According to K Hospital, cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 different chemicals. Of these, at least 250 are toxic, including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia. Of the 250 toxic chemicals, at least 69 can cause cancer.
Cigarette smoke harms nearly every organ and system in the body and reduces a person's overall health.
Cigarette smoke and tobacco both contain harmful substances.
Smoking causes cancers such as: lung cancer, esophageal cancer, throat cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer and acute leukemia.
Smoking also causes heart disease, stroke, aortic dissection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and worsens asthma symptoms in adults. Smokers are also at risk for tuberculosis and other infections.
The harmful effects of tobacco are similar to those of cigarettes.
Passive smoking also causes cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies passive smoking as a carcinogen. Non-smokers who live with smokers have a 20-30% increased risk of lung cancer. The risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 25-30%. The risk of stroke also increases by 20-30%.
Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of sleep apnea, ear infections, colds, and bronchitis. Secondhand smoke also increases the frequency and severity of asthma, slows lung development in children, and can cause coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Immediate benefits of quitting smoking
After a few minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure, which are often abnormally high during smoking, will begin to return to normal.
After a few hours, the carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the blood begin to decrease, improving the ability to carry oxygen.
After a few weeks, people who quit smoking will experience improved circulation, less phlegm, and less coughing and wheezing.
After several years, people who quit smoking have a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases compared to if they continued smoking.
Long-term benefits of quitting smoking
Quitting smoking reduces your risk of cancer and other diseases, such as heart disease and COPD, that are often caused by smoking.
People who quit smoking before age 40 reduce their risk of dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases by 90%.
If they quit between the ages of 45 and 54, they can reduce their risk of premature death by two-thirds. At any age, people who quit smoking have improved life expectancy compared to smokers. Compared to people who continue to smoke, people who quit between the ages of 25 and 34 live 10 years longer.
If people quit smoking between the ages of 35 and 44, they will live 9 years longer. If they quit between the ages of 45 and 54, they will live 6 years longer. And if people quit between the ages of 55 and 64, they will live 5 years longer than those who continue to smoke.
While it's never too late to quit, the benefits are greater the younger you quit.
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