Health

The Untold Truth about Smoking

We all know that smoking is bad. As bad as the graphic warnings on each pack of cigarettes. There are 1.3 billion smokers in the world today, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). If the trend continues, that number is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2025. There are more reasons to stop that didn’t show on the packs of cigarettes; such as.

HOW BAD IS SMOKING?

Smoking makes women single.

That’s right! One of the reasons your smoking BFF is still single is probably due to the fact that she smokes even she’s smoking hot. As it turns out, smoking is the no. 1 turnoff for men.

Smoking tops the chart when men vote for the top turnoffs when choosing a girlfriend or a wife.

  • Smokers kill nonsmokers – nonsmokers take up 12% of the total death toll due to smoking, without smoking. Smoking is injurious to the health of the person and people around them [6]. Almost half of the children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places. Why would a man marry a woman who causes the premature death and pains of their own and those of their children?

By the way, smoking causes excruciating physical pain.

Smoking is the direct risk factor or cause of 16 out of the 20 painful health conditions listed by the National Health Service in England including:

Smokers are nearly 3 times likely to get lower back pain than nonsmokers; it also aggravates abdominal and joint pain as it increases pain sensitivity [23].

  • Tobacco impairs the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to bones and tissues. Decreasing blood and nutrient flow can cause degeneration, particularly in discs of the spine, which already have more limited blood flow. The result can be lower back pain and sometimes osteoporosis.

Smoking Causes Cancer

Apart from all the deadly diseases mentioned above, there are 16 different types of cancers that can be caused due to smoking According to Cancer Council NSW;

1 cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes [26]

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death.

Physical pain and health problems of your body can be avoided by not lighting up a cigarette.  Besides the well-documented costs of your health and attractiveness, your bank balance is healthier after quitting smoking.

You save US$ 15,096 per year by not buying nor lighting up any cigarette

Before you pick up a cigarette again, first check out the below summary about the effects of smoking on the human body.

Direct Risks from Smoking – Smoking Damages The Whole Body 

Cancers

–         Lung
women x 25.7 times, men x 25 times

–        Trachea, bronchus

women x 12 times, men x 23 times

–        Liver

–        Acute myeloid leukemia

–        Oropharynx

–        Larynx

–        Esophagus

–        Stomach

–        Pancreas

–        Kidney and ureter

–        Cervix

–        Bladder

–        Colorectal

–        Lip, pharynx, oral cavity, cervix uteri, renal pelvis, colon, and rectum, etc.

Chronic Diseases

Brain

–        Stroke x 2 to 4 times

Organs and Internal

–        Diabetes +30-40%

–        Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease x 12-13 times

–        Tuberculosis, asthma, and other respiratory effects

–        Immune function

–        Pneumonia

–        Aortic aneurysm

–        Atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease

Reproductive Disorders

–        Reduced fertility (women)

–        Pregnancy

1)     Baby’s health would be harmed

2)     Preterm delivery

3)     Stillbirth

4)     Low birth weight

5)     Sudden infant death

6)     Ectopic pregnancy

7)     Orofacial clefts in infants

For men
1) Erectile dysfunction
2) reduce fertility
3) Increase birth defects and miscarriage

Heart

–        Coronary heart disease

women x 5 times, men x 4 times
even a smoker of 5 cigarettes or less can have early signs of heart diseases

–        Rheumatic, pulmonary heart diseases, etc.

Bones

–        Hip fractures

–        Osteoporosis

 

Musculoskeletal

–        Rheumatoid arthritis

Aesthetic Disadvantage

Hair

Androgenetic alopecia (baldness) and premature hair graying

 

Skin

Premature wrinkles and expression lines

 

Ears

Hearing-loss, ear diseases [34]

 

Teeth

Tooth-loss, tooth discoloration

Eyes

–        Blindness, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration

Mouth

–        Congenital defects

–        Periodontitis

 

Your bank account

US$ 6.36, an average cost of a pack of cigarettes in the U.S. in 2013 [38]

(New York is US$ 10.56 [27])

–        US$ 2,321, a pack-a-day for 1 year

–        US$ 23,210, for 10 years

 

US$ 35, health-related costs to a smoker per pack of cigarettes in the U.S.

–        US$ 12,775, a pack-a-day for 1 year

–        US$ 127,750, for 10 years

 

= US$ 150,960 for 10 years of smoking.

This amount excludes the higher insurance premium that smokers would be charged in the U.S.

Your Family

Smoking causes 12% of the death of the people you are closed to [6].

 

Your child

Your unborn child would have DNA damage; a shorter telomere meaning aging faster than others and increased health risks [39].

