Tobacco Side Effects. Does smoking tobacco may make you look cool as cool as Joe Manganiello? Well, it might if you have his winsome smile and washboard abs. It may also may you more alert and relaxed. But the really bad long-term tobacco side effects should make you think twice before you lit them cigars.
First, let’s talk about the short-term bad tobacco side effects. The immediate effects, particularly for a person smoking for the first time, may include the following:
- nausea
- dizziness
- increased blood pressure
- narrowed arteries
- rapid heart beat
As for the long-term tobacco side effects, the deadliest of them all would be, literally, death. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 6 million people die prematurely a year because of tobacco. About 600,000 die because of second-hand smoke while the rest die because of direct tobacco use.
The Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov) has this helpful and useful information on long-term tobacco side effects:
Smoking and Heart Disease, Stroke, and Lung Cancer. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Smoking tobacco is estimated to increase the risk of coronary heart disease (by 2 to 4 times), stroke (by 2 to 4 times), and lung cancer (by 25 times).
Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease). Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States. Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower. This makes your heart beat faster and your blood pressure go up.
Clots can also form. A stroke occurs when a clot blocks the blood flow to part of your brain or when a blood vessel in or around your brain bursts. Blockages caused by smoking can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.
Smoking and Respiratory Disease. Smoking tobacco can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs. Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse among people with asthma.
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Smoking and Cancer. Tobacco smoking can cause cancer in any part of your body such as:
- Bladder
- Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
- Cervix
- Colon and rectum (colorectal)
- Esophagus
- Kidney and ureter
- Larynx
- Liver
- Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
- Pancreas
- Stomach
- Trachea, bronchus, and lung
So, have you experienced any of the above short and long-term tobacco side effects?
Tobacco Side Effects: Short Term and Long Term Side Effects posted 5 October 2016. Last update on 5 October 2016.