Tobacco is a plant. Its leaves are smoked, chewed, or sniffed for a variety of effects. Tobacco generally contains the chemical called nicotine, which is an addictive substance. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to mainly cause cancer.
Health effects of tobacco are the effects that use of tobacco has on human health, and concern about health effects of tobacco has a long history. Research has focused primarily on cigarette smoking. Side effects of Tobacco has a negative effect on almost every organ of the body.
Cigarette smoking has disastrous consequences. It damages every organ of the human body and leads to the general deterioration of the smoker’s health. For disease control and Prevention estimates that cigarette smoking is responsible for nearly one of every five deaths or about 438,000 deaths every year.
Health Effects of taking tobacco (smoking)
Tobacco Leads to Cancer
Cancer was one of the first diseases which is mainly linked to cigarette smoking, and it continues to be smoking’s most notorious health effect. Cigarette smoking and taking tobacco use causes about one-third of all cancer deaths.
Among all types of cancer lung cancer is most closely linked to cigarette smoking. Smoking causes nearly all lung cancer deaths about 90 percent of male deaths and also 80 percent of female deaths. The chances that a male smoker will die of lung cancer is 23 times that of someone who’s never smoked, while women who smoke run a risk 13 times greater than non-smokers.
Researchers have also linked smoking to cancers of the bladder, larynx, mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, kidney, and cervix. Smoking also is a known cause of some forms of leukemia.
Tobacco Leads to Respiratory Disease
Breathing in cigarette smoke or taking tobacco directly is terribly harmful to the lungs. The damage starts with the first puff and continues until the smoker quits. About 9 out of 10 deaths from lung diseases are caused by smoking. A cigarette smoker’s or tobacco consumer’s risk of dying from a chronic obstructive lung disease like chronic bronchitis or emphysema is 10 times that of non-smokers.
Chronic bronchitis occurs when tobacco intake and cigarette smoke prompts the airways to produce too much protective mucus. Taking tobacco or smoking generally, develops a chronic cough to clear their airways of the mucus so they can breathe. Eventually, the airways swell and become blocked by scar tissue and mucus.
Emphysema occurs by tobacco intake or cigarette smoke which destroys the tiny air sacs in the lungs that allow oxygen to be diffused into the bloodstream. The process destroys the smoker’s ability to draw breath, eventually making them gasp and struggle for air.
Tobacco or Smoking Leads to Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking also affects the heart and the circulatory system and has been linked to coronary heart disease, the number one killer. Cigarette smokers are as much as four times more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than non-smokers and are twice as likely to suffer strokes.
Tobacco Leads to Skin Diseases
Smoking and tobacco intake prematurely ages the skin, causing facial wrinkles. It also slows the skin’s healing ability and has been linked to skin cancer.
Tobacco Leads to Eyes Diseases
Tobacco intake has been linked to the development of cataracts, a condition in which the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Cigarette smoking also can cause macular degeneration and do damage to the optic nerve.
Tobacco Leads Mouth Diseases
Tobacco intake and Smoking is estimated to be responsible for three of every four cases of periodontal disease. Toxins contained in cigarette smoke damage the gums, by causing them to recede and putting the smoker at greater risk for tooth decay.
Other Tobacco Side Effects include
- Increased blood pressure and heart beat
- Weakened immune system
- Lower sperm count and other reproductive disorders, especially in men
- Reduced fertility in women
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Cervix cancer
- Earlier menopause
- Smoking also affects non-smokers (passive smoking).
Cigarette smoking can harm your health even if you are not a smoker. Children whose parents or caregivers smoke will have an increased risk of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, coughing, wheezing, and ear infections. Babies of smokers have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS.Although the health consequences of smoking are dire, it is important to remember that you can take control of your health by quitting. Once you give up on tobacco your body can begin to repair some of the damage that has been caused.
Although the health consequences of smoking are dire, it is important to remember that you can take control of your health by quitting. Once you give up on tobacco your body can begin to repair some of the damage that has been caused.
