Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the world today. The adverse health effects of cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States alone.
Today, almost everyone knows the role that long-term, heavy smoking plays in developing lung cancer and heart disease. What is sometimes overlooked is that it also plays a significant role in damaging dozens of other body systems as well as your overall health.
Apart from the specific damage smoking causes to the lungs, larynx and arteries, smoking also reduces the desire to exercise in most people. This is because many smokers relate smoking to lowering stress. By using a chemical to “lower” stress, your motivation to exercise is reduced. When you lower your oxygen concentration your arteries constrict causing a “smoker’s hack”. This reduces the incentives for healthy exercise even more.
Another of the major health effects of smoking is smokers tend to be more sedentary. This reduces your overall fitness. As a result, your body is less able to deal with the normal, everyday strains you put on it. What would be minor health problem for a non-smoker becomes a larger and more difficult problem for a smoker’s immune system to handle.
Long term, heavy smoking has more direct effects on every area of your body. Your odds of acquiring a variety of other cancers, such as cancer of the esophagus, the stomach and the cervix increase. It has also been linked to certain forms of leukemia.
An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking. Of all the major health effects of smoking, COPD is arguably the worst. Many long term smokers are affected by COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In fact, about one in four smokers contract this lung disease. It’s estimated that 80-90% of all COPD cases are associated with smoking. Emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma, which are other types of COPD, are also much more prevalent among smokers than non-smokers.
Another of the health effects of smoking is the increased odds of having an aortic abdominal aneurysm. This is a weakening of the lining of the blood vessel. This makes it much more likely to rupture. If this condition is not corrected within minutes, it is generally fatal.
One more of the health effects of smoking in women is osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women smokers have, on average, a lower overall bone density than those who have never smoked. That makes it more likely for them to suffer hip fractures from falls. This is especially a problem for the elderly because, as a result of subsequent complications, such bone fractures are sometimes fatal.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S and there is a direct correlation between smoking and heart disease. Smoking and the toxins in cigarette smoke cause plaques to form in your arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis. This hardening of the arteries is a major cause of heart problems and disease.
The most well known ill-health effect of long-term, heavy smoking is lung cancer. Close to 90% of men’s lung cancer deaths and 80% of women’s are linked to cigarette smoking.
While ‘long term’ is vague, studies have found that the longer the habit, the higher your odds of contracting one of these diseases. Some studies show that smokers in their 30s and 40s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers. Another effect of long-term smoking is one-pack-a-day smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than do non-smokers.
While the term ‘heavy’ is equally vague, one pack per day is the most often cited number. This also correlates well with the amount of cigarettes that most smokers smoke daily. It’s estimated that 87% of lung cancer disease cases in the U.S. are the result of smoking a pack per day for 20 years or more.
Do you want to lower your risk and increase your odds of living longer? Then find a method to help you quit smoking today. Within 3 months your circulation improves, greatly reducing your chances of heart disease. Your odds after a year of acquiring heart disease are half that of a smoker. After 5-15 years, your odds are that of someone who has never smoked.
Remember, it’s never too late to reverse the negative health effects of smoking. Start today to find a method to quit smoking that works for you. It’ll be the best thing you’ve ever done for your health.
Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy, a highly successful method that helps people to stop smoking that uses NLP and hypnosis. In fact, hundreds of people, just like you, have used Total Mind Therapy to help them quit smoking. His office is located in the middle of Mission valley in beautiful San Diego. Wil is also the author of the e-Course ““Quit Smoking Secrets the Tobacco Companies Don’t Want You to Know”” that you can have at absolutely no charge. CLICK HERE to receive your FREE copy of “Quit Smoking Secrets the Tobacco Companies Don’t Want You to Know”.
