I couldn’t process your entry.
Please reload and retry in a moment.
Please reload and retry in a moment.
Please reload and retry in a moment.
28th Feb 2019
In 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General officially confirmed that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer. But over the 50 years that have passed since then, we learned that smoking is responsible for many other terrible diseases which contribute to the tobacco epidemic we are currently facing.
Here are ten health consequences of smoking that you may not have heard off:
Smoking isn’t really good for your eyes. The risk of age-related macular degeneration is increased when you smoke. It is the number one cause of blindness in adults ages 65 and over.
Smoking plays a role in developing type 2 diabetes. It also increases the risk of complications from the disease like poor blood flow to our feet and legs. This may result in an infection and the need to amputate a limb.
Smoking negatively affects men's sexual function. Tobacco causes blood vessels all over your body to narrow, including those that provide blood to the penis. Fortunately, quitting can return things to normal over time.
Women who smoke are at increased risk for an ectopic pregnancy which is a life-threatening pregnancy complication. This complication is when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. Not only does this mean the egg won’t survive, but it also puts the woman’s life at serious risk.
People who smoke will lose bone density faster than those who don’t smoke. This increases the risk of bone and hip fractures. Quitting smoking will slow down this process. That way the next time you hit the dance floor, you will only break a sweat and not your bones.
The second leading cause of deaths from cancer in the United States is colorectal cancer, which forms in your intestines. As you probably guessed, smoking plays a role. It increases your risk to develop and die from this type of cancer.
Smoking increases your risk of losing teeth. As if possibly losing a limb wasn’t enough. Smokers have a higher chance of developing advanced periodontal disease, an infection of the gums that destroys the bone supporting your teeth and is a common cause of tooth loss in adults.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease. It affects the joints in your feet and hands and is more common in women. It results in painful swelling the leads to joint deformity and bone loss. One of its causes is smoking, and it’s also related to this disease developing at an earlier age.
These birth defects are when a baby’s mouth or lip doesn’t properly develop during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy greatly increases the chance to have a baby with orofacial clefts.
Those planning on having a baby should know that smoking negatively affects your ability to conceive. Not only does it reduces fertility in women, but it also may contribute to many other problems during pregnancy.
