List of Diseases Cause by Smoking Cigarettes

There is no such thing as a safe cigarette. It does not matter if it is a light or ultra light, the effects are still the same. Smoking causes cancer and other chronic diseases...period, end of story. Still people continue to smoke and tobacco companies continue to profit. If you need more reasons to quit smoking, not that it will be easy by any means, below is a list of diseases that are cause by smoking cigarettes. These diseases include:

• Emphysema


• Bronchitis


• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease


• Coronary artery disease


• Peripheral artery disease


• Colorectal cancer


• Liver cancer


• Prostate cancer


• Erectile dysfunction in men


• Stomach cancer


• Bladder and kidney cancer


• Abdominal aortic aneurysm


• Acute myeloid leukemia


• Cataracts


• Cervical cancer


• Kidney cancer


• Pancreatic cancer


• Periodontitis


• Pneumonia

Smoking also contributes to conditions, such as:

• Hip fractures due to reduced bone density


• Complications from diabetes as a result of peripheral vascular disease


• Higher incidence of post surgical wound infections


• Reproductive complications, such as problems conceiving

Prevention:

The best way to avoid developing these conditions and diseases is to stop smoking. Additionally, by never starting to smoke and avoiding second hand smoke greatly reduces your risks. It should be of special note that some people have developed cancer related to smoking who have never smoked before. These cases can possibly have a relationship to environmental causes and heredity.

You can enjoy immediate benefits by stopping smoking right now. Your body begins to go through changes the moment you smoke your last cigarette. These changes continue as long as you don't smoke. You will see a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, as well as reduced risk of cancer, heart attack, and stroke. In addition to this, you will greatly increase circulation of oxygen rich blood to the cells, and reduce complications of other underlying conditions you may currently have.

Other benefits of quitting smoking include increased sense of smell and taste. How good will your favorite dish taste when you have stopped smoking? You will no longer need to add extra salt and other seasonings to your food. Not only that, but you will also see wounds healing faster than before.

Stale smoke odors on you and your clothes:

If you are a smoker, have you noticed what your hair, clothes, and furniture smell like? Did you know that when people walk into your home the first thing they smell is a stale cigarette odor? Its not pleasant. You may not be aware of it because you live in it and are accustomed to it. Other people do notice and may try to avoid being around you, no matter how likable you are.

Do yourself and your loved ones a favor. Stop smoking to enjoy life a lot longer than if you continue this awful habit. Contact your health care professional for help in ways to quit. You will smell better, increase your sense of taste, and even breathe better. Imagine that!

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT