The Health Risks of Smoking Cigarettes

By http://2stopsmokingtips.com

Introduction
The health risks of smoking are not only grave but deadly. Its amazing how people still smoke despite the warnings to the effect. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century.

Introduction(2)
The American Lung Association states that cigarette smoking is the most prevalent cause of avoidable disease and death worldwide. It continues to say that diseases caused by smoking are responsible for the death of 393,000 Americans every year.

Statistics of Smoking-Related Deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a much higher figure. While reiterating the fact that smoking is the leading cause of avertable deaths in the United States, it states that 443,000 people die ahead of time from smoking or contact with passive smoke every year, while another 8.6 million live with deadly illnesses caused by smoking.

Statistics of Smoking-Related Deaths(2)

Despite these hazards, about 46.6 million U.S. citizens still smoke cigarettes. If you think its just cigarettes that have deadly consequences, please note that smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipes also have fatal end results, including but not limited to, lung, larynx, esophageal, and oral cancers. In the UK, cigarette smoking is said to be the leading single cause of ill health and untimely death, directly accounting for over 100,000 deaths each year.

Statistics of Smoking-Related Deaths(3)

Of these deaths, about 42,800 are from smokingrelated cancers, 30,600 from cardiovascular disease and 29,100 die slowly from emphysema and other chronic lung diseases. As if that was enough, Health Canada gives an overview of the health risks of smoking as including Cancer of the mouth, throat and pancreas, Emphysema, heart attacks, Pneumonia, Lung Cancer, etc

Statistics of Smoking-Related Deaths(4)

If you smoke, the greatest danger you might face is that of contracting lung cancer and a possible heart attack because of less carbon dioxide (CO2) transported into your veins. You also stand the risk of having a stroke. This is because cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are said to bring about cancer, according to the American Lung Association. These toxic and damaging substances include tar (a substance that brings about cancer), Nicotine (a highly addictive chemical that increases body cholesterol levels), and Carbon Monoxide (a substance which lowers oxygen levels in the body).

Why Cigarettes are Harmful

MedicalNewsToday has a longer list of dangerous elements found in tobacco smoke and how they can hurt you. The harm and danger posed by smoking is greatly determined by 3 things: the number of cigarettes smoked, how the tobacco was prepared as well as if the cigarette has a filter or not. You may not believe it, but a few cigarettes daily are bad for your health. We all know people who have smoked all their lives without any visible side effects; yet, we also have people who recently started smoking but have evident side effects from their smoking habit.

Health Risks of Smoking

This may have a lot to do with our different body physiology and since you dont know what your body makeup is like, its best to abstain if you have not started smoking but if you have, stop right away! Smoking is such that, once you begin, it can be extremely tough to stop. The nicotine in cigarettes is toxic and habit-forming. Once you are used to it, your body feels like it cant function without it

Health Risks of Smoking(2)

When you look at the health risks of smoking below, you will understand why they say smoking is bad for you. It is an old saying and many of us do not pay attention it but it doesnt change the fact that smoking is bad for you.

Smoking Reduces How Long You Live

Many studies and investigations have recognized the fact that smoking reduces how long you live. One particular 50 year research revealed that smoking cuts life expectancy by 10 years. Deaths caused by smoking are most likely to be through cancer, and around 88% of deaths from lung cancer are from smoking. Tobacco eventually kills about half of those who use it.

Smoking Reduces How Long You Live(2)

Yet another study published in January 2ooo says one cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes. In the same vein, the Zutphen Study, published in April 2007, concludes that all forms of smoking (either cigar, pipe or cigarette smoking reduce life expectancy but with cigar or pipe smoking dropping life expectancy to a lesser degree than cigarette smoking). According to the study, both the number of cigarettes smoked and duration of smoking are strongly associated with mortality risk and the number of life-years lost. And that stopping smoking after age 40 has major health benefits.

Smoking Lowers the Quality of Life

Not only does smoking reduce your life span, it also lowers the quality of life, as smoking is linked with an array of chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and high blood pressure. Results of a Finnish Study revealed that the quality of life deteriorated according to the number of cigarettes smoked every day. Therefore, men who had never smoked had the best quality of life, whilst heavy smokers had the poorest quality of life. Smoking had the greatest impact upon physical functioning and role limitations caused by health issues.

List of Major Diseases Caused by Smoking

Lung Cancer. The commonest cause of lung cancer is long-term contact with tobacco smoke. According to Wikipedia, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women, and is responsible for 1.3 million deaths annually, as of 2004. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing (including coughing up blood), and weight loss.

