By Jaweria Altaf

We are looking at the most harmful and dangerous effects that smoking does on our body. According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.3 billon peoples are active smokers in the world and this number is gradually increasing approximately, 6 million people die each year due to smoking in the world. Smoking is the most lethal social poisoning event and the world health organization defines smoking as the most important preventable cause of disease, the damages caused by smoking to our body are enormous. It is known that smoking is harmful to health and smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and reduces the quality of life. Well do you have the detailed information about the health hazards of smoking? Let’s look at the health damages by smoking and the changes in our body after quitting.

Due to smoking, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory system diseases, oral and dental health diseases can occur. It is among the important risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer and type II diabetes.

Global Pattern of Cigarette Consumption

China has the most cigarette consumption ratio in the world with (300.7 million) users. It kills more than 6millon people every year .  80% of the world population 1.3 billion cigarette users live in low and middle income countries. In 2020 36.7% men and 7.8% of women in the world consumed tobacco.

Some Serious Effects of Cigarette on our Body

According to south African psychiatrist Michael Russell main addictive substance of smoking is nicotine , which relaxes the mind of a smoker. Nicotine itself is not that much harmful but the combustion of nicotine with 100’s of toxic compounds makes it detrimental for our health.  With Each inhalation of cigarette smoke brings its more than 5000 chemical substances into contact with the body tissue. From the start, tar the black resinous material begins to coat the teeth and gums damaging tooth enamel, and eventually causing decay. Over the time, smoke also damages the nerve ending in the nose,  triggering to lose of smell inside the airways and lungs, smoke increases the likelihood of infections, as well as chronic diseases like bronchitis and emphysema. It does this by damaging the cilia, tiny hair like structure whose job is to keep the airways clean. Due to smoking, Cataracts are produced around the eyes which tends to reduce the range of vision compared to a non-smoker person and also decrease the color visibility of light. Smoking weakens immune system and attack human organs differently lower the antioxidants like vitamin C and kills the cells which help to fight with cancer. Cigarette initiate aging signs even at a young age signs which show aging are severe eyes, baldness, loss of hair, sagging under eyes and off-colored skin tone. Smoking can cause serious fertility problems at a high rate. It also weaken the bones of a human body it breaks the integrity of bone increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Smoking does the blood thick as it turns it into a stickier fluid like sludge due to this effect, Heart has to work hard to pump blood and provide to the necessary organs around the body. Cigarettes damage one’s sense of taste encourage high cholesterol. IT INCREASES THE RISK OF STROKE AND HEART ATTACK smoking can cause in major cardiovascular disease by which one of the three deaths takes place by stemming from CVD.

Effects After Quitting Cigarette

Within the 20 minutes of quitting your blood pressure and heart rate returns to normal this is because the nicotine in cigarette releases the epinephrine and norepinephrine which increased your heart rate and narrowed your blood vessels these effects also caused smokers extremities to feel colder by now your hands and feet have returned to their normal temperature. 2 hours and nicotine craving begins causing moodiness, drowsiness, tense feelings and difficulty in sleeping because nicotine releases more dopamine. 8 hours after quitting and the inhale carbon monoxide clears allowing oxygen levels in the bloodstreams returned to normal carbon monoxide and oxygen compete to bind to hemoglobin in your blood which stretches the circulatory system so it clears more rooms for oxygen. Surprisingly 24 hours of quitting coughing will actually increase which is your body’s way of clearing out all the toxins from the lungs additionally at this point the of developing various heart diseases decreases all within 24 hours. In 48 hours when nicotine and its metabolic are completely eliminated from your body damaged nerve endings returns to regrow. At the 72 hours mark nicotine withdraw peaks with headache nausea and cramps as well as emotional symptoms like anxiety and depression but after this period the worst is officially over after one month the risk of developing type II diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases is already decreased. Within 3 to 9 months the damaged cilia and the lungs are almost fully repaired. And around one year the. In 10 years the chance of developing lungs cancer decreases half of someone who did not quite smoking and in 15year time the risk of developing heart diseases decreases to same as someone who has never smoked their entire life. Of course this guide is not absolute and the average quantity you smoke per day or year will play a role in how well your body recovers.

Best replacement for smoking: Nicotine chewing gum, lozenges, tablets, mouth sprays and inhalers are ‘quick response products’. These things can deliver nicotine as soon you’re craving it, which reliefs if your need to smoke changes throughout the day.

Tips to Quit Smoking

1. SET A TARGET
2. TAKE SUPPORT
3. HANDLE CHALLENGES
4. MAKE A NONSMOKING ENVORINMENT
5. TRY TO KEEP WATER BOTTLE IN YOUR HANDS
6. AVOID SUCH HABITS THAT TRIGGERS YOU TO SMOKE
7. MAKE NEW HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
8. STOP EXCUSES
9. FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS
10. DON’T GIVE UP….!