Know all the effects of smoking on the human body here!
Tobacco is a dangerous thing for your health. It affects every organ of the human body. It can cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many more. It contains carbon monoxide, nicotine, and other harmful substances.
These substances when inhaled affect the lungs dangerously. The effects caused due to smoking last long longer in the human body. Tobacco on average contains 70 cancer-causing chemicals. If you smoke being pregnant, it can harm your baby.
It can hence cause life-threatening effects. Today this article will discuss all the effects it causes in human health. To know more about it, go through the article till the end.
Effects of smoking on a body
Tobacco harms several organs in the body as discussed below.
Circulatory system
When you smoke, your circulatory system is affected. Smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. It also tightens the blood vessels, reducing your skin temperature. As a result, your circulatory system carries less oxygen during exercise.
Also, it causes stickier blood, and stickier blood directly causes blood clotting. It damages the arteries lining. Hence, this might contribute to atherosclerosis. The blood flow to certain body parts, such as toes and fingers, also gets affected.
When the circulatory system is affected, the blood supply to the body is reduced, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Sexual organs
Smoking regularly affects both the male and female sexual organs. In men, it reduces the sperm count. There is a high chance of deformed sperm. Also, it causes genetic damage to the sperm.
The effect of smoking also reduces the blood flow in the body. Also, it damages the blood vessels in the penis. Both these factors are highly responsible for erection. As a result, problems such as erectile dysfunction are faced in men.
In women, smoking can affect fertility. It can lead to no menstruation or an abnormal menstruation cycle. Also, because of smoking, you can achieve menopause a few years earlier. It increases the chance of cancer of the cervix.
If a woman smokes regularly and takes oral contraceptive pills, it can directly lead to strokes or heart attacks.
Respiratory system
Excessive smoking can also affect your respiratory system. It irritates the larynx and trachea. Smoking narrows the lung airways, causing breathlessness and hence reducing lung functioning.
Also, smoking regularly leads to excess mucus in lung passages, which affects lung function. It can even cause certain lung infections, such as wheezing and coughing. It also causes permanent damage to the air sacs in the lungs.
Immune system
Smoking also affects the immune system. Smoking increases the risk of infections such as influenza, pneumonia, and more. It causes severe diseases that last longer in the body.
Smoking also reduces the levels of antioxidants in the blood, and vitamin C deficiency occurs.
Central nervous system
Tobacco contains a harmful substance called Nicotine, which is a mood-altering drug. It is also addictive and a habit-forming drug. Nicotine reaches the brain and keeps people energized for some time.
After losing the effect, you might feel tired. It also reduces the thinking ability of some individuals. It can make you think of negative emotions. Hence, it leads to anxiety, depression, and more. As a result, it leads to sleeping problems.
Musculoskeletal system
Tobacco causes certain harmful effects on the musculoskeletal system. It tightens various muscles in the human body. Also, bone density gets reduced when you smoke excessively.
Smoking effects on babies
Smoking causes worsening effects on an unborn baby. It increases the risk of miscarriage. Also, it can cause premature birth in some women. When you smoke even being pregnant, your lungs weaken.
The baby holds a low body weight, which can affect its development. Low birth weight contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and blood pressure in adults. Excessive intake of tobacco directly harms the fetus.
It even increases the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The child may have suffered from several infections such as ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, and many more.
Some other smoking effects on the human body
Other than the ones listed above, smoking can cause other effects also. Here are some other effects, you might observe:
- It reduces the ability to taste and smell.
- It irritates the intestines and stomach.
- You will observe wrinkles on the skin at an early age.
- It causes digestive tract problems.
- It can also lead to painful ulcers.
- Some individuals might experience blindness.
- It also contributes to gum disease.
- It can even contribute to type 2 diabetes.
Frequently asked questions
How can I quit smoking?
Ans- Quitting smoking can be a difficult task as it contains a habit-forming drug Nicotine. But you can use medicine to quit faster which can help you lead a happy life.
Is the effect caused on certain organs due to smoking curable?
Ans- The effects of smoking on certain body parts are not 100% curable. There are treatments available which your doctor might suggest to you. Some disease is curable while some of them are treatable.
Does the effect caused by organs disappear when I stop smoking?
Ans- The risk of effects gets reduced when you stop smoking. But the effects already caused in the body don't get treated perfectly. For that, you need to avail treatments.
Final words
Intake of tobacco not only increases health risks but also affects the entire body. It causes several cancers in organs. Excessive smoking also causes fertility problems which contributes to bone loss and diabetes. Quitting it may work but it takes time to reduce the risks.
Tobacco is a habit-forming thing as it contains Nicotine which is addictive. It is best to find a way to quit it to lead a healthy life. Medications are available for quitting smoking that might help. But use it after consulting a healthcare provider.
