The smoke from just one cigarette can contain up to 7,000 chemicals, of which 69 are known to be cancerous. Among them are tar and arsenic, which are anything but appetizing in the cold light of day. Inhaled smoke circulates everywhere in your body, not just in your lungs, but throughout all of your vital organs. This is why smoking has much more serious consequences on your body that you may think.
Decreased life expectancy
At least half of all smokers will die as a result of their smoking. Their life expectancy is decreased by at least 10 years as compared to non-smokers. Smoking only one to four cigarettes a day is enough to increase the risk of early death.
Let’s take a look at nicotine: it is found naturally in tobacco and also sometimes in electronic cigarettes. It causes addiction – it is even compared to such hard drugs as cocaine – and directly affects the nervous system, creating a euphoric, stimulating effect. While nicotine significantly affects smokers, it is even more harmful to the elderly, pregnant women, young children and adolescents.
Do you really know the impacts smoking has on your health? Let’s take a closer look.
1.Your skin
Other than premature skin aging, the appearance of deep wrinkles and a dull complexion, tobacco can have several different impacts on your skin. It slows blood circulation, which prevents your skin from healing well and causes deep wrinkles (often smokers have pronounced wrinkles around their mouths and on their cheeks). Nicotine also reduces estrogen in women, which causes dry skin, a thinning face and a dull complexion. However, when you stop smoking, you will notice a marked improvement in your skin’s elasticity and a healthier complexion!
2. Your senses
Do you sometimes crave richer, stronger tasting food? This could be directly related to smoking, because it causes a distinct loss of taste and smell in smokers, resulting in cravings for fattier foods or lots of salt or sugar. Cigarettes alter your senses and reduce the pleasure you experience via your senses of taste and smell. The good news? This undesirable side effect will fade quickly after you stop smoking, so you will once again really enjoy tasting your food, being able to smell things, and being alive!
3. Your teeth and mouth
Smokers won’t be surprised to learn that smoking often leads to bad breath that is difficult to deal with. This is normal, since the smoke you inhale is chock-full of chemicals, including tar, which stay on your teeth, lips and tongue, leaving a bad odour. Tobacco also dries your mouth which helps promote the growth of bacteria which can cause gum disease, cavities and even oral cancer. Tobacco also makes your teeth yellow, leaving you with a sad-looking smile.
4. Your respiratory system
Tobacco contains several toxic substances which stick to the walls of your respiratory system when you inhale and prevent it from working properly. Smokers often experience an increase in infectious diseases (ear infections, bronchitis, sinus infections) due to their cells being attacked by these chemical residues. What’s more, the chemicals in cigarette smoke irritate and damage the lungs and bronchi, thus limiting breathing and therefore the oxygenation of your system. This results in shortness of breath and low cardiovascular endurance, which can lead to other health problems.
5. Your cardiovascular health
According to Health Canada, toxic emissions in cigarette smoke contribute to hardening of the arteries as well as narrowing of blood vessels in the heart. Given this, the heart has to work harder to function normally, which can lead to heart attack. In fact, smokers are up to four times more likely to die of a sudden heart attack than non-smokers.
6. Cancer risk
We all know that smokers are much more likely to develop cancer than non-smokers. According to the Conseil Québécois du Tabac, 85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking, and 60% of deaths from throat cancer also result from smoking. Tobacco is the cause of death for more than 37,000 Canadians and is the source of more than 30% of cancers. Remember, cigarettes are full of toxic substances that poison your body each time you smoke. As soon as someone stops smoking, the risk of developing a smoking-related cancer begins to decrease. It is never too late to change your habits!
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice and Accès pharma affiliated pharmacist-owners cannot be held responsible for this information. The information was true and accurate at the time of publication, but it is subject to change.
