Cancer. According to the CDC.gov website, nine out of ten lung cancers are caused from smoking cigarettes. And although lung cancer is the most common cancer associated with smoking, it is definitely not the only one. Smoking can cause cancer anywhere in the body. From the mouth to the colon, nothing is safe from cancer when you smoke. According to betobaccofree.gov, the chemicals in cigarettes harm your blood cells and damage your heart, increasing your likelihood of developing aneurysms, cardiovascular disease, Coronary heart disease, and strokes. Smokers also develop mouth sores and ulcers and as stated on deltadentalins.com, smokers are about 4 times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease. Smokers experience muscle deterioration because blood and oxygen are restricted and can’t reach the muscles.
Laryngeal cancer shows up in the vocal cords. Symptoms of this cancer include cough, coughing blood, and hoarseness. Oral cancer arises in the mouth and throat. It's most common in people who chew tobacco. Esophageal cancer is in the esophagus which links the oral cavity to the stomach. Pancreatic cancer is in the pancreas which is a secreatory organ situated at the rear of the abdominal cavity behind the stomach. Being bathed in the tobacco carcinogens which are in the blood and then concentrated in the urine causes kidney cancer. Cancer of the urinary bladder is in the bladder's surface, and the earliest symptom is bleeding. Respiratory diseases cause by smoking includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory morbidity, emphysema, and respiratory infections.
Smoking creates toxins in the blood. This greatly contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material is deposited along the walls of the arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens, and can eventually block the arteries if not treated. Clots may also form around the plaque deposits. Smoking raises the levels of proteins that cause the blood to clot and also increases platelet production, making the blood stickier which further creates risk for clots. This also interferes with the blood flow and poses an added danger if they were to break off and travel through the body causeing assorted health problems such as heart attack, stroke, or gangrene.
The simple smoke from a cigarette is more complex then it really looks. "Each time a person breaths in smoke about a million particles of very tiny complex materials are breathed in and only 20% of that is breathed out."(Hyde 1990) From these little millions of particles is the reason it causes problems for the human body. The main material in the some is nicotine. "Nicotine is an alkaloid poison found in