If you are
contemplating why should I quit smoking, here is the answer. Know the
dangers of smoking and its long-term effects on your health. It will
definitely make you think you twice before you light up the next fag!
Don’t live in denial. Read on to know if this question is riddling your
mind – why should I quit smoking?
Dangers of Smoking
• This habit can cause around 400,000 deaths in the US alone every year.
• This habit is
known as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Smoking is
responsible for nearly one quarter of all cardiovascular-related deaths
in the United States.
• This habit increases our risk of having a heart attack by 2-6 times. The risk increases with the number of fags you smoke.
• If you have a
heart attack and are an active smoker, then you are most likely to die
from the condition or die suddenly when compared with a nonsmoker.
Adverse Effects of Smoking on Your Heart
Smoking cigarettes harms your heart as well as the blood vessels in various ways. These include:
• Smoking raises
blood pressure: Every time you take a puff, your blood pressure
increases for some time. Even if it does not cause chronic high blood
pressure, it may aggravate your condition if you have high blood
pressure. If you quit smoking, you will surely not experience any
short-term changes in the blood pressure which take place when you
smoke.
• Smoking changes
blood fats by decreasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol): Smoking can
change the blood fats and decrease the HDL cholesterol. For example,
right after you quit smoking, the HDL levels can rise to 6-8 mg/dL.
Within a year after quitting, the HDL level can easily return to normal
and healthier level.
• Smoking damages
the blood vessels lining, making them more susceptible to plaque
buildup: This deadly habit enhances the buildup of plaque in your
arteries which supply blood to the heart. These arteries are known as
coronary arteries.
• Smoking makes the
coronary arteries plaque unstable: If the plaques are less stable, then
these are more prone to crack. If these crack, then it can result in a
heart attack.
• Smoking minimizes
oxygen to the heart: Carbon monoxide in the cigarette smoke reduces the
blood’s capacity to effectively carry oxygen. Hence, when you smoke
cigarettes, you heart as well as the rest of the organs has less oxygen.
• Smoking increases
blood clots risk: How is it a risk factor? Well, there are three
reasons. First and foremost, the nicotine content in fags stop the
release of a natural blood thinner which prevents clotting. Secondly,
active smokers tend to have higher levels of blood clotting agent
fibrinogen. Lastly, the blood platelets are stickier and cluster
together in active smokers. In consequence, a smoker’s bloodstream is
thicker and hence, clots more easily and can lead to a heart attack.
• Smoking can cause
an abnormal heart rhythm: This deadly habit severely affects that part
of your brain which is responsible for regulating your heart rate. This
can obstruct the electrical activity in your heart. This results in
abnormal heart rhythm known as arrhythmias. This condition can be
serious occasionally, and can even turn life threatening.
Smoking and Other Health Problems
This dangerous activity can cause several other health problems. These include:
• Pregnancy
complications such as premature delivery, stillbirth and miscarriage.
Additionally, infants of mothers who smoked during their term are
susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome.
• Stroke
• Chronic lung disease like emphysema and bronchitis
• Cervical cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Cancer of the urinary tract
• Cancer of the esophagus
• Cancer of the vocal cords
• Mouth cancer
• Lung cancer
Now, if you are
still thinking “why should I quit smoking”, then nobody can save you
from the dangers of smoking! Wake up and quit smoking now. Why do you
want to compromise your life? Stay away from smoking and ensure a
healthy, long life
