Smoking Kills-A More Realistic Look on the Effects of Smoking
Every smoker knows that cigarettes are bad for them – but that does not really convince them to stop smoking. This is why it is really important to drive the point across and give smokers a realistic reason as to how smoking destroys their health and what kind of benefit they could get should they decide to stop now.
How Many People Die from Smoking?
It is estimated that 480,000 people die from smoking each year in the United States – that’s roughly half a million or 1 in 5 deaths. Smoking is actually a more prolific killer than illegal drugs, alcohol use, and motor vehicle accidents put together.
Those numbers don’t include second-hand smokers. That’s defined as people who, although don’t smoke themselves, are constantly exposed to the smoke belted out of cigarette smokers. Studies show that even secondhand smoke can be damaging to a person’s health, especially for children and pregnant women.
More info here.
Health Risks of Smoking
1. Cardiovascular Problems
Those who smoke often are more likely to suffer from heart problems. This stems from the fact that nicotine not only damages the vessels, it also causes poor blood flow which can compromise the amount of life-sustaining blood flowing your body.
2. Lung Problems
Smokers often have problems breathing which starts as early as the first few day of using cigarette. Overtime, the smoke starts to damage the lungs, making it near impossible for the organ to function properly. You’ll have hard time breathing and the body’s natural defense against toxins no longer works. Coughing can’t dislodge the dirt stuck in your lungs anymore but your immune system will try its best, resulting to a hacking cough that leaves you out of breath each time. Smokers become more vulnerable with infections and overtime, have higher chances of contracting COPD and lung cancer.
3. Skin, Hair, and Nails
Smoking has a way of drying out the body, causing premature aging in the form of wrinkles and discoloration. This extends to the nails which becomes horribly brittle and finally, the hair which can suffer from hair fall.
4. Erectile Dysfunction
Males who smoke often will also notice problems with their sexual capacity. This is because nicotine manages to limit blood flow to different organs, which means that during sex, there won’t be enough fluid going to the shaft. When this happens, the penis fails to achieve the quality of hardness necessary for penetration. Even worse, smoking too much can cause infertility for men and women as well as a decrease in orgasm. Women who smoke while pregnant are likely to give birth to malformed babies or sudden infant death syndrome.
Read more about smoking and ed .
5. Oral Problems
Another common issue for smokers concerns oral care. It only starts with the yellowing of the teeth which eventually leads to tooth loss. Cancer of the throat, larynx, and esophagus are also more likely with consistent smoking.
6. Nutrient Deficiency
Even though you may eat healthy while smoking, studies show that smoking itself actually limits your absorption capacity. This means that your body isn’t capable of absorbing all the nutrients you take in from normal eating and instead, dispenses them out of your body. As a result, you miss out on different vitamins and minerals that could be boosting your immune system. No wonder people who smoke are more likely to suffer from infections and viruses!
7. Early Warning Symptoms
Don’t wait for any of these problems to occur before you stop smoking! In fact, it’s best to STOP smoking while there are still no symptoms to speak of. If you’ve been smoking for some time now and experience wheezing, shortness of breath, tingling, numbness, high blood pressure and the like – STOP smoking NOW.
Daily Benefits of Quitting Smoking
It’s often said that quitting smoking is harder than quitting drinking. While it’s socially acceptable to smoke several sticks of cigarette in a public setting, the same cannot be said for drinking several bottles of wine in the same situation.
The benefits however are more substantial, and if you’ll realize just how many benefits are accumulated – you might be surprised at how helpful quitting can be. From the first few hours of NOT smoking, you’d actually be reaping some benefits already. Here’s a timeline to help you better understand what it means:
8 Hours
Within the first 8 hours, the amount of nicotine in your body drops by 97% while your blood pressure goes back to normal in the first 20 minutes after smoking.
12 to 24 Hours
During this time, your blood oxygen levels should increase while the amount of carbon monoxide in the body decreases. If you smoke often, the first 24 hours would also be the toughest as your anxiety to have another smoke reaches its peak. Do NOT give in to this urge.
48 to 72 Hours
You should be able to enjoy the taste and smell of food as the body starts fixing damaged nerved endings caused by smoking. At this point, you’ll be able to enjoy organic food items again and not seek out highly-flavored food items. Once you hit 72 hours, 100% of nicotine in your body is flushed out.
5 to 10 Days
The first 10 days would be the crave episode wherein you are likely to suffer from multiple smoke-cravings in a single day. This is also the time to use whatever technique you find useful to distract yourself from grabbing another stick. There are nicotine patches, bubblegum, candy, and even keeping a toothpick in your mouth and playing with it. During the first 10 days, your teeth should be a primary concern as you try to coax normal blood flow into the gums to prevent oral problems.
3 Months
Risk of heart attack is lowered and your lung function starts to improve. Coughs are no longer existent and you should be able to breathe deeply and get rid of any sinus infection that was persistent during your smoking days.
1 Year
Your risk of heart problems, lung cancer, and other major health issues connected with smoking is now half than that of a smoker. Within 5 years, you should have the constitution of someone who never smoked in the first place!
