Smoking has had a strong grip on the Indian community and only continues to do so. The smoking epidemic is grave to the point where it is the most major cause of death in the country, accounting for an alarming number of 1.35 million deaths per year. This seemingly small habit can cause many detrimental health effects. In this blog, we will understand smoking and its effects on the human body, and some ways in which you can quit smoking.
Overview of the Key Components of Tobacco Smoke
One of the greatest threats to health globally, tobacco products are sold in India at a very low cost. Global Adult Tobacco Survey India reveals that almost 267 million adults in the country are tobacco users. The key components in tobacco are tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other toxic chemicals like arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and many other harmful chemicals.
Health Risks Associated with Smoking
Further, we will explore the 10 harmful effects of cigarette smoking.
Respiratory System
There are detrimental effects of smoking on the respiratory system. Its harshness can cause many lung diseases like chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, exacerbating asthma, etc. Smoking leads people to ingest and consume many toxic substances. This weakens the tissues. Smoking and its effects reduce the lung’s ability to clear out toxins, blocking it over time. It also causes the lungs to get inflamed, leading to breathing difficulties, wheezing, and reduced oxygen intake. Smoking and its effects are weak lungs, which are more susceptible to illnesses.
Viral Infections
Smoking reduces the body’s ability to fight infections, i.e., it weakens the immune system of the person who smokes. As mentioned above, smoking can destroy the respiratory system, and this can make the risk of complications from smoking only increase. Smoking and its effects of weakening the immune system can make the duration of the common first aid sickness a lot longer and recovery, slower.
Fungal Infections
Smoking and its effects make a person more susceptible to fungal infections too along with viral infections. Fungal infection in the mouth, throat ache and irritation, and skin problems like ringworm, are some issues that smoking can cause. Another detrimental effect of smoking and fungal infections is that smoking can impair the ability of the body to heal wounds causing more infection.
Allergic Reactions
Apart from irritating the airways, smoking and its effects can intensify asthma, and aggravate existing skin conditions, cause dryness, itching as it reduces the body’s ability to retain moisture. Smoking makes it all the more easier for the body to respond positively to allergic reactions and over time completely stops its ability to fight back against allergens.
Vision
The first among the 10 harmful effects of cigarette smoking is the effect it can have on a person’s sight. Smoking significantly increases the risk of vision problems that can come with age. Cigarette harmful effects impact a person’s sight causing dry eyes, sometimes blurred vision, and increase the risk of cataract and optic nerve damage. Therefore it is important to get your eyes checked through regular health checkups.
Central Nervous System
The next among the 10 harmful effects of cigarette smoking is the effect it has on the central nervous system. Smoking has a psychoactive substance called nicotine, which is highly addictive, and makes a person completely dependent on smoking. Nicotine also releases various neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, all of which affect a person’s mood and personality. This could be positive in the short run, but rub off negatively on a person’s emotional well-being in the long term. Smoking can also reduce cognitive functioning and increase susceptibility to many brain diseases.
Cancer Risk
Smoking and its effects include the risk of different types of cancer like lung cancer, throat and mouth cancer, cancers in other organs like the pancreas, stomach, colon, kidneys, and also leukemia.
Sexuality and Reproductive System
The next smoking and its effects include its devastating impact on sexuality and the reproductive system. Smoking can cause sexual impotence in men, reduce fertility in women, cause menstrual irregularities, and increase the risk of miscarriage. All of these problems and effects of smoking can also occur through secondhand smoking.
Cardiovascular System
Smoking can destroy blood vessels, reducing the blood flow. This one of the 10 harmful effects of cigarette smoking can increase the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary artery diseases, and heart diseases, peripheral artery disease, a disease in which there is extreme pain due to decreased blood flow to the body’s extreme ends.
Digestive System
Increased smoking can lead to cancers in the organs of the digestive system, gallstones, peptic ulcers, and acidity. Cigarette harmful effects can also cause inflammatory bowel disease.
How Can I Quit Smoking?
Understand Your Triggers: You must first identify what makes you smoke and avoid those triggers or learn to deal with them in healthier ways.
Seek Support: Get support from family or friends or consult a therapist to help you quit smoking and overcome your addiction.
Prescription Medications: When you consult a healthcare professional, you will get recommended to take medications to help with the withdrawal symptoms.
Stay Active: Regular exercise and physical activity can help you cope with the withdrawal symptoms and boost your mood.
Change Routine: Alter your routine and adopt good and healthy practices. After you have identified your triggers and patterns, make efforts to modify your habits to help yourself quit smoking.
Practice Stress Management Techniques: Staying active through exercise, yoga, pilates, and practicing journaling or meditation can help you manage stress effectively.
FAQs
1) How does smoking affect the lungs?
Smoking causes damage to the lungs by irritating due to the harmful and toxic substances inhaled. After some time, the cilia and airways are destroyed and mucus starts to accumulate. This can weaken the ability of the lungs to filter out toxins and lead to many diseases.
2) Can smoking cause long-term damage to the respiratory system?
Yes, smoking can cause long-term damage to the respiratory system and lead to diseases like chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and even asthma attacks, and lung cancer.
3) What are the effects of smoking on blood vessels?
Smoking hurts the blood vessels. It destroys the blood vessels such that plaque builds up in the arteries blocking blood flow. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, etc.
4) How does smoking increase the risk of cancer?
The risk of cancer is increased when via smoking the body is exposed to carcinogens, and there is excessive cell growth. This can cause tumors. Carcinogens can also damage the DNA of a person.
5) What are the risks of smoking during pregnancy?
Risks of smoking during pregnancy include birth defects, risk of miscarriage, and certain developmental problems in the baby.