Most smokers are seen resorting to tobacco consumption due to the temporary positive change it brings in their mood. Little do they realize, that in no time, they become completely slave to it and suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms like increased anxiety and sparks of irritability when trying to leave it.
As against the only mood related positive impact of tobacco, which is what makes it a popular consumption item, it’s bundled with extremely damaging chemicals.
No tobacco product can be regarded as safe. You must make a note of the fact that all forms of tobacco consumption are bad for health. This is because tobacco’s primary constituents including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and acetone are extremely harmful and its consumption in any of the forms adversely affects one’s body system in entirety.
The 5 main reasons why tobacco is bad for health can be broken down in terms its damaging impact on 5 major body systems:
Impact on Respiratory System
The most commonly known harmful effect of consuming tobacco is the damage it causes to one’s lungs. Smoking tobacco regularly can lead to irreversible respiratory consequences in terms of destroying the air sacs in one’s lungs (emphysema), permanent inflammation of the lining in one’s breathing tubes (chronic bronchitis), lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD).
In fact, it can even affect one’s children, with increased proneness to coughing, asthma and higher chances of bronchitis and pneumonia.
Impact on Cardiovascular System
Smoking can be best described as a lifestyle habit that immensely damages one’s heart. Basically, the nicotine in tobacco tightens the blood vessels, which in turn restricts the blood flow. This continuous narrowing of blood vessels raises risks of peripheral artery diseases. It also raises the risk of strokes by raising the blood pressure and increasing clotting. As a regular practice, smoking reduces the good cholesterol – HDL and in turn, raises the bad cholesterol – LDL.
Unfortunately, the effect on the heart is not restricted to only the smoker, but also those around who get impacted due to the second-hand smoke.
Impact on Digestive System
Consuming tobacco also damages one’s taste buds and results in reduced appetite. It increases the chances of being a victim of mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreatic cancer.
Tobacco is also known to affect one’s insulin levels and can cause insulin resistance. With this, it also raises one’s proneness to type 2 diabetes, which again results in many health complications of its own.
Impact on Integumentary System
Tobacco is also known to have a visible and detrimental impact on one’s skin, hair and nails. It can alter the skin structure and increase risks of skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma. People who smoke tobacco regularly are also seen with yellowing and stained nails, with increased risks of fungal nail infections. Additionally, it also causes hair fall, premature balding and graying of one’s hair.
Impact on Reproductive Health
Lastly, tobacco consumption also raises the probability of both long term and short fertility complications among both men and women.
When pregnant women consume tobacco, it raises their chances of miscarriages. It can potentially impact the health of the newborn child by affecting them with asthma, ear related infections, and even death. The risks of smoking during pregnancy can get quite serious, and the baby could suffer from growth issues, physical deformities and even be deprived of the necessary oxygen.
Moreover, women who tend to consume tobacco regularly in the form of smoking are observed to attain menopause earlier with increased proneness to hot flashes. Due to constricting of blood vessels because of smoking, men could also suffer from erectile dysfunctions.
Buy Health Insurance
If you are a smoker or have a loved one who smokes, you must try or persuade the other to get out of its clutches. While that will take some time, you must make sure to be immediately at least covered with good health insurance. Nowadays, you can buy health insurance plans specially catering to cancer and heart related ailments, which can be life threatening.
Insurance helps in availing the best treatment for tobacco induced diseases, whether you are a smoker or not.
Given the lifestyle today, with little time to invest in one’s health, diseases are more common than ever. Having this kind of security really protects you from the financial risks of unforeseen medical emergencies and helps you stay prepared for the worst.
With all the damage that consuming tobacco causes to one’s own health and even to the near and dear ones around, it is a habit every individual engaging in the practice must renounce. Given the dependency it causes, eliminating it completely is something that needs a combination of dedication, will power and time.
This World No Tobacco Day, take a pledge to a healthier and protected future for yourself and your family.
