Millions of people around the globe are trying to quit smoking cigarettes. We are constantly exposed to anti-smoking advertisements, cures for quitting smoking, and the negative effects of smoking. However, people can still be seen smoking on the street, in their cars and in their homes. Cigarettes are an addiction, and people are unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly), inhaling toxic smoke into their lungs that could quite possibly kill them. Below, some of the negative side effects of smoking cigarettes are discussed.
Psychological Effects
Many smokers claim that cigarettes help relieve stress during a difficult time. The reason for this is that most smokers find smoking pleasurable; that's why the smoke in the first place. Therefore, if a person is angry, sad or anxious, taking a puff of a cigarette (a pleasurable activity for a smoker) makes them feel better. This is a psychological reaction to the cigarette, however. In truth, recent research has begun to lean toward the idea that smoking actually plays a part anxiety and possibly depression.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is the affliction behind "smoker's cough," or the excessive, constant coughing that inhibits breathing. When the smoke from a cigarette is inhaled, it goes straight into the lungs, irritating the bronchial tubes. This causes the lungs to react by producing a thick mucus for protection. The airways then become inflamed, and sufferers often complain of tightness in the chest and coughing up mucus. Chronic bronchitis can make smokers more susceptible to lung infections, which can produce dark yellow or green mucus.
Emphysema
In order for oxygen to travel into the blood, it must first pass over thousands of very small sacs that cover the lung surface area. A person who is suffering from emphysema experiences less oxygen traveling through the blood due to the destruction of many of these sacs from smoking. Early signs of emphysema are shortness of breath, weight loss and "smoker's cough." Oftentimes, people with advanced emphysema have to use a breathing tube to feed oxygen into their lungs. The weakening of the lungs due to emphysema can also lead to another serious illness, pneumonia.
Smoking While Pregnant
The chance of miscarrying is much more likely if the mother smokes while pregnant. Smoking while pregnant also can cause stillbirth, premature delivery and even death. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been associated with smoking while pregnant. When a pregnant woman smokes, the nicotine and all of the other toxins in cigarettes pass into her baby's bloodstream as well as hers. Even smokers who breastfeed put their child at risk for symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and rapid heartbeat.
Other Effects
Cancer causes at least half of all smoking-related deaths. Smoking also can damage arteries, causing heart disease, which is the number one killer in the United States. Furthermore, damaged arteries and blood flow can also cause men to suffer from impotence due to smoking. Other effects include aneurysms, stroke, yellow or brown teeth, bad breath, loss of taste, breathing difficulty during physical activity, loss of smell, yellow fingers (from the nicotine) and hastening of skin aging.
Death
Almost half of all smokers will die from their addiction. In the United States alone, more than 440,000 people die annually from the effects of smoking. That's almost one in every five people. It is estimated that around 5 million people in the world die from the effects of cigarette use. Many diseases can't be prevented; genetic disorders, for example, cause death in thousands of people each year. However, smoking is unnecessary and can be avoided.
Tags: effects smoking, while pregnant, , from effects, into their