practised for a long time in different ways. One of the main reasons for smoking that has been told over the years is it calms the mind. However, excess smoking impacts negatively. This blog will explain how smoking affects your body, positively and negatively.
How Does Smoking Affect The Body?
Smoking involves inhaling and exhaling the smoke of burning plant material. The most common substance smoked is tobacco, which contains nicotine. When nicotine is inhaled or ingested, it quickly enters the bloodstream and affects various systems in the body. Nicotine stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, leading to feelings of relaxation. Nicotine also affects the levels of other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, influencing mood, appetite and arousal. The pleasure effects lead to an urge to consume more nicotine to achieve the same effects.
Therefore, nicotine is an addictive substance and when its level drops, symptoms like irritability, anxiety, difficulty in concentration and intense craving occur. So, this is how smoking affects your body. You should keep several things in mind while starting smoking.
Why Do People Smoke?
As you know, nicotine is the main substance in smoking, which releases chemicals in your brain, making you feel good. Here is what you feel after smoking-
- Relaxed and calm
- Buzzed and energised
- Concentrated
Because of these effects, smoking becomes an addiction for most people who have smoked for the first time just to try. In fact, it become part of some people’s routine, just like morning tea or coffee. However, the pleasure turns into negative when you smoke excessively. From the appearance of the skin and nails to how your tissues and organs work, smoking affects everything. So, it is high time to learn how smoking affects your body.
How Smoking Affects Your Body?
Besides the temporary relief, smoking also impacts negatively. According to the Centres for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), smoking affects the overall body and results in many chronic diseases. Here are the possible effects of smoking.
Lung Damage
Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is responsible for causing lung cancer. According to reports, 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths are linked to smoking. However, smoking also relates to developing emphysema and bronchitis.
Heart Disease
Smoking increases the risk of Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which later results in blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and angina. If you are looking for ‘how does smoking affect your heart’, it can damage your heart, blood vessels, and blood cells.
Fertility problems
Those concerned about how smoking affects your body should know that excess smoking can damage the female reproductive system and make it more difficult to get pregnant. This is because tobacco and other chemicals in cigarettes affect hormone levels.
Type 2 Diabetes
People who smoke regularly have a 30-40% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Smoking can also make it difficult for people to manage the condition. Therefore, diabetics are prohibited from smoking.
Pregnancy Complications
Pregnant women can face complications in pregnancy if they smoke regularly, such as –
- Increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy
- Immature birth
- Reduce the baby’s birth weight
- Increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
If you are wondering how smoking affects your body during pregnancy, then it may impact your and your child’s health.
Weakened Immune system
Regular smoking can weaken your immune system, making an individual more susceptible to illness. It can also cause inflammation if you do not consider adding nutritious food to your diet.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Besides the lungs, heart and immune system, smoking also affects gum and causes diseases. A person who smokes excessively may experience –
- Loose teeth
- Bleeding when brushing
- Sensitivity
- Swollen and tender gums
If you are concerned about how smoking affects your body, it can limit your ability to taste and smell things properly. It can also lead to yellow or brown teeth.
Vision Problems
Most of us would not agree, but smoking also affects your vision. It can cause eye problems, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
Digestive Problems
Cigarette smoking is a major risk concern for a person developing intestinal problems. Smokers are more likely to develop gastritis, inflammation in the stomach lining, than non-smokers, which can lead to ulcers in their stomachs or intestines.
Risk Of Cancers
Now, you understand how smoking affects your body. But do you know that besides lung cancer, it also contributes to other cancers? Smokers are prone to bladder, stomach, throat and oesophagal cancer.
Smoking can make you calm and relax, but excess smoking can also cause problems like cancer, lung damage, heart disease, etc. We recommend you quit smoking if you are addicted to it because excess is always harmful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does smoking affect sleep?
Cigarettes contain nicotine that prevents drowsiness. Therefore, people who study or work at night smoke to stay alert.
Ques:1: Does smoking affect the skin?
Smoking affects the skin and causes premature ageing, such as wrinkles and dullness.
Ques:2: What happens when we quit smoking?
Smokers will experience improved taste and smell after quitting the smoke. You will also experience improved blood circulation and immune function.
Ques:3 : Is quitting smoking easy?
Withdrawal from smoking can be challenging because it can cause irritation, anxiety, restlessness and craving.
Ques:4: How long does it take to quit smoking?
Well, it completely depends on how your body and mind react to it. However, the minimum time for quitting smoking is one to three months.
