Health Risks of Smoking And Effect of Passive Smoking!

Does inhaling affect the risk of cancer?

Yes. Wherever smoke touches living cells, it does harm. Even smokers who don’t inhale are breathing in large amounts of smoke that comes from their mouths and the lit end of the cigarette, cigar, or pipe. They are at risk for lung cancer and other diseases caused by secondhand smoke.

Smoking Causes Cancer:

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer. 4 out of 5 cases of lung cancer are linked with  smoking cigarettes.  It also increases the risk of at least 13 other types of cancer including:

• Esophagus cancer
• Mouth and upper throat cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Bowel cancer
• Pancreas cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Larynx cancer

Emphysema

The lungs are pliable organs that need to be elastic and flexible to breathe properly. Smoking causes the lungs  to become damaged and it compromises their elasticity. This in turn leads to a condition called emphysema where  breathing becomes labored, even with minimal exertion. Smoking is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of all cases of emphysema, according to PDRHealth.

Lung Cancer

In 2010, the United States alone saw 222,520 new cases of lung cancer and 157,300 deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute. Smoking is one of the leading risk factors for this disease. This includes firsthand smoking and secondhand smoking. Secondhand smoke is the smoke you breathe in from other people. This can still linger in a room  even hours after a smoker has left.

Wrinkles

The skin is composed of elastin and collagen fibers. The nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes damage  collagen and elastin, which in turn leads to premature wrinkling. This can take place anywhere on the body, including the face and arms.

High Blood Pressure

When you drink excessively and smoke, you increase your chances of getting high blood pressure. This is defined as a reading of 140/90 mmHg or above. If left untreated, high blood pressure can cause congestive heart failure, heart attack, stroke, kidney damage and vision loss, notes the American Heart Association.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is produced naturally in the liver and it is used by the body for hormone and cell production. When levels become elevated, plaque can form on the walls of the arteries and obstruct the flow of blood to the heart. Smoking promotes this process by damaging the  blood vessel walls. In addition, smoking lowers the levels of “good” cholesterol, HDL, that you want high.

Dangers Of SecondHand Smoke On Children

Kids are particularly at risk for the effects of secondhand smoke because their bodies are still growing and they breathe at a faster rate than adults.

These conditions have been linked to secondhand smoke exposure in children:

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• More respiratory infections (such as bronchitis and pneumonia)
• More severe and frequent asthma attacks
• Ear infections
• Chronic cough

Smoking during pregnancy is especially dangerous to the developing baby. It’s tied to premature delivery, low birth weight, SIDS, limited mental ability, trouble with learning, and ADHD. The more cigarettes a mother-to-be smokes, the greater the danger to her baby.

How to Avoid Secondhand Smoke

It’s simple: Avoid being around people who are smoking, and try to convince those around you who smoke to quit. Anyone who does smoke should do so outside, as far away from other people as possible. Your home is probably the most important place to keep smoke-free, especially if you have children. Keeping kids (and adults) far away from smoke can help lower their chances of having respiratory infections, severe asthma, cancer, and many other serious conditions.