Lung Cancer(2)
In 2008, about 40,800 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK, 35,260 people died from the disease that same year in the UK. The American Cancer Societys most recent figures for lung cancer in the United States for 2011 are as follows: About 221,130 new cases of lung cancer About 156,940 deaths from lung cancer

Lung Cancer(3)
It is noteworthy that 60% of lung cancers diagnosed today occur in those who have never smoked in life or gave up smoking several years ago. Cigarette smoking, whether now or in the past, remains the principal cause of lung cancer, while contact with radon is the chief cause in non-smokers. Secondhand smoke is believed to account for about 3,400 lung cancer deaths per year in those who have never smoked.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

This is a serious lung disease that kills about 25,000 people in the UK every year. More than 8 in 10 of these deaths are directly linked to smoking. COPD is the third leading cause of death in America, claiming the lives of 124,477 Americans in 2007. People who die of COPD are usually in poor health for several years before they give up the ghost. COPD is a collective term for a group of diseases that block airflow and make breathing more complicated, such as:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 2

emphysema inability to breathe brought about by damage to the alveoli (air sacs) chronic bronchitis coughing with a lot of mucus that goes on unabatedly for three months minimum. Smoking is the principal cause of COPD and is responsible for 80 per cent of cases. Its said that 94 per cent of 20-a-day smokers have some emphysema when the lungs are examined after death, while more than 90 per cent of non-smokers have little or none. COPD usually starts between ages 35 to 45 brackets when lung function begins to decline anyway.

Quitting can assist

Lung damage from COPD is permanent and irreparable, but giving up smoking at any stage reduces the level of decline in lung capacity and functioning. The most common COPD caused by smoking is emphysema. Over 80% of the cases are smoking related. Emphysema is a disease characterized by inability to breathe out air. This is contrary to popular belief that it is a disease characterized by inability to breathe in.

Quitting can assist(2)

Each time you smoke, you destroy the lungs elasticity by tearing down the tissue that drags your lung back together after using muscles that allow us to draw in air. So when it comes to the time to take your next breath it is that much more difficult, for your lungs can not get back to their original shape. Imagine going through life having to struggle to breathe. Unfortunately, millions of people dont have to imagine it, they live it daily. It is a miserable way to live and a slow painful way to die.

Heart disease
Most people relate cigarette smoking with COPD and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a foremost cause of heart disease for both sexes? Statistics reveal that 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. Thats because smoking is a chief cause of coronary artery disease.

Heart disease(2)
A persons risk of heart disease and heart attack are greatly determined by the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. As long as they continue to smoke, smokers continue to increase their risk of heart disease. People who light up a pack of cigarettes on a daily basis have more than twice the danger of heart attack than people who dont smoke.

Heart disease(3)
In the UK, heart disease is the biggest killer ailment. About 120,000 people in the UK die yearly from the disease. About 1 in 7 of these is due to smoking. Other cancers of the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, gullet (oesophagus), lip, tongue, pancreas, pharynx, urinary bladder, cervix, blood (leukemia), and kidney are all more prevalent among smokers. They have all seen marked increases over the 20th century. These cancers have gone from not being known to some of the major causes of death in the US.

Other Cancers
Cigarette smoke also has negative effects on womens reproductive health. It is linked with reduced fertility and a higher risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, infant death, and is a cause of low birth weight in infants. It has also been connected to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Circulation
The elements in cigarette smoke can injure the inside layer of the blood vessels and affect the amount of fats in the bloodstream. This increases the risk of a condition sometimes called hardening of the arteries. This is the main cause of heart disease, strokes, peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation of the legs), and aneurysms (swollen arteries which can burst causing internal bleeding). Known as atheroma, all the above-mentioned diseases are prevalent among smokers.

Other Health Problems

Smoking has also been linked to a variety of other health problems, including gum disease, cataracts, bone thinning, hip fractures, peptic ulcers, impotence, rheumatoid arthritis, ageing, reduced fertility in both sexes as well as menopausal problems.

Other Health Problems(2)

Other conditions whose symptoms are made worse by smoking include: pneumonia, asthma, chest infections, colds, tuberculosis, chronic rhinitis, diabetic retinopathy, hyperthyroidism, multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, Crohns disease and flu. Now that you know the health risks of smoking, find out how to quit smoking by checking the free resources below:

Free Stop Smoking Resources

Quit Smoking with Hypnosis Natural Remedies to Stop Smoking Treatment to Quit Smoking Laser Therapy to Stop Smoking How Can I Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Thank You for Reading!!!

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