Are you aware of the damage you can go to your health when using tobacco?
Cigarette smoking is a major factor in diseases that affect the heart, the circulatory system, and the lungs.
The use of tobacco has changed over the years. Pipes, cigars, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and snuff have been in fashion at different times in history. The most common method of subjecting the body to the effects of tobacco is to inhale the smoke from burning cigarettes, cigars, or pipe mixtures. A person can experience the effects of tobacco by using smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco and snuff). The leaves of the tobacco plant are dried and crumbled. The crumbled tobacco is used in pipes, cigars, and cigarettes, which are smoked. Snuff is tobacco ground into a fine powder that is inhaled through the nostrils or held against the gums. Chewing tobacco is made of poor-quality leaves mixed with honey or molasses. It is chewed, and then the leaves and juices are spat out.
People have started to smoke for different reasons. Sometimes they are urged to do so by friends. Sometimes they wish to appear more grown up, at ease, or attractive. The more the person smokes or uses tobacco in any form the harder it is to stop. Smokers give many reasons for their habit. Some claim smoking reduces tension and pressure and allows them to relax. Others smoke to reduce feelings of hunger to aid in weight control. Some people say it gives them something to do with their hands. Many say they have a desire for the smell and taste of smoke. Smoking is a momentary escape from tension and a way to delay facing immediate problems. Some people believe that although cigarette smoking affects other people, it will not affect them.
Nearly 4,000 substances have been identified in tobacco smoke; among them are 43 chemicals labeled as carcinogenic (capable of producing cancer), a potentially lethal gas (carbon monoxide), and an addictive psychoactive drug (nicotine). When inhaling, the smoker draws a combination of hot gases and particles into the lungs, where harmful substances are absorbed into the bloodstream. Individuals who smoke but who do not inhale, or who use smokeless tobacco, absorb dangerous ingredients into the bloodstream via the mucous lining of the mouth or the digestive system. It is not surprising that a multitude of illnesses and causes of premature death are linked to smoking, including cancer, heart and respiratory diseases.
There is a relationship between tobacco use and cardiovascular disease as proven by intensive research for several decades. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attack. Nicotine increases the heart rate, which, in turn, raises the blood pressure and causes narrowing of the coronary arteries. Nearly a third of all cardiovascular disease can be linked to smoking cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cerebrovascular disease (stroke), the third leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking contributes to thousands of deaths from heart disease each year.
Smoking is probably most damaging to the respiratory system. When the smoker inhales, the smoke follows a route down the trachea. It enters the bronchial tubes. Finally, the smoke reaches the alveoli, or tiny air sacs, of the lungs. A deposit of tar or residue from the smoke is laid down along its route. This clogs the tubes and ruptures the alveoli. Because oxygen is supplied to the blood through the capillaries of the alveoli, the rate of oxygen absorption is reduced.
Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. It is a disease that is often related to smoking. Irritation of the bronchial tubes causes an increase in the amount of mucus produced. The result is a persistent, nagging cough. You may have heard the term smoker's cough. The person with such a cough may really be suffering from chronic bronchitis.
Cigarette smokes have a substantially higher (up to ten times) probability of developing lung cancer when compared to nonsmokers. This probability of developing lung cancer is closely related to the duration of the smoker's habit (number of years smoking), and number of cigarettes consumed per day. The probablity of developing lung cancer will also depend on the nicotine, tar and amount of inhaled smoke. The harmful effects of tobacco are linked not only to lung cancer but also to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, bladder, larynx, kidney, and pancreas.
Emphysema is another serious lung disease. It is often related to smoking. Emphysema is a disease in which the lungs lose their elasticity. They are unable to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide efficiently. The lungs may also become enlarged. To make up for this incificiency, the heart must work harder. Shortness of breath on exertion is a primary symptom of emphysema. This often results in another serious health problem of heart failure.
Smoking affects the digestive system in a number of ways. It slows down the stomach's hunger contractions and dulls the sense of taste. The tars and nicotine in cigarette smoke are absorbed by the saliva and swallowed. This leads to irritation of the stomach lining. As a result, the stomach produces an excessive amount of hydrochloric acid. Studies show a relationship between cigarette smoking and ulcers. There is evidence that death from ulcers is more likely for the smoker than the nonsmoker.
Pregnant women who smoke have more complications than their nonsmoking counterparts, including spontaneous abortion, fetal death, premature birth, and birth defects. A common effect of smoking is low birth weight, which adds stress to the infant's vital organs and systems during the early period after delivery. Smoking women are also at increased risk for cancer of the uterus and cervix.
Users of smokeless tobacco avoid the effects of tar, carbon monoxide, and other gases. However, nicotine is absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes in the mouth. Nicotine levels in the body from smokeless tobacco are similar in strength to nicotine levels from cigarette smoking. This form of tobacco use can be as addictive as cigarettes. Its hazards are numerous, including increased heart rate, elevated pressure, and a multitude of potential cancers located in the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, bladder, and pancreas. The user's teeth darken and mouth tissue s usually damaged. Additionally, the high sugar content of molasses and other tobacco's flavorings has potentially negative health effects on heavy users.
