Have you ever heard anyone wax eloquent on the benefits of smoking? Has any cigarette brand ever talked about which cigarette is good for health? No, because cigarette smoking, in fact, the use of tobacco products, is harmful to health, is well known and established. Yet in 2020, according to the WHO, 22.3% of the population worldwide used tobacco. According to a 2022 report, 267 million Indians use tobacco, and this includes minors as well. About 15 million Indians above 15 smoke some form of tobacco, and statistics reveal that it is fatal for approximately 50% of its users. While there are many forms of tobacco, cigarette smoking is its most popular form, which we focus on mainly in this piece. So know how cigarette smoking can be injurious to health in myriad ways.

10 Ill-Effects of Smoking

Smoking can affect every organ. While most people know that the harmful effects of tobacco include the heightened risk of cancers, there are many less-known smoking diseases that can significantly affect your health and lifestyle. Take a look at ten of these:

• Cardiovascular diseases

Yes, cigarette side effects include heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) diseases like stroke and heart disease. In 2000, more than 1 in 10 deaths from CVD were traced back to smoking. Cigarette side effects include an increase in triglycerides and lower good cholesterol. Further, it can increase the risk of blood clots in the arteries by making the blood stickier while also causing the narrowing of blood vessels. Cigarette smoke causes damage to the cells lining our blood vessels. All of these lead to a seriously heightened risk of CVD in smokers.

• Central Nervous System

The smoke effect is so potent that it can reach your brain in just 10 seconds after you take your first whiff of the cigarette. Nicotine in cigarette smoke can alter your mood. That’s why smoking makes you feel euphoric and energetic initially. But it harms your nervous system in many ways, as follows:

• Neurotransmission
• Development of nervous structures
• Cognitive function
• Cerebrovascular health

Smoking diseases include neurodegenerative diseases as well.

• Addiction

Tobacco effects are not restricted to physical ailments. It can also become an addiction that you cannot break out of. The first smoke effect that you experience is positive. You can concentrate better and feel that it makes you very productive. But then these effects quickly wear off, leaving you craving the energy again, especially as you feel drained and enervated soon after smoking. Nicotine, which is highly addictive, makes smoking a tough habit to quit, and this can result in a slew of other problems for you both health-wise and apart from that.

• Lung damage

The cigarette side effects on the lung are known very well, but smokers do not realize the seriousness of the issue until too late. Cigarette smoke significantly increases the risk of lung cancer. You are 25 times more likely to contract this dreaded disease if you are a smoker, more in the case of women. Most lung cancer fatalities across the world can be attributed to smoking.

• COPD 

According to the American Lung Association, harmful effects of tobacco include a seriously heightened risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. COPD is the umbrella term for various illnesses that affect the lungs and cause considerable respiratory distress.

Know More: Understanding COPD & How Early Detection Helps

• Macular degeneration

Did you know that smoking can make you lose vision? Smoking heightens the possibility of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration. This eye disease hampers your central vision owing to damage to the macula portion of the eye. AMD is a prevalent condition, especially in older people and those habituated to smoking; the chances of losing central vision are much higher.

• Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is also one of the cigarette side effects that you should be aware of. There is a 30- 40% greater chance that smokers will develop this disease when compared with non-smokers. Diabetics who smoke are more likely unable to manage their insulin dosing correctly. So not only is Type 2 diabetes one of the common smoking diseases you can contract, but smoking can also make it difficult for you to manage the condition.

• Erectile dysfunction

One of the tobacco’s less known harmful effects is that it narrows the blood vessels in the body. This also impairs the blood supply to the penis affecting male sexual function. One of the first questions asked of patients with erectile dysfunction is if they smoke a lot.

• Reproductive complications

The risk of a fatal reproductive complication is heightened in women who smoke. Known as ectopic pregnancy, this condition occurs when the fertilized egg is not implanted inside the uterus but elsewhere. Not only does this pregnancy not survive, but the mother is also at grave risk.

• Colorectal cancer

The link between lung cancer and smoking is relatively well known, but do you know that colorectal cancer can also be attributed to cigarette side effects? When cancer cells multiply in the colon or rectum, the condition is called colorectal cancer. Cigarette smoking is linked to this condition, and a preventive measure for this disease is to quit smoking.

There is little doubt that cigarette smoke can be highly injurious to health, but less known is the fact that most of the diseases outlined above can also be attributed to the harmful effects of tobacco. If you smoke or use any such product, it is time to stop NOW!

You must prioritize medical screening tests to evaluate how your body has been affected by cigarette side effects so that you can take corrective action quickly and effectively. Remember that many significant illnesses, including cancers, can be effectively treated if identified early, and screening helps you do that.

Book your appointment at NURA labs right away for a whole body check-up to evaluate overall health and identify potential early risks. You can also call in and check with us about the best package that suits your needs. With the medical prowess of Dr Kutty’s Healthcare and the cutting-edge technological expertise of Japan’s Fujifilm, NURA ensures you get the most accurate test outcomes, the fastest testing, and the best care before, during and after the testing procedures.

Read More: Everything you need to know about Coronary Artery Disease