The Dangers of Smoking Exposed

« « Quitting Smoking Side Effects - The Uguly Truth | Quitting Smoking » »

Sunday, September 20th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

It’s very difficult for some people to understand, but the health effects of smoking touch more than just your lungs alone. While many still connect lung cancer with smoking, they are often uneducated about the dangers of smoking and how completely destructive smoking can be to your health.

Sure, we all know about lung cancer and bronchitis. But did you know that cigarette smoking is the number one contributor to heart attacks as well? Did you also know that many types of cancers are also thought to be caused by the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, including liver cancer, bladder cancer, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the throat, cancer of the mouth and tongue, esophageal cancer, cancer of the large intestine, and even cancer of the bloodstream?

Cancers of the lips, mouth, throat and larynx are common effects of smoking, as are constant sore throats, a reduced sense of taste, and breath that smells of smoke. That poor blood circulation means cold hands and especially cold fingertips, which are usually stained of tar.

Setting aside your own personal health, have you ever thought about the effects of cigarette smoking on your pocketbook? Someone who smokes a pack a day will wind up spending over $700 every year on cigarettes. That’s an entire month’s rent, two months worth of groceries, three or four car payments, or the cost of a very nice flat-screen television. Not to mention how that money could grow in a nice savings account!

The heart is also one of the major parts of the body that is not immune to the effects of smoking. Many heart attacks can be traced to smoking. Smoking blocks and weakens the arteries of the heart and constricts blood vessels, making the heart need to work harder just to do its job.

When thinking about the body’s mid-section, cancers of the esophagus, abdomen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and colon are all traced to the effects of smoking. The bones are also not immune to smoking’s effects. Osteoporosis, spine and hip fractures, and degenerative disc disease can be traced back to smoking. Infertility is another issue with heavy and chronic smokers, both male and female. Men can have lower sperm counts and decreased sperm motility, and women can have difficulty with ovulation when smoking.

So if you smoke, it’s time to quit smoking for good. It’s time to think about how bad this habit really is, how it really touches your life and the lives of those around you. There are absolutely no health benefits, there is no upside, there is nothing positive about the effects of cigarette smoking.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.