What Does Smoking Do to You?
Smoking can harm almost every organ in your body. Not only does smoking have adverse effects on your body, but smoking can harm a fetus, while second-hand smoking can cause harm to others. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 438,000 deaths in the United States are the result of smoking. The American Lung Association states that almost 50,000 deaths of nonsmokers in the U.S. is the result of second-hand smoking. There is also a higher incidence of disease, such as heart disease in smokers.
Facts
Though lung cancer is preventable, this disease if the number one cause of cancer deaths amongst men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking increases your chances of developing coronary heart disease, a disease that is the leading cause of deaths in the United States. Smoking cigarettes can have many adverse effects on your reproductive system, such as infertility, pre-term labor, stillbirth, low birth weight or sudden infant death syndrome.
Second-Hand Smoke
Smoke contains a chemical known as cotinine. This chemical has been found in nonsmokers who have been exposed to second-hand smoke. According to the Surgeon General, being exposed to second-hand smoke can result in premature death in children and adults. People who inhale second-hand smoke are exposed to the same chemicals that contain carcinogens as smokers. Such chemicals include arsenic, formaldehyde, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.
Illness and Death
According to the American Cancer Society, nearly half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking. When you put this statistic in perspective, more people die from smoking than accidents from cars, suicides, AIDS, murders, alcohol and drugs combined. Smoking causes many types of cancers such as pancreatic, kidney, stomach, cervix, lung and throat cancers.
Pregnancy
According to the March of Dimes, smoking during pregnancy results in 11 percent of stillbirths. If you smoke during pregnancy you nearly double your odds of having an infant with low birth weight. You also may increase the risk of your fetus developing cerebral palsy and congenital heart defects. Other complications can occur during your pregnancy as a result of smoking, such as placental previa or placental abruption. Placental previa is a condition where the placenta covers part or all of your uterus. Placental abruption is when the placenta pulls away from the uterine wall prior to delivery. Women who smoke are also at a higher risk of miscarrying.
Other Effects
Smoking can result in other conditions such as emphysema, stroke, heart disease and many other serious complications. Blood vessels can become damaged, which can result in impotence or erectile dysfunction in men. You also can develop what is known as a smoker's cough. Other effects can include wheezing, not being able to catch your breath, chest pain, respiratory infections like pneumonia, weight loss, loss of appetite and fatigue. Though it may be hard to quit smoking, the benefits of quitting are innumerable. If you would like to quit, the American Cancer Society has valuable information on proven methods that may work for you, and additional resources to help you quit.
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