Smoking kills – and not quickly or easily either. This gives you plenty of time to correct any mistake you’ have made with this lifestyle option. Remember: this is not just for your own good but for the people around you. Good luck!
How Many People Die from Smoking?
It is estimated that 480,000 people die from smoking each year in the United States – that’s roughly half a million or 1 in 5 deaths. Smoking is actually a more prolific killer than illegal drugs, alcohol use, and motor vehicle accidents put together.
Those numbers don’t include second-hand smokers. That’s defined as people who, although don’t smoke themselves, are constantly exposed to the smoke belted out of cigarette smokers. Studies show that even secondhand smoke can be damaging to a person’s health, especially for children and pregnant women.
More info here.
Health Risks of Smoking
1. Cardiovascular Problems
Those who smoke often are more likely to suffer from heart problems. This stems from the fact that nicotine not only damages the vessels, it also causes poor blood flow which can compromise the amount of life-sustaining blood flowing your body.
2. Lung Problems
Smokers often have problems breathing which starts as early as the first few day of using cigarette. Overtime, the smoke starts to damage the lungs, making it near impossible for the organ to function properly. You’ll have hard time breathing and the body’s natural defense against toxins no longer works. Coughing can’t dislodge the dirt stuck in your lungs anymore but your immune system will try its best, resulting to a hacking cough that leaves you out of breath each time. Smokers become more vulnerable with infections and overtime, have higher chances of contracting COPD and lung cancer.
3. Skin, Hair, and Nails
Smoking has a way of drying out the body, causing premature aging in the form of wrinkles and discoloration. This extends to the nails which becomes horribly brittle and finally, the hair which can suffer from hair fall.
4. Erectile Dysfunction
Males who smoke often will also notice problems with their sexual capacity. This is because nicotine manages to limit blood flow to different organs, which means that during sex, there won’t be enough fluid going to the shaft. When this happens, the penis fails to achieve the quality of hardness necessary for penetration. Even worse, smoking too much can cause infertility for men and women as well as a decrease in orgasm. Women who smoke while pregnant are likely to give birth to malformed babies or sudden infant death syndrome.
Read more about smoking and ed .
5. Oral Problems
Another common issue for smokers concerns oral care. It only starts with the yellowing of the teeth which eventually leads to tooth loss. Cancer of the throat, larynx, and esophagus are also more likely with consistent smoking.
6. Nutrient Deficiency
Even though you may eat healthy while smoking, studies show that smoking itself actually limits your absorption capacity. This means that your body isn’t capable of absorbing all the nutrients you take in from normal eating and instead, dispenses them out of your body. As a result, you miss out on different vitamins and minerals that could be boosting your immune system. No wonder people who smoke are more likely to suffer from infections and viruses!
7. Early Warning Symptoms
Don’t wait for any of these problems to occur before you stop smoking! In fact, it’s best to STOP smoking while there are still no symptoms to speak of. If you’ve been smoking for some time now and experience wheezing, shortness of breath, tingling, numbness, high blood pressure and the like – STOP smoking NOW.
Daily Benefits of Quitting Smoking
It’s often said that quitting smoking is harder than quitting drinking. While it’s socially acceptable to smoke several sticks of cigarette in a public setting, the same cannot be said for drinking several bottles of wine in the same situation.
The benefits however are more substantial, and if you’ll realize just how many benefits are accumulated – you might be surprised at how helpful quitting can be. From the first few hours of NOT smoking, you’d actually be reaping some benefits already. Here’s a timeline to help you better understand what it means:
8 Hours
Within the first 8 hours, the amount of nicotine in your body drops by 97% while your blood pressure goes back to normal in the first 20 minutes after smoking.
12 to 24 Hours
During this time, your blood oxygen levels should increase while the amount of carbon monoxide in the body decreases. If you smoke often, the first 24 hours would also be the toughest as your anxiety to have another smoke reaches its peak. Do NOT give in to this urge.
48 to 72 Hours
You should be able to enjoy the taste and smell of food as the body starts fixing damaged nerved endings caused by smoking. At this point, you’ll be able to enjoy organic food items again and not seek out highly-flavored food items. Once you hit 72 hours, 100% of nicotine in your body is flushed out.
5 to 10 Days
The first 10 days would be the crave episode wherein you are likely to suffer from multiple smoke-cravings in a single day. This is also the time to use whatever technique you find useful to distract yourself from grabbing another stick. There are nicotine patches, bubblegum, candy, and even keeping a toothpick in your mouth and playing with it. During the first 10 days, your teeth should be a primary concern as you try to coax normal blood flow into the gums to prevent oral problems.
3 Months
Risk of heart attack is lowered and your lung function starts to improve. Coughs are no longer existent and you should be able to breathe deeply and get rid of any sinus infection that was persistent during your smoking days.
1 Year
Your risk of heart problems, lung cancer, and other major health issues connected with smoking is now half than that of a smoker. Within 5 years, you should have the constitution of someone who never smoked in the first place!
Smoking kills – and not quickly or easily either. This gives you plenty of time to correct any mistake you’ have made with this lifestyle option. Remember: this is not just for your own good but for the people around you. Good luck!
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