What Smoking Costs You ?

Smoking is the leading cause of mortality despite having the status being a preventable death. The average smoker lives seven years less than a non-smoker due to an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer. Smoking has the infamous distinction of affecting all the internal body systems from head to foot. Apart from the effects of smoking on your financial health- with the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the US, being $4.35 means that a person who smokes one pack of cigarettes per day spends roughly $1,600 per year on smokes.

So, if you can’t quit smoking for the health benefits, at least try it for the financial benefits. Either way, down the road you’re going to be a lot better off if you kick the habit now - or better yet, you don’t even start.

Each time a cigarette is smoked there is an acute rise in blood pressure. Further more studies have shown that smoking interferes with the metabolism of multiple anti-hypertensive medications.

Heart Diseases

Smoking is one of the major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease by the action on the blood vessels; by increasing the work load of the heart; by decreasing exercise tolerance.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Cerebrovascular disease

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Peripheral vascular disease

Above are some of the diseases caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking increases the duration of ischemia in patients with Coronary heart diseases and also the number of times a patient gets ischemic attacks. Smoking decreases HDL (good) cholesterol.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases

Cigarette smoke also contains substances that directly damage the lung tissue thereby , reducing their capacity to absorb oxygen. Substances released by the immune system in response to cigarette smoke also destroy the lung cells. Smoking irritates the bronchial tree in the lungs, which in turn results in the production of more mucus causing the typical smokers' cough. Bronchitis and emphysema are some of the common consequences of cigarette smoking.

Tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease which results in poor mouth hygiene and bad breath.

Stroke

Smoking causes deposition of fatty deposits in the blood vessels which is called atherosclerosis. Slowing of blood flow also occurs which in turn can lead to thrombus formation. This can result in stroke. The risk of stroke due to cigarette smoking is dose related i.e. the more number of cigarettes one smokes, greater is the risk of stroke.

Premature Wrinkling of Skin

Tobacco use causes thickening and fragmentation of the elastic fibers of skin and decreases the formation of collagen that maintains a healthy and supple skin. Oxygen supply and the water content of skin is also reduced by reducing circulation.

Gum, Dental and Mouth Disease

Tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease which results in poor mouth hygiene and bad breath.

Ulcer

Studies have shown that smoking increases acid secretion, and decreases mucosal blood flow resulting in acid peptic ulcer and also delays the healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

So, if the prospect of poverty can not convince you to quit these hazards, will. Each puff of nicotine from tobacco smoke temporarily increases heart rate and blood pressure, even as less oxygen-rich blood circulates through the body.

Article Source: Medical Health Care Information