According to various estimates, from 50 to 80 million people died during the Second World War. Terrifying numbers. But they are not the most terrible. According to the World He alth Organization, 7 million people die every year from the effects of smoking. And this includes diseases caused by smoking, and fires from lit cigarettes. This information is publicly available, but even it cannot save people from such an addiction. The smoker's brain turns on a simple protective reflex: "this will not affect me." Do not cherish empty hopes. Touches. And often even much earlier than old age.
Causes of diseases
Illnesses from smoking are caused by various toxic substances in the chemical composition of cigarette smoke. When burning a cigarette, about 4,000 different compounds are released, some of which are classified as carcinogens. At the heart of tobacco smoke are: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, isoprene, hydrogen cyanide, ammonium, acetone, acetaldehyde. In addition to these gases, particles of heavy metals, such as lead, are also present in the smoke.
Gradually, these components accumulate in the body. There is a "launch" of diseases. Smoking can cause a variety of ailments. For example, many asthmatics would be completely he althy if they did not decide to smoke their first cigarette at some point in their lives. What are the most common illnesses caused by smoking?
Lung Cancer
Now about 90% of cases of lung cancer occur in smokers. Among the sick, only 40% of people survive. The rest die from smoking because of this disease. The problem also lies in the fact that patients simply ignore the initial form of the course of the disease. The first symptoms do not cause any alarm:
- Slight hoarseness that comes and goes on its own.
- Dry cough.
- Whistle while breathing.
- Slight increase in temperature (most often in the evening).
- Shortness of breath.
- Weight loss.
Most patients at this stage do not pay any attention to the disease. The tumor gradually progresses, worsening the symptoms. The patient begins to suffer from pain in the chest area, a strong cough with sputum. There may be some swallowing problems and swollen lymph nodes in the collarbone area.
Most often this type of oncology is detected in a patient only at 3-4 stages of the course of the disease. A cure in this case is possible, but the probability of a favorable prognosis is extremely low. Therefore, it is advisable to undergo an appropriate medical examination annually.
Cancer of the larynx
This disease from cigarette smoking occurs mainly among men. In women, this type of cancer is much less common. According to medical statistics, 90% of patients with laryngeal cancer are men aged 40 to 60 years. And 99% of them are heavy smokers. Characteristic signs of the first stage of the disease include:
- hoarseness;
- pain when swallowing;
- feeling of a foreign body in the throat;
- loss of appetite;
- fall in vitality;
- constant lethargy.
Symptoms are quite characteristic, but doctors often misdiagnose the patient. For example, stage 1 laryngeal cancer can be easily confused with laryngitis. Metastases spread very quickly, so in 25% of cases, treatment is started when the tumor has already affected the rest of the larynx.
In the treatment of this disease caused by smoking, doctors combine radiation and surgical methods. Chemotherapy, as an independent method of treatment, is not used. The fact is that in this case it is extremely inefficient.
Survival of patients directly depends on the stage of development of the disease at which treatment was started. For example, when starting therapy at the first and second stages, the five-year survival rate reaches 90%. With therapy at the third stage, this figure does not exceed 67%.
Emphysema
A rather dangerous lung disease. It does not develop directly from smoking, but smokers are at an increased risk. The fact is that emphysema can sufferpeople with chronic bronchitis or asthma. With this disease, the lung tissue gradually loses its elasticity and the air from the lungs does not completely exit. With the wrong treatment or its complete absence, emphysema leads to disruption of the heart.
In some cases there is bullous emphysema. Such a disease is asymptomatic, diagnosis can be made only in the last stages of the course of the disease. In the presented case, it is impossible to do without surgical intervention.
For treatment, doctors recommend:
- give up cigarettes;
- perform oxygen therapy;
- do breathing exercises.
Bullous emphysema is treated only by surgery. There are no other options in this case.
Atherosclerosis
Dangerous vascular disease, one of the provoking factors of which is smoking. According to the European Society of Cardiology, this disease most often develops in smokers. To be fair, some other risk factors should be mentioned:
- diabetes mellitus;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- hereditary predisposition;
- hyperlipoproteinemia and some others.
It is this pathology that underlies all deaths from cardiovascular diseases. With this disease, there is a gradual deposition of cholesterol and other types of fats on the inner walls of blood vessels. As a result, the lumen of the arteries and capillaries decreases, which leads to difficulty in blood flow. Firsta person begins to feel symptoms when the plaque has closed more than 75% of the lumen of an artery or capillary.
Atherosclerosis of the branches of the aortic arch leads to a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain. As a result, the patient complains of frequent dizziness. As a result, even a stroke can develop.
With atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, there is a risk of coronary heart disease. During atherosclerosis, the arteries supplying blood to the intestines may develop:
- Necrosis of the intestinal walls.
- A ventral toad.
Often this disease also affects the arteries that supply blood directly to the kidneys. In this case, the patient has a constant high blood pressure. Such arterial hypertension is practically untreatable. Over time, against its background, kidney failure begins to progress.
With atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities, there is acute pain during movement, completely disappearing when stopped. Patients complain of some heaviness in the legs. Such a disease can subsequently lead to tissue necrosis and amputation.
It is impossible to diagnose atherosclerosis on your own. The early stages of this disease from smoking are completely asymptomatic. It will be possible to identify the problem only using the method of ultrasonic dopplerography of vessels.
There are several options for treatment. For example, a patient is prescribed a course of special drugs, the action of which is based on blocking the synthesis of cholesterol. When large fatty plaques are formed, they are removed surgically.way.
Prevention of atherosclerosis is very simple. It is necessary to completely abandon the addiction, lead a more active lifestyle and reduce the amount of fatty foods in the diet.
Eye diseases
Tobacco smoke contains many harmful substances and compounds. At the same time, the work of capillaries and blood vessels is severely disrupted in smokers. The combination of both factors leads to the fact that a person's visual acuity decreases. What diseases are caused by smoking in this case? The final list includes:
- Cataract.
- Macular degeneration.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Macular degeneration.
To be fair, smoking only makes you more likely to develop these diseases. It cannot be the only reason for their appearance.
Stomach diseases
Gastritis is also referred to diseases caused by smoking. Of course, the provoking factors for such a disorder of the digestive system are much higher. For example, quite often gastritis develops against the background of an improper diet, errors in the menu, and stress. It has recently been proven that this disease occurs due to specific microorganisms living on the mucous membrane.
Nicotine also brings its negative contribution. The intake of this alkaloid in the body leads to an increase in the rate of hydrochloric acid synthesis. The carbon monoxide contained in tobacco smoke binds to hemoglobin 300 times faster than oxygen. Against this background, oxygen starvation of many cells and tissues is observed. On the gastric mucosa pass variousmorphological changes, which leads to increased reproduction of Helicobacter pylori. The result is an inflammatory process, the appearance of characteristic cutting pains, heartburn. It is because of this that many heavy smokers often complain of various stomach problems.
Rejection of cigarettes is necessary even with already diagnosed gastritis. The fact is that regular poisoning of the body will exacerbate the problem. As a result, a stomach ulcer may develop. Of course, this smoking-related disease also occurs for a number of other reasons. Cigarettes only make it worse.
Heart disease
Smoking and heart disease are directly related. As mentioned above, tobacco smoke contains a lot of carbon monoxide. It binds hemoglobin, causing the blood to thicken. The heart has to work harder to transport it around the body. Oxygen starvation and reduced lung function also have a detrimental effect. Pathological changes occur in the heart, leading in some cases even to the death of a smoker. Doctors say that for men with some dependence on tobacco, the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases increases by 10-15 times compared with non-smokers.
Smoking increases the risk of developing the following diseases:
- myocardial infarction;
- ischemic heart disease;
- Aortic aneurysm.
Examples of diseases caused by smoking, in this case, you can give very, verylot. It is important to understand another pattern. First, the risk of developing any disease directly depends on the number of cigarettes smoked. Second, the chance of a heart attack increases when a person smokes flavored cigarettes such as menthol. Such additives reduce bronchial irritation, which slightly reduces coughing. That's just a double load on the heart.
Impotence
There can be many reasons for erectile dysfunction. For example, impotence can develop against the background of stress, constant fatigue, intense rhythm of life. Smoking also has a detrimental effect. Moreover, the action takes place in several directions at once.
Firstly, nicotine gradually reduces the amount of testosterone produced by a man's body. As a result, libido falls, attraction to the opposite sex decreases.
Secondly, cigarettes have a negative effect on blood vessels, significantly reducing their throughput. Researchers from the USA found that men who smoke 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years, in 60% of cases, experience serious problems with their sexual life at 40 years or more. For many, the onset of impotence is even lower.
After rejection
The risk of developing various dangerous ailments is possible after smoking. Diseases (lung oncology, heart attack, and a number of others) can "overtake" a smoker even after he completely gives up tobacco. For example, Allen Carr, the creator of the world-famous easy waygiving up cigarettes, died of lung cancer. The disease overtook him 23 years after he completely gave up tobacco and began to promote a he althy lifestyle and his own method of treatment.
Smoking and psychology
Smoking is a human disease in psychological terms. The fact is that the discomfort after the refusal lasts no more than 2-3 weeks. In some cases, the withdrawal syndrome disappears in 3 days. Complete removal of nicotine from the body occurs within 48 hours. Moreover, the smoker does not experience any strong physical pain. The breakdown occurs due to the fact that a person sees support in a cigarette, a way to pass the time, a relaxation option. That is, addiction is more psychological than physiological.
Smoking and beauty
There are many diseases from smoking. The reasons for quitting this addiction in this case are understandable without further explanation. However, cigarettes also negatively affect the appearance of a person. This manifests itself in the following moments:
- yellow teeth;
- earthy complexion;
- hair loss.
For many people, the most effective motivation for rejection is to improve appearance.
Instead of totals
There are a lot of ways to fight this addiction. They differ both in the way they affect the smoker and in their effectiveness. You must continue to try to quit until you have completely overcome this dangerous habit.
