Do you know that tobacco smoke is extremely dangerous for your health? The fact is that there is no “safe way” to smoke. Whether you replace your cigarette with a pipe, hookah, or cigar, you cannot keep yourself safe from the risks associated with smoking tobacco products.
According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes contain over 600 ingredients. As they burn, they release over 7,000 chemicals. Most of those chemicals prove to be harmful and 69 of them can cause deadly cancers. These ingredients are also common in cigars, and tobacco used hookahs and pipes. The National Institute of Cancer carried out research recently, which revealed that cigars actually have a higher level of toxins, tar, and carcinogens when compared to a cigarette.
The truth is that when you use a hookah pipe, you are prone to inhale more smoke than a cigarette. Hookah smoke contains many toxins that expose you to more carbon monoxide. As a fact, hookah also produces more “second-hand” smoke.
In the United States alone, the mortality rate for people who smoke is three times more than those who never smoke. It is the leading cause of preventable death in the USA.
Smoking Damages the Central Nervous System
Nicotine in tobacco is one ingredient that alters the mood. It reaches the brain within milliseconds. For the nervous system, it works as a stimulant and makes you feel energized for a short time. Once the effects subside, you will begin to feel tired and your craving for more will increase. Eventually, it becomes a part of your habit.
Smoking cigarettes increase cataracts, damages your vision, leads to macular degeneration and so many other eye problems. It weakens your sense of smell, taste, and soon the taste of food will become less enjoyable for you.
Corticosterone is a stress hormone in your body, which helps to lower the effects of nicotine on your body. However, if you are under constant stress, you will need more nicotine to get the exact effect. Physical withdrawal from cigarette smoking can impair the cognitive functioning of your body and make you feel depressed, anxious and irritated. Withdrawal also causes sleep problems and headaches.
Effects on Cardiovascular System
Once nicotine hits your body, it damages your cardiovascular system. It leads to a boost in blood sugar levels and soon leaves you craving for more. It causes the blood vessels to tighten and restricts the flow of blood. It raises blood pressure, cholesterol levels and soon results in the stretching of arteries. Smoking also raises the risks of blood clots, which could find their way to the heart and cause strokes.
Smoking leads to more health problems. Read the infographic below to learn more about its effects and facts.
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