Facts About Smoking Cigarettes

Breathing trouble and lung cancer are usually associated with smoking of cigarettes. Moreover, several other chronic disorders can also develop in smokers. Smoking is one of the major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease and kidney failure along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Since smoking decreases oxygen flow to the heart, it causes huge damage. Both blood pressure and heart rate gets increased and that is fatal for the heart. Among the poisonous substances present in a cigarette are carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, tar and above all, nicotine. In fact, many other poisonous ingredients of different levels of toxicity are also present.

Nicotine is addictive and affects the arteries in a negative manner. Heartbeat increases, hypertension occurs and arteries get constricted due to nicotine. Oxygen supply to the heart is stopped due to carbon monoxide. Blood clotting and clogging gets increased. In the case of coronary artery, the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart gets decreased due to narrowing of the arteries. This strain leads to a chest pain or angina pectoris.

Apart from the long-term bad effects, cigarette smoking affects the body right at the moment of smoking due to the presence of so many poisonous substances. Arsenic is a rat poison, methane is a rocket fuel, ammonia is used in floor cleaning, cadmium is used in batteries, carbon monoxide is part of car exhaust and hydrogen cyanide is a poison used in gas chambers. Every time one inhales smoke from a cigarette, all these poisonous chemicals enter into the blood through the lungs in small amounts. Even small amounts of such deadly poisons can harm the body.

Smoking makes one smell bad, stains the teeth, causes the skin to wrinkle and gives bad breath. Cavities are found three times more in smokers than non-smokers. Hormone levels get lower due to smoking. Smokers cough for a long time. They are more prone to bronchitis and pneumonia. Smokers fall sick more often. Every time one inhales smoke from a cigarette, some of the air sacks in the lungs get killed. This way, parts of the lungs gradually get destroyed. This hampers activities like sports or singing where proper breathing is necessary.

Smoking paralyzes the hair-like structures called cilia lining the lungs. They become incapable of sweeping out dust particles, smoke and pollens from the lungs. As a result these particles stay permanently in the lungs and form tar. Cigarettes are as bad as cocaine or heroin. The poisonous addictive in nicotine makes people feel good while smoking. This increases the chances of lung cancer or emphysema. One ends up being sick for a long, long time.

Smoke from a cigarette increases fatty deposits in the blood and strains the heart. The risk of a heart disease and atherosclerosis gets aggravated due to this. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty substances like cholesterol, cellular waste, calcium etc are deposited along the lining of arteries in a human body. LDL cholesterol increases and HDL cholesterol decreases due to smoking. Triglycerides increases and affects the cholesterol levels negatively.