Surprising Reasons Smoking Affects More Than Just Your Lungs

Cigarette smoking contributes to roughly 85-90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), showcasing how badly this habit affects the lungs and respiratory system in general. However, one thing that’s often overlooked is the ways smoking impacts the other vital organs.

Beyond damaging the lungs, smoking also leads to a variety of other comorbidities, including impacting the heart, brain, bones, and digestive organs, among other things. If you are in the process of ditching this habit, being aware of how smoking destroys your body would be enough of a determination.

This comprehensive guide from Ryze will discuss and highlight some of the surprising reasons why smoking affects more than just the lungs.

How Smoking Impacts the Heart?

Out of the three reasons why smoking is bad, the impact the habit has on the heart is one of the main concerns. Smoking impairs the functions of the cardiovascular system, leading to risks of strokes, heart failure or cardiac arrest.

This primarily happens because the chemicals present in cigarettes, like nicotine and carbon monoxide, contribute to the hardening as well as extreme narrowing of the arteries, leading to atherosclerosis. This inhibits seamless blood flow to the heart, increases blood pressure, further leading to the risks of  blood clots.

Over time, the strain on the heart increases due to reduced oxygen flow, leading to heart attacks and other heart diseases.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers are 2-4 times at heightened risks of  developing coronary heart disease.
• Smoking reduces "good" HDL cholesterol and increases the chances of plaque build-up in the arteries.

How does Smoking Impact the Brain?

Moving on from the heart, the next vital organ that’s negatively impacted by smoking is the brain. Not just the standard brain function, smoking also impairs cognitive abilities and increases the risks of strokes.

Again, the chemicals in cigarettes lead to narrowing of the blood vessels, which impacts standard blood circulation, thereby reducing blood flow to the brain. Without proper oxygenation, the brain experiences chronic damage.

Some studies also correlate smoking with enhanced risks of brain aneurysms in patients, often leading to life-threatening haemorrhages.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers are at a higher risk for ischemic strokes due to reduced oxygen to the brain.
• Studies suggest a link between smoking and accelerated cognitive decline, leading to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

How Smoking Impacts Bone Health?

Not many realise or know this, but smoking also has direct impacts on the body’s skeletal system, leading to decreased bone density and risks of fractures.

If you are a heavy smoker, it is said that the chemicals often interfere with the proper calcium absorption into the bones, weakening them. Also, the impacted and constricted blood vessels decrease blood flow to the bones, slowing the healing process when fractures happen. Studies also indicate that nicotine interferes with the production of osteoblasts, which help with  bone formation.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers, especially women, are more prone to osteoporosis, leading to brittle bones.
• The risks of hip fracture are often a lot higher in individuals who smoke.

How Does Smoking Impact Digestive Health?

Another vital physiological function that’s impacted by smoking is digestion. Even your digestive system is highly susceptible to the damaging effects of smoking, leading to issues ranging from acid reflux to cancers of the digestive tract.

Research depicts that smoking consistently impairs the function of the oesophagal sphincter, which prevents stomach acids from rising into the oesophagus. This leads to a common digestive issue called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

Chronic smoking also weakens the stomach’s protective lining, making smokers more vulnerable to ulcers. Last but not least, smoking increases the risks of cancers related to the digestive tract, including stomach and colon cancer.

Long-term impacts:

• Smoking increases the likelihood of developing stomach and pancreatic cancers.
• Smokers are 2x as likely to suffer from peptic ulcers and chronic acid reflux.

How Smoking Impacts the Oral Health?

Among the major organs in our body, our oral health is one that we pay the least attention to. The harmful effects of smoking start at the mouth, affecting not just the teeth but the gums and oral tissues, too. The incidence of oral cancers is often due to smoking and tobacco chewing.

Tobacco use affects the blood flow to the gums, increasing the risk of gum disease (periodontitis) and tooth decay. Smoking also reduces your mouth’s ability to fight off bacteria, leading to persistent bad breath, staining of teeth, and a higher risk of oral cancers.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers are 6x  more likely to develop oral cancer.
• The risk of losing teeth is 2-3 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers.

How Smoking Impacts the Reproductive Health?

Studies suggest that around 13% of the cases of infertility are due to cigarette smoking. This goes to show that if you are a chronic smoker, your chances of conceiving a biological child are significantly impacted. So, if you are trying for a baby, learning How to Quit Smoking is a dire necessity.

Not just fertility, smoking also impacts one’s sexual health and also leads to potential complications during pregnancy. In the case of men, smoking can reduce the sperm count, affect sperm motility and lead to erectile dysfunction.

In the case of women, smoking alters hormonal balance, reduces egg quality and leads to earlier menopause. Also, during pregnancy, a prior habit of smoking can contribute to premature birth, low birth weight, and increase the risk of birth defects.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers have a significantly higher chance of infertility.
• Erectile dysfunction is twice as likely to occur in male smokers.

How Does Smoking Impact the Immune System?

One of the most vital functions in our body is our immune function, which shields us against infections and foreign pathogens.

With your habit of smoking, you are inadvertently putting that at risk. Cigarettes are developed with a blend of 7,000 chemicals, many of which impair immune function. There is ongoing research that showcases that smoking slows down the body’s ability to produce antibodies and slows down its reactions to infection, leading to fatal complications at times.

Long-term impacts:

• Smokers are at risks of respiratory infections like pneumonia and influenza.
• Smoking delays the healing of wounds and recovery from illnesses.

Say Goodbye to Smoking for a Better Health

Now that you have a clear idea of why smoking is bad for your health, it is time to learn how to stop smoking cigarettes. This is where Ryze, a leading flavoured nicotine gum brand, comes into the picture.

We understand that quitting a habit like smoking, which you have been battling for years, is never easy. However, with Ryze’s 21-Day Quitting Challenge, you too can pick up the baton and get to the finish line by curbing and suppressing your nicotine cravings and embracing a smoke-free life.