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 Consequences of Smoking – 3 Health Risks

Consequences of smoking range from health to our social life. Most of the people who are involved in smoking hard stuff like marijuana and cannabis become ignored and isolated because they are less productive in society.

Health

Most of the people who smoke have bad health as their bodies can not be able to fight diseases because their body has a lot of nicotine elements in their bloodstream and this affects the circulation of blood to the whole body making them have ulcers that are painful. 

Even most of them suffer from lung cancer which interferes with their respiratory system. Loss of memory is also one of the consequences of smoking hard stuff and the victim loses dignity among the family members and the entire community at large.

Cardiovascular diseases

The diseases include atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease which is caused by the deposits on the walls of arteries, thus reducing the ability of blood to flow through them if the blood is blocked from going to the heart it causes someone to have a heart attack where the lack of oxygen to the heart damages it and begins to dry if not treated. 

This may also lead to stroke or permanent damage of the brain or even death if blood flow is compromised from reaching the brain.

Lungs diseases

These diseases can be treated if the situation has not aggravated like the lungs bronchitis where the airways of the lungs are inflamed. Emphysema which damages the air sacs and airways of the lungs causes obstruction in airflow to the lungs when breathing is not curable. 

The most deadly lung problem associated with smoking is lung cancer, which causes chest pains, and leads a victim to cough blood it is only a few people who have lung cancer survive for a period of five years.

There are also other related types of cancer associated with smoking and they include bladder, cervical, esophageal, kidney, leukemia, mouth, pancreatic, and stomach cancers and they also put the victim at risk of dying.

The consequences of smoking can also reduce the productivity of a person in terms of having children as it causes penis dysfunction and to women it may temper them to an extent that they can not conceive.

To avoid all these consequences of smoking we should adhere to the instructions so as to avoid premature deaths and diseases that can be avoided as most people can do without smoking and that is why most of the tobacco industries give a stern warning to all tobacco users.

Effects of Smoking on Your Appearance

As we all know there are many disadvantages to smoking tobacco, it can cause serious internal diseases or infections and cigarette smoke causes various types of external side effects. Right now I will be talking about the bad effects smoking can have on your appearance.

Common areas of the body that are affected by tobacco are your Teeth, Hair, Gum, Nails, and Skin.

Hair: Research shows that cigarette smoke contributes to the weakening of your hair strands. It causes your hair to break, and turn Grey before its time and can also contribute to hair loss in both men and women. The smell of tobacco when smoked will also saturate the hair, leaving a heavy smell of smoke.

Skin: Tobacco smoke also starves the body of oxygen, every part of the body needs oxygen to keep your blood flowing, and healthy skin and to avoid bad blood circulation. Many smokers suffer from scaly, dry, or discolored skin and premature aging.

Nicotine reduces the oxygen in the blood which results in the yellowing of the skin and nails, it also attacks other systems such as the collagen in your skin (this helps you maintain your youthful look.)

These effects are from the inhalation of nicotine, but remember, these are only a few of the problems that arise from tobacco. Smoke that rises into the atmosphere can cause skin irritation such as dry skin or rashes, deepens wrinkles, and gives an ugly sunken skin look, and it's harmful to others.

How to Quit Smoking – For Good

Smoking has been tagged as the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. It contributes to many health problems -lung cancer, stroke, heartburn, loss of sense of taste, cosmetic problems, infertility, and many others. Even among non-smokers, exposure to burning cigarettes and exhaled smoke (referred to as passive smoking) increases the risk of having these health problems.

If you decide to quit smoking, however, there is good news for you as some of the damage caused by your smoking habits can be undone. Your risk the major health problems such as cancer is diminished.

If you are really serious about quitting your smoking habits, you should understand that it takes a lot of determination. Quitting is tough but achievable. In fact, studies show that smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to break, even harder than heroin. 

The good news for you is that there are many strategies that have been applied that have given tremendous success.

Here are a few things you can do to increase your chances of quitting smoking successfully and not relapsing during the crucial first few weeks:

1. Monitor Your Progress: in doing this you should first of all set a deadline up to three weeks away from the last time you smoke. But in the meantime, log each cigarette you smoke- where you smoke and under what conditions or circumstances (Don R. Powell, PhD). 

This will help you identify situations that cause you to smoke and then find alternative behaviors other than smoking cigarettes.

2. Delay the Desire to Smoke: Quitting is supposed to be gradual and it is recommended that each time you have the urge to smoke, you should hold off lighting the cigarette for up to five minutes. Extend this time to ten minutes after some days, fifteen minutes for the next few days also, and so on. 

As time goes on you will find out that you are able to hold on for longer periods of time, and finally quitting.

3. Drink a Lot of Orange Juice: For those who want to quit cold turkey, getting through the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal is the hardest part. These withdrawal symptoms usually last about two weeks.

Drinking a lot of orange juice during these two weeks will help you get over the irritability, anxiety, confusion, lack of concentration, and troubled sleep that come with nicotine withdrawal.

Orange juice makes your urine more acidic and this clears nicotine from your body faster (Thomas Cooper, D.D.S). The citrus taste in your mouth will make the thought of smoking disgusting. 

For those who are quitting with the aid of doctor-prescribed nicotine gum or patches, avoid orange juice and other acidic drinks because these products keep nicotine in your system.

4. Picture it in Your Mind That You Have Flu: Many experts say that nicotine withdrawal symptoms are similar to the symptoms of flu- you have trouble concentrating, your energy levels are depleted, you get headaches, and so on. 

There is little you can do about the flu other than letting it run its course. You will certainly get over it. The withdrawal symptoms will cease in about two weeks if you don’t relapse and have a cigarette.

5. Stay Away From Bars: Several studies have shown that the greatest chances of relapsing occur in bars. According to Dr. Jorenby, for many people, having a drink in one hand means having a cigarette in the other. 

It is therefore recommended that that you stay away from bars (or drinking at home) for a few weeks after you stop smoking. You can visit other places instead, like museums, cinemas, and other public places where smoking is prohibited.

6. Seek Support and Professional Advice: Whatever the quitting method you wish to employ, you have greater chances of success if you seek support from your family and friends. 

They will offer you a great deal of encouragement. Your doctor or counselor can also offer expert advice on the best way to go about it.

All these strategies can help you quit your smoking habit faster than you think. But remember that you need to put in a lot of effort and determination.