 

Your granddaughters

Smoking’s harmful effect is long-lasting.  67% of your granddaughters are likely to display traits of autism if you smoke during pregnancy [40].

Check out this article to learn the best ways to quit smoking – it is easier than you think!

The most important step to take is the first step — admitting you have an addiction

Besides quitting smoking, eating the right food and doing sufficient exercise for your age are key to lead a happy healthy life. Check out these articles!


References:

[1]   J. Goudreau, Ā«Top 10 Traits Men Want In A Wife,Ā» 27 May 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/2010/05/26/what-men-want-in-a-wife-forbes-woman-well-being-marriage_slide_5.html#3bde86da57a3.

[2]   Ā«Tobacco-Related Mortality,Ā» 1 December 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/index.htm.

[3]   Ā«10 facts on gender and tobacco,Ā» [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/gender/documents/10facts_gender_tobacco_en.pdf.

[4]   Ā«Tobacco,Ā» World Health Organization, May 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/.

[5]   A. Dillard, R. Magnan, A. Koblitz e K. McCaul, Ā«Perceptions of smokers influence nonsmoker attitudes and preferences for interactions,Ā» 1 April 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3668795/.

[6]   Ā«Smoking & Tobacco Use,Ā» 16 November 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm.

[7]   Ā«20 Painful Health Conditions,Ā» 23 June 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Pain/Pages/20-painful-conditions.aspx.

[8]   Ā«Shoulder Disorders and Occupation,Ā» June 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836557/.

[9]   R. Patel, R. Wilson, P. Patel e R. Palmer, Ā«The effect of smoking on bone healing,Ā» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3686151/.

[10] M. Yunus, S. Arslan e J. Aldag, «Relationship between fibromyalgia features and smoking,» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12455822.

[11] Z. Baka, E. Buzas e G. Nagy, «Rheumatoid arthritis and smoking: putting the pieces together,» 3 August 2009. [Online]. Available: https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar2751#Sec23.

[12] «How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General,» 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53012/.

[13] R. Shiri e K. Falah-Hassani, «The Effect of Smoking on the Risk of Sciatica: A Meta-analysis,» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26403480.

[14] M. Battie, T. Videman, K. Gill, G. Moneta, R. Nyman, J. Kaprio e M. Koskenvuo, «1991 Volvo Award in Clinical Sciences: Smoking and Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: An MRI Study of Identical Twins,» September 1991. [Online]. Available: http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/1991/09000/1991_Volvo_Award_in_Clinical_Sciences__Smoking_and.1.aspx.

[15] R. Young, R. Rachal, R. Hackney, C. Uy e R. Scott, «Smoking is a factor in causing acute chest syndrome in sickle cell anemia,» March 1992. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2571761/.

[16] L. Lopez-Mesonero, S. Marquez, P. Parra, G. Gamez-Leyva, P. Munoz e J. Pascual, «Smoking as a precipitating factor for migraine: a survey in medical students,» April 2009. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3451643/.

[17] M. Tamadon, M. Nassaji e R. Ghorbani, «Cigarette Smoking and Nephrolithiasis in Adult Individuals,» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614330/.

[18] «Investigation of the relationship between smoking and appendicitis in Australian twins,» August 2008. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18652981.

[19] S. Barreto, «How does cigarette smoking cause acute pancreatitis?,» March 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26419886.

[20] D. Mouhamed, A. Ezzaher, F. Neffati, W. Douki, L. Gaha e M. Najjar, «Effect of cigarette smoking on plasma uric acid concentrations,» September 2011. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156839/.

[21] G. Eastwood, «The role of smoking in peptic ulcer disease,» 1988. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3053883.

[22] P. Hersey, D. Prendergast e A. Edwards, «Effects of cigarette smoking on the immune system. Follow-up studies in normal subjects after cessation of smoking,» 29 October 1983. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6633406.

[23] «Why Smoking Will Worsen Your Chronic Pain,» August 2017. [Online]. Available: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2017/08/why-smoking-will-worsen-your-chronic-pain/.

[24] «Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking,» 15 May 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm.

[25] «Cancer Statistics,» 22 March 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics.

[26] M. Shaw, R. Mitchell e D. Dorling, «Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes,» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1117323/.

[27] A. Linton, «How Much Money Does Smoking Cost You?» 27 June 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.thebalance.com/how-much-money-does-smoking-cost-you-4143324.

[28] R. Trueb, «Association between smoking and hair loss: another opportunity for health education against smoking?,» 2003. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12673073.

[29] J. Mosley e A. Gibbs, «Premature grey hair and hair loss among smokers: a new opportunity for health education?,» 21 December 1996. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2359122/?page=1.

