Smoking is the leading cause of so many premature deaths. The reason for this is that it is packed with risky chemicals that are bad for human health and should be avoided at all costs.
The toxins in a cigarette are not only disease-causing but can also disrupt the way our body heals itself.
In just 10 seconds of your first puff, the toxic chemical carrying tobacco smoke reaches your brain, heart, and other organs.
Smoking can harm almost every body part and increase the risk of many diseases.
Smoking also affects your looks and sensation of touch; it can drastically affect your finances and the people close to you.
Diseases caused due to smoking
Among all the body parts, cigarettes can affect the brain, heart, and lungs.
Many diseases are directly associated with cigarette smoking, and some of them are listed below:
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term breathing disorder characterized by shortness of breath and cough with mucus.
It is a progressive disease that worsens over time. COPD is a growing cause of disabilities and premature deaths.
There is enough evidence to prove that smoking is the primary cause of COPD. Popular belief says all cigarette smokers experience inflammation in their lungs and airways.
Smoke contains many chemicals, and the concentration of oxidants is very high in each puff. These oxidant substances induce inflammation in the lungs and their airways.
This continuous cycle of inflammation leads to increased production of mucus, and it further causes chronic cough and wheezing.
Type 2 Diabetes
Evidence strongly suggests that inflammation and oxidative stress can highly increase the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition that occurs due to the high sugar level in the body. Smoking makes the body insulin resistant, which means the body requires more insulin to normalize the sugar level.
In non-diabetic smokers, the insulin produced in the pancreas is more to normalize the sugar level, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
If you have diabetes, then smoking can put your health in even greater danger. Smoking damages the blood vessels and increases the risk of infections.
According to some facts, smokers who have diabetes are three times more likely to die from heart infections than those who do not smoke.
Cancer
According to the researchers, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States is due to smoking.
Cigarettes contain many chemicals, and most of them are known to be the cause of Cancer.
Cancer is a condition when the cells start to grow uncontrollably. Each cigarette puff delivers chemicals to the lungs, which get absorbed in the bloodstream and carried to every body organ.
When these chemicals spread throughout the body, it damages the DNA, which leads the cells to grow uncontrollably.
Lung Cancer is the most common type; in most cases, smoking is considered the most prominent cause of lung cancer.
Aortic Aneurysm
An Aortic Aneurysm is a condition linked to the enlargement of the aorta, which is the main artery of the human body.
Studies establish that smoking is one of the most common factors contributing to developing an Aortic Aneurysm.
Also, nicotine is one of the most harmful chemicals present in cigarettes, causing the development of an Aortic Aneurysm. Smoking also weakens the walls of the aorta and damages it.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s Disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that causes swelling in the digestive tract tissues. IBD leads to Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea, Fatigue, etc.
The cause of this disease is still unknown, but researchers believe it to be an autoimmune reaction.
This autoimmune reaction occurs when our immune system starts attacking the healthy cells of our body.
Smoking increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and can also make it worse by increasing the severity of this disease.
It is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect any body part, from the mouth to the anus.
Nicotine, one of the most harmful chemicals in cigarettes, is said to play a significant role in causing Crohn’s disease.
It acts as an immunosuppressant for the blood vessels that attack the bacteria making the body fail to kill harmful bacteria.
Also, many researchers believe that people with Crohn’s disease are likely to have mothers who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy.
Or these people have been exposed to smoking at home since childhood.
Conclusion
We can consider smoking one of the most prominent reasons for many deaths. It is exceptionally vital to understand the need to quit smoking.
Smoking affects your lungs and several other body parts, making them prone to many life-threatening diseases.
Diseases like COPD, Type 2 Diabetes, Cancer, Aortic Aneurysms, and Crohn’s disease are just some examples.
Smoking can cause many more health-related issues not only for you but for people around you as well.
Opting to quit smoking can be the wisest decision because you will choose life over addiction.