A lot of people find it hard to quit smoking. It’s not just because of the withdrawal symptoms that come with it, but merely because this is a bad and addictive habit that is just hard to stay away from.
According to a study, cigarettes are found to contain over 4,000 chemical compounds; 60 of these compounds are carcinogens while 200 are poisonous compounds. These figures are probably enough to tell you just how destructive cigarette smoking is to your health. But with the following smoking-related health problems, you might just start thinking about quitting this addictive habit.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among smokers. Smoking hardens and narrows the arteries which are carriers of blood away from the heart. Once these are narrowed and hardened, blood clotting occurs causing heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases, including vascular diseases caused by damaged blood vessels; cerebrovascular diseases brought about by damaged arteries; stroke and coronary heart diseases.
Cancer
Statistics show that 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking. The more sticks you use up every day, the higher your risk of getting lung cancer. The same happens when you started to smoke early in your life and when you inhale the smoke deeper. Aside from lung cancer, smoking also causes cancer to various parts of the body, including throat, kidney, liver, oesophagus, and bladder.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Eighty percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases are caused by smoking. Also known as COPD, this disease refers to the blockage of airflow passage, making breathing more difficult. COPD may include emphysema or breathlessness as caused by damaged air sacs; and chronic bronchitis. Other respiratory problems associated with smoking include asthma, worsening colds and flu and tuberculosis complications.
Impotence
Research has also proved that men who are in their 30s and 40s have high risks of suffering from erectile dysfunction. Blood vessels, which are greatly affected by smoking, have to be always in good condition for them to carry blood into the penis.
These are just the major health problems that are associated with smoking. Until you quit smoking, you’ll never know how it has affected your overall health condition.
With all the campaigns and infomercials that encourage you to quit smoking, you’re more than aware of how dangerous cigarette smoking can be to your health. And probably, the message ‘smoking is bad for you’ has now become an understatement.
