Smoking

What are the health effects of smoking?

There's no way around it; smoking is bad for your health. It harms nearly every organ of the body, even some that you would not expect. Cigarette smoking causes many cancers and other health problems. It is also the cause of nearly one in five deaths in the United States.

Some of the many health problems that smoking can cause include:

• Cancers. Smoking is the most common cause of lung and oral cancers. But it can also cause cancer in many other parts of your body, such as in your larynx (voice box), esophagus, throat, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum, and cervix. It can also cause acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
• Lung diseases. Smoking is the most common cause of COPD. It can also worsen asthma and raise your risk of pneumonia.
• Cardiovascular diseases. Smoking can damage your blood vessels and make them thicken and grow narrower. This makes your heart beat faster and raises your blood pressure. Smoking also increases your risk of blood clots and stroke.
• Vision problems. Smoking can raise your risk of cataracts and cause macular degeneration (AMD).

People who smoke while pregnant have a greater chance of certain pregnancy problems. Their babies are also at higher risk of dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking also causes addiction to nicotine, a stimulant drug that is in tobacco. Nicotine addiction makes it much harder for people to quit smoking.

What are the health risks of secondhand smoke?

Your smoke is also bad for other people. If they breathe in your secondhand smoke, they can get many of the same problems as smokers do. These problems can include heart disease and lung cancer. Children exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and more severe asthma. People who breathe secondhand smoke while pregnant are more likely to have preterm labor and babies with low birth weight.

Are other forms of tobacco also dangerous?

Besides cigarettes, there are several other forms of tobacco. Some people smoke tobacco in cigars and water pipes (hookahs). These forms of tobacco also contain harmful chemicals and nicotine. Some cigars contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.

E-cigarettes often look like cigarettes, but they work differently. They are battery-operated smoking devices. Using an e-cigarette is called vaping. Researchers still have a lot to learn about the health effects of using e-cigarettes. We do know that they contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and is a health danger for pregnant people, their developing babies, children, and teens. And e-cigarettes also expose non-smokers to secondhand aerosols (rather than secondhand smoke), which contain harmful chemicals.

Smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco and snuff, is also bad for your health. Smokeless tobacco can cause certain cancers, including oral cancer. It also increases your risk of getting heart disease, gum disease, and oral lesions.

Why should I quit?

Remember, there is no safe level of tobacco use. Smoking even just one cigarette per day over a lifetime can cause smoking-related cancers and premature death. Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of health problems and add years to your life. The earlier you quit, the greater the benefit. Some immediate benefits of quitting include:

• Lower heart rate and blood pressure
• Less carbon monoxide in the blood (carbon monoxide reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen)
• Better circulation
• Less coughing and wheezing

Quitting smoking can be challenging, but it is so important for your health. Contact your health care provider if you need help quitting.