[30] Y. Shi, L.-F. Luo, X.-M. Liu, Q. Zhou, S.-Z. Xu e T.-C. Lei, «Premature Graying as a Consequence of Compromised Antioxidant Activity in Hair Bulb Melanocytes and Their Precursors,» 2 April 2014. [Online]. Available: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0093589#abstract0.

[31] D. Doshi, K. Hanneman e K. Cooper, «Smoking and Skin Aging in Identical Twins,» December 2007. [Online]. Available: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/654484.

[32] L. Suehara, K. Simone e M. Maia, «Evaluation of facial aging related to cigarette smoking,» January 2006. [Online]. Available: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=s0365-05962006000100004&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en.

[33] K. Cruickshanks, R. Klein, B. Klein, T. Wiley, D. Nondahl e T. Tweed, «Cigarette Smoking and Hearing Loss,» 3 June 1998. [Online]. Available: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/187596.

[34] K. Gaur, N. Kasliwal e R. Gupta, «Association of smoking or tobacco use with ear diseases among men: a retrospective study,» 3 November 2011. [Online]. Available: https://tobaccoinduceddiseases.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1617-9625-10-4.

[35] M. Ojima, T. Hanioka, K. Tanaka e H. Aoyama, «Cigarette smoking and tooth loss experience among young adults: a national record linkage study,» 13 April 2007. [Online]. Available: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-7-313.

[36] T. Dietrich, C. Walter, K. Oluwagbemigun, M. Bergmann, T. Pischon, N. Pischon e H. Boeing, «Smoking, Smoking Cessation, and Risk of Tooth Loss,» 4 August 2015. [Online]. Available: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022034515598961.

[37] M. Alkhatib, R. Holt e R. Bedi, «Smoking and tooth discolouration: findings from a national cross-sectional study,» 24 March 2005. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1079878/.

[38] «Tobacco: The True Cost of Smoking,» 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.cancer.org/research/infographics-gallery/tobacco-related-healthcare-costs.html.

[39] «Prenatal Tobacco Exposure Shortens Telomere Length in Children,» 2017. [Online]. Available: http://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/226373.

[40] J. Golding, G. Ellis, S. Gregory, K. Birmingham, Y. Iles-Caven, D. Rai e M. Pembrey, Ā«Grand-maternal smoking in pregnancy and grandchild’s autistic traits and diagnosed autism,Ā» 27 April 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28448061.

[41] D. Hunter e P. Sambrook, «Bone loss: Epidemiology of bone loss,» 3 August 2000. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC128872/.

[42] Y.-W. Tsai, T.-I. Tsai, C.-L. Yang e K. Kuo, «Gender Differences in Smoking Behaviors in an Asian Population,» July 2008. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2942753/.

[43] P. Gilmour, Ā«Guys reveal their 13 biggest turn offs and they’re pretty brutal,Ā» 24 May 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a9922008/men-biggest-turn-offs-women/.

[44] «Aging changes in body shape,» 22 August 2016. [Online]. Available: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003998.htm.

[45] «How to Assess Changes in Feet: Normal or Abnormal,» [Online]. Available: http://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/how-to/foot-health/Pages/How-to-Assess-Normal-or-Abnormal-Changes-in-Feet.aspx.

[46] «Aging changes in hormone production,» [Online]. Available: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004000.htm.

[47] Mayo Clinic, «Aging: What to expect,» [Online]. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070.

[48] O. Demontiero, C. Vidal e G. Duque, «Aging and bone loss: new insights for the clinician,» [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3383520/#bibr146-1759720X11430858.

[49] «Strength and muscle mass loss with aging process. Age and strength loss,» October 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3940510/.

[50] «Pain, Nicotine, and Smoking: Research Findings and Mechanistic Considerations,» November 2011. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3202023/.

[51] M. Levine e E. Crimmins, «A Genetic Network Associated With Stress Resistance, Longevity, and Cancer in Humans.,» June 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26355015.

[52] T. Gunter, R. Philibert, A. Todorov, A. Andersen, N. Hollenbeck e A. Heath, «Examination of the Nicotine Dependence (NICSNP) Consortium findings in the Iowa adoption studies populatio,» 1 March 2009. [Online]. Available: https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article-abstract/11/3/286/1450844.

[53] J. Chu, «The Genetics of Nicotine Addiction,» 8 March 2007. [Online]. Available: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/407452/the-genetics-of-nicotine-addiction/.

Show More

Lois Chan

Lois has worked in the health and skincare industry since 2004. Highly optimistic about aging, she is still pragmatic enough to prepare thoroughly for the future. PrimeWithTime.com is Lois' brainchild; a website offering scientifically researched solutions to challenges that people face in every stage of their lives. Join her on her journey for wisdom through the ages.

Related Articles

Back to top button