The Effects of Smoking on Human Health

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The effects of smoking on human health are serious and in many cases, deadly. There are approximately 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds of which are toxic. The ingredients in cigarettes affect everything from the internal functioning of organs to the efficiency of the body's immune system. The effects of cigarette smoking are destructive and widespread.
Smoking Effects on the Human Body

1. Toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body, causing damage in several different ways.
2. Nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. It has been found in every part of the body and in breast milk.
3. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing affected cells from carrying a full load of oxygen.
4. Cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in tobacco smoke damage important genes that control the growth of cells, causing them to grow abnormally or to reproduce too rapidly.
5. The carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene binds to cells in the airways and major organs of smokers.
6. Smoking affects the function of the immune system and may increase the risk for respiratory and other infections.
7. There are several likely ways that cigarette smoke does its damage. One is oxidative stress that mutates DNA, promotes atherosclerosis, and leads to chronic lung injury. Oxidative stress is thought to be the general mechanism behind the aging process, contributing to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COPD.
8. The body produces antioxidants to help repair damaged cells. Smokers have lower levels of antioxidants in their blood than do nonsmokers.
9. Smoking is associated with higher levels of chronic inflammation, another damaging process that may result in oxidative stress.

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A cigarette which relax you is the most dangerous luxury & style of our life. Cigarette smoking can cause a lot of problems in our life. A single cigarette contain just about 6-8 mg of nicotine (CNS stimulant) which enhances your mood & release your anxiety but a cigarette contains a lot of chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of cigarette as additive. Cigarette smoke contain about 4000 chemicals & about 43% are carcinogenic (cancer causing). Cigarette smoke also contain a noxious gas CARBON MONOXIDE that decreases the efficiency of blood to take oxygen to the different body organs which will lead to many dangerous diseases like ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASES ( less oxygen supply to heart muscles that leads to death of heart muscles).

Cigarette smoke also contain TAR that is responsible for the diseases of respiratory tract. It also contain benzo-pyrene that is carcinogenic, lead, arsenic, formaldehyde, hydro cyanide (poison) & a lot more. The smoking is of two types ACTIVE SMOKING & PASSIVE SMOKING. Active smoking is the inhalation of cigarette smoke by smoker whereas Passive smoking is the inhalation of the exhaled cigarette smoke by the non smoker in the area where a smoker is smoking. Passive smoking is also dangerous as active smoking that results in the development of different health related problems.

Smoking can cause

• Lung cancer
• Lung disease
• Low estrogen level for women
• Bladder cancer
• Oral cancer
• Heart diseases
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Etc

Some people say that the cigarette has nicotine which can elevate our mood, increase the ability to think, increase concentration to understand the things etc. For those people, nicotine is a CNS stimulant it activate the mind at low doses but it deactivate the mind (CNS) at high doses. Nicotine use for longer duration can also cause severe health problems like

• Addiction
• Tremors
• Intestinal cramps
• Increase heart rate
• High blood pressure
• Paralysis
• Constriction of blood vessels

Now after the reading of this very short information you are in better position to decide the answer of the question which is the title of this article.

Friday, July 29, 2011 by deivam P Mohanraj · 0