The Effects of Smoking on the Body

Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Long-term effects of smoking

• increased risk of stroke and brain damage.
• eye cataracts, macular degeneration, yellowing of whites of eyes.
• loss of sense of smell and taste.
• yellow teeth, tooth decay and bad breath.
• cancer of the nose, lip, tongue and mouth.
• possible hearing loss.
• laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers.

• Central nervous system. One of the ingredients in tobacco is a mood-altering drug called nicotine.
• Respiratory system.
• Cardiovascular system.
• Integumentary system (skin, hair, and nails)
• Digestive system.
• Sexuality and reproductive system.
• Takeaway.

The effects of tobacco smoke on the respiratory system include:

• irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box)
• reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung passages.

These results suggest that chronic nicotine increases mechanical hypersensitivity following peripheral nerve injury through a mechanism that may involve an increased production and release of central and peripheral cytokines.

According to a 2017 study , the longer you smoke, the higher your risk of greater age-related brain volume loss. Researchers found that smoking negatively affected the structural integrity of subcortical brain regions.

Within half an hour of your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure typically drop to normal levels. That’s good, because high blood pressure is known as “the silent killer” for its dangerous effects that often have no symptoms. These include heart attack, stroke, loss of vision, and more.

Within the first month after you quit smoking, your lung function will improve, and this will increase circulation, too. Within nine months, the cilia begin to function normally and symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath become less frequent.

Got a craving right now?

1. Use nicotine gum, lozenges, or an inhaler.
2. Distract yourself.
3. Try to stay away from other smokers, at least in the beginning of your quit.
4. Stay away from cigarettes, or, better yet, get rid of them.
5. Remind yourself why you stopped smoking.
6. Remember that most cravings do go away after 20 minutes.

Cigarette cravings typically peak in the first few days after quitting and diminish greatly over the course of the first month without smoking. 1 While you might miss smoking from time to time, once you make it past six months, the urge to smoke will be diminished or even gone.

In general, cough and shortness of breath begin to improve within a month and continue to improve for up to a year after you stop smoking. In the meantime, you can speed the process by staying well hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids, such as water, tea and juice.

Shakiness: You may notice your hands tremble slightly, perhaps for several weeks. The tremor usually subsides as your body gets used the absence of nicotine. Sweating: This is another common reaction. Like the shakes, it will go away after a while.

Nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco, gets into your bloodstream and makes your heart beat faster. This can make you feel anxious and cause your hands to shake.