The Effects Of Smoking

QUESTION: What are the effects of smoking?

ANSWER:

The effects of smoking include a range of adverse health conditions including lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses such as shortness of breath. Smoking also affects daily lives and relationships in subtle ways. Some include the bad smell, tainted breath, and nicotine stained teeth distance friends and family (my wife refused to kiss me).

Are the health effects of smoking irreversible? While some of the consequences from smoking may be permanent, a smoker’s health greatly improves upon quitting. Within 20 minutes of a smoker’s refusing another cigarette, the damage to his body begins to repair. After giving up smoking, I could run up stairs without getting short of breath. Also, I found that I could walk 100 yards without having to slow down.

Some of the effects of smoking are:

• respiratory and non-respiratory problems
• lower level of lung function
• reduced rate of lung growth
• greater risk of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
• lower physical fitness

Second-hand smoke, known as passive smoking, can also harm bystanders. The effects range from eye irritation, headaches, and nausea to increased risk of cancer and heart disease. The effects of passive smoking on children include an elevated risk of respiratory infections. A pregnant woman who smokes affects the mental and physical development of her unborn child. The infant of a parent who smokes is at greater risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

As a smoker’s body becomes dependent on a regular intake of nicotine, an addiction develops.