Smoking is injurious to health, regardless of how much or how you use to smoke. Tobacco products contain harmful component. These include tar, carbon monoxide, acetone, and nicotine. When you fume cigarettes, these ingredients do not only go to your lungs. As a result, they affect and destroy the entire body with time. Smoking can cause both temporary and persistent or chronic health conditions. Some of them develop with time, like cancer. However, some harmful effects are visible within a few days of smoking, like unpleasant teeth and a foul smell.
The smoke emitted by tobacco is dangerous to your health. Even if you replace cigarettes with a pipe, hookah, or cigar, you won’t get rid of the harmful effects of the smoke coming out of them. It is to understand that there are no secure means to smoke. Quitting is always a nice and wise decision. Consult with your doctor for helpful ways. Nevertheless, using Champix, nicotine replacement products, and home remedies can assist you in abandoning the habit of smoking.
Cigarettes comprise nearly 600 components. Most of these ingredients are present in hookahs and cigars. When they are smouldered, they produce around 7000 chemicals. Moreover, most of these chemicals are poisonous. Some of them are also associated with cancer.
There are numerous destructive effects of smoking. Every smoker and non-smoker also knows it. However, people are driven by cravings and fall into the trap of cigarettes. You can go through the following harmful impacts of smoking. Maybe they may hit you, and you decide to quit smoking today-
Respiratory system
Remember, you are damaging your lungs when you inhale tobacco or cigarette smoke. Lung infections, chronic diseases, and irreversible health conditions are some of the harmful impacts of smoking. Some of them are-
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema; the annihilation of air sacs present in the lungs
- Lung cancer
- Chronic bronchitis; persistent swelling in the bronchial tubes
Integumentary system
This system deals with the skin and nails. Tobacco smoke damages your skin. Moreover, the chemicals also affect hair and nails. Nails can become prone to fungal infections. On the other hand, people can experience baldness, hair loss, and greying of hair if they smoke.
Reproductive system
Nicotine decreases the blood flow to the reproductive organs. In men, it affects sexual performance and sometimes leads to erectile dysfunction. In women, nicotine can cause lubrication issues. Moreover, it also decreases the level of sex hormones in both men and women and leads to low libido.
Central nervous system
Nicotine is the mood-altering ingredient in tobacco. It takes a few seconds to reach the brain and makes you feel invigorated within a blink of an eye. However, when this effect subsides, you may feel fatigued. Here is when nicotine starts making you its slave; you begin craving for it. Nicotine is highly addictive. It is the reason why people struggle so much to quit smoking.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can help abandon the habit of using nicotine. Certain products are used under this therapy, like inhalers, patches, sprays, and gums.
These products aim to provide nicotine without tobacco. However, remember you are working to quit nicotine, not only tobacco. Use the product accordingly and know the potential benefits and risks involved. Champix is also one of the most effective quit smoking treatments. You can also discuss its usage and effects with your healthcare provider.
Cardiovascular system
The cardiovascular system is not immune to the damaging effects of smoking. Nicotine causes shrinkage in the blood vessels. It leads to a limited blood supply and results in peripheral artery disease (PAD) with time.
Other harmful effects of smoking on the cardiovascular system are-
- Blood clots
- Increased blood pressure
- Elevated risk of stroke
- Weakened blood vessels
Smoking does not only harm the people who smoke but also affect the people who inhale smoke emitted by cigarettes. It is called second-hand smoke or passive smoke.
Digestive system
You are likely to have larynx, mouth, oesophageal, and throat cancer if you have a habit of smoking. Moreover, smoking can also increase the threat of pancreatic cancer. Insulin resistance is another damaging impact of cigarette smoke. It elevates the risk of type 2 diabetes and its difficulties.
Quitting can be difficult. However, it isn’t impossible. You can ask your doctor for help and frame a plan. There are ranges of prescription and non-prescription drugs, which can assist you in quitting smoking. Moreover, you can also opt for home remedies for smoking cessation.
What can help me quit smoking?
There are various helpful factors, which can assist you in quitting. They may include quit smoking aids, nicotine replacement therapy, and other healing procedures. You should consult your healthcare provider for quit smoking aids. He or she may guide you better on how to use these products for the best results.
Below are some of the effective steps that can help you quit-
Get moving
Exercises are not only good for physical health. They also boost and improve mental health. Exercises can make you feel better and improve blood circulation in the body. In addition, physical activities can lend you a hand in coping up with the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine.
Eat fruits and vegetables
Nutrients can help your body recover from a disease or bad habits like smoking. Therefore, do not think of dieting or fasting while you are trying to quit. Eat enough healthy fruits and vegetables. Moreover, you can take the help of your healthcare provider for a diet chart as well.
Avoid triggers
Avoid going to places and visiting people where you can find alcohol and tobacco smoke. They are powerful triggers, which can excite nicotine cravings in you.
Stick to a reason
There are innumerable benefits of quitting smoking. Along with using aids like Champix or nicotine gums, or inhalers, you can choose any one of the reasons, which makes you firm on your decision of quitting. Some of the reasons you can place in your mind are-
- Protection of family, friends, and loved ones from passive smoke
- Decreased risk of chronic illnesses
- Improved body functions
- Enhanced life expectancy
