Smoke

The Harmful Effects of Cigarette Smoking on the Cardiovascular System

Short Term Long Term


Cigarette smoking damages the body slowly and greatly, and one of the areas where smoking causes the most problems is in the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system is composed of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Smoking creates a lot of problems here because you constantly use your cardiovascular system.

You use it simply by breathing, and when you smoke, all the tar from the cigarettes slowly clog up the aviolie in your lungs. Aviolie are the areas where oxygen is defused into the blood stream and the more of these that are clogged the harder it is for oxygen to circulate to the body. This will lead to wheezing and shortness of breath.

Cigarette smoking has many irreversible health effects associated with it, which can be short or long term on your respiratory system and heart. Smoking directly damages your respiratory system. For example, a person who smokes one pack of cigarettes a day for one year is doing the same as smearing one cup of tar on his/her lungs. Tobacco smoke contains 4000 different chemicals some of which are Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia, Hydrogen Cyanide, and Lead. These substances combined can seriously damage the body and can even be fatal.



SHORT TERM:

Some short term effects of this include bad breath, coughing, wheezing and sputum production which may lead to respiratory infection which can cause permanent lung tissue damage. This damage can be reduced if you quit smoking but it can never be reversed.

The effects of cigarette smoke are just as bad for non-smokers as for smokers. The smoke at the end of a burning cigarette is more harmful to the non-smoker than the smoke inhaled by the smoker because the particles are smaller and can go deeper into the lung and can be more damaging. The non-smoker can develop the same health complications as the smoker.


Smoking as an adolescent is a very bad idea. It will cause retardation in the development of a teenager’s lung and their lungs will never fully attain normal development and function. This may cause an earlier decline in lung functions creating a deceased lung reserve which may leave them unable to walk or run for extended periods of time.

Almost 75% of long-term smokers showed changes in their DNA patterns which led to pancreas lesions which is experienced by only 3% of non-smokers.

Smoking is the primary factor in many diseases. It accounts for 80-90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as chronic mucus secretion, emphysema, and chronic airflow along with bronchitis. Smokers are more susceptible to bacterial infections, nose and throat inflammations and respiratory infections.



LONG TERM:

The heart and circulatory system are also greatly effected by cigarette smoking. Smoking is one of the leading factors of heart disease and if continued for a long period of time could lead to death. Premature coronary heart disease could lead to sudden death. Atherosclerosis is caused by smoking. This is a build up of fatty deposits on the inside of the carotid artery which can lead to blood vessel diseases and narrowing and stiffening of blood vessels which could rupture easier. This increases cholesterol and clogging of arteries which, in turn, will lead to poor circulation to the extremities of the body and high blood pressure and a higher heart rate. At least 30% of people suffering with heart disease will end up dying. The circulatory system may be repaired with surgery but if a person’s circulatory system is so far gone, it is only a matter of time before they die. Heart disease may be accompanied by chest spasms, which is a symptom of a heart attack which may lead to death.

The most common disease associated with smoking is cancer of the lung.

Smoking also causes cancer of the lips, tongue, salivary glands, mouth, larynx, esophagus, and middle and lower pharynx, bladder. It is also linked to cancers of the renal pelvis, uterine cervix and pancreas. All of these cancers are irreversible and you will die a long, painful death. Smoking is the leading cause of death in Canada.


There should be no questions about the dangers of cigarette smoking and the effects it has on the cardiovascular system. In conclusion, the previous information about these effects has all been scientifically proven to be linked to cigarette smoking.





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