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Nicotine is the addictive
drug in tobacco smoke that causes smokers to continue to smoke.
Addicted smokers need enough nicotine over a day to ‘feel
normal’ – to satisfy cravings or control their mood. How much
nicotine a smoker needs determines how much smoke they are
likely to inhale, no matter what type of cigarette they smoke.
Along with nicotine, smokers also inhale about 4,000 other
chemicals in cigarette smoke. Many of these compounds are
chemically active and trigger profound and damaging changes in
the body. There are over 60 known cancer-causing chemicals in
tobacco smoke. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body,
causing many diseases and reducing health in general.
Tobacco smoke contains dangerous
chemicals
The most damaging compounds in tobacco smoke include:
-
Tar –
this is the collective term for all the various particles
suspended in tobacco smoke. The particles contain chemicals
including several cancer-causing substances. Tar is sticky
and brown and stains teeth, fingernails and lung tissue. Tar
contains the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene that is known to
trigger tumor development (cancer).
-
Carbon
monoxide – this odorless gas is fatal in large doses because
it takes the place of oxygen in the blood. Each red blood
cell contains a protein called hemoglobin; oxygen molecules
are transported around the body by binding to, or hanging
onto, this protein. However, carbon monoxide binds to
hemoglobin better than oxygen. This means that less oxygen
reaches the brain, heart, muscles and other organs.
-
Hydrogen
cyanide – the lungs contain tiny hairs (cilia) that help to
clean the lungs by moving foreign substances out. Hydrogen
cyanide stops this lung clearance system from working
properly, which means the poisonous chemicals in tobacco
smoke can build up inside the lungs. Other chemicals in
smoke that damage the lungs include hydrocarbons, nitrous
oxides, organic acids, phenols and oxidizing agents.
-
Free
radicals – these highly reactive chemicals can damage the
heart muscles and blood vessels. They react with
cholesterol, leading to the build-up of fatty material on
artery walls. Their actions lead to heart disease, stroke
and blood vessel disease.
-
Metals –
tobacco smoke contains dangerous metals including arsenic,
cadmium and lead. Several of these metals are carcinogenic.
-
Radioactive compounds – tobacco smoke contains radioactive
compounds, which are known to be carcinogenic.
Respiratory system
The effects of tobacco smoke on the respiratory system include:
-
Irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box)
-
Reduced
lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and
narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung
passages
-
Impairment of the lungs’ clearance system, leading to the
build-up of poisonous substances, which results in lung
irritation and damage
-
Increased
risk of lung infection and symptoms such as coughing and
wheezing
-
Permanent
damage to the air sacs of the lungs.
Circulatory system
-
The
effects of tobacco smoke on the circulatory system include:
-
Raised
blood pressure and heart rate
-
Constriction (tightening) of blood vessels in the skin,
resulting in a drop in skin temperature
-
Less
oxygen carried by the blood
-
Stickier
blood, which is more prone to clotting
-
Damage to
the lining of the arteries, which is thought to be a
contributing factor to atherosclerosis (the build-up of
fatty deposits on the artery walls)
-
Reduced
blood flow to extremities like fingers and toes
-
Increased
risk of stroke and heart attack due to blockages of the
blood supply.
Immune system
The effects of tobacco smoke on the immune system include:
-
The
immune system doesn’t work as well
-
The
person is more prone to infections such as pneumonia and
influenza
-
It takes
longer to get over an illness.
Musculoskeletal system
The effects of tobacco smoke on the musculoskeletal system
include:
-
Tightening of certain muscles
-
Reduced
bone density.
Other effects on the body
Other effects of tobacco smoke on the body include:
-
Irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines
-
Increased
risk of painful ulcers along the digestive tract
-
Reduced
ability to smell and taste
-
Premature
wrinkling of the skin
-
Higher
risk of blindness
-
Gum
disease (periodontitis).
The male body
The specific effects of tobacco smoke on the male body include:
-
Lower
sperm count
-
Higher
percentage of deformed sperm
-
Reduced
sperm mobility
-
Changed
levels of male sex hormones
-
Impotence, which may be due to the effects of smoking on
blood flow and damage to the blood vessels of the penis.
The female body
The specific effects of tobacco smoke on the female body
include:
-
Reduced
fertility
-
Menstrual
cycle irregularities or absence of menstruation
-
Menopause
reached one or two years earlier
-
Increased
risk of cancer of the cervix
-
Greatly
increased risk of stroke and heart attack if the smoker is
aged over 35 years and taking the oral contraceptive pill.
The unborn baby
The effects of maternal smoking on an unborn baby include:
-
Increased
risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.
-
Low birth
weight, which may have a lasting effect of the growth and
development of children. Low birth weight is associated with
an increased risk for early puberty and, in adulthood, is an
increased risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure and diabetes.
-
Increased
risk of cleft palate and cleft lip.
-
Paternal
smoking can also harm the fetus if the non-smoking mother is
exposed to secondhand smoke.
-
If the
mother continues to smoke during her baby’s first year of
life, the child has an increased risk of ear infections,
respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, croup and
bronchitis, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and
meningococcal disease.
Diseases caused by long-term smoking
A lifetime smoker is at high risk of developing a range of
potentially lethal diseases, including:
-
Cancer of
the lung, mouth, nose, voice box, tongue, nasal sinus,
esophagus, throat, pancreas, bone marrow (myeloid leukemia),
kidney, cervix, ureter, liver, bladder and stomach.
-
Lung
diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
-
Coronary
artery disease, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
-
Ulcers of
the digestive system.
-
Osteoporosis and hip fracture.
-
Poor
blood circulation in feet and hands, which can lead to pain
and, in severe cases, gangrene and amputation.
Things to remember
-
Many of
the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke are chemically active
and trigger profound and potentially fatal changes in the
body.
-
Smoking
harms nearly every organ in the body.
How smoking hurts your lungs
Smoking seriously hurts your lungs:
1. Smoking damages your lungs' natural cleaning and repair
system and traps cancer-causing chemicals in your lungs.
Smoking destroys the tiny hairs (cilia), which line the upper
airways and protect against infection. Normally, there is a thin
layer of mucous and thousands of these cilia lining the insides
of your breathing tubes. The mucous traps the little bits of
dirt and pollution you breathe in, and the cilia move together
like a wave to push the dirt-filled mucous out of your lungs.
Then you cough, swallow, or spit up the mucous, and the dirt is
out of your lungs.
When your lungs' natural cleaning and repair system is damaged,
germs, dirt and chemicals from cigarette smoke stay inside your
lungs. This puts you at risk for chronic cough, chest
infections, lung cancer and COPD.
2. Smoking permanently damages the alveoli (air sacs) in the
lungs, making it hard to breathe.
The alveoli, little air sacs at the tips of your lungs, are
built like tiny, stretchy balloons. As you breathe in, your
alveoli help you absorb oxygen into your body, and as you
breathe out, alveoli help get rid of the waste gas carbon
dioxide. (Carbon dioxide is a harmful gas that's also found in
car exhaust fumes.) Smoke damages you lungs so much that your
alveoli become less stretchy. This means it's harder for your
lungs to take in the oxygen you need and harder to get rid of
carbon dioxide. When the alveoli are damaged like this, you can
feel short of breath and tired. Your heart has to pump much
harder to give your body the oxygen it needs. Over time,
this damage can lead to COPD
and heart disease.
Signs of lung damage from smoking
It's common for smokers to ignore or downplay the symptoms of
lung damage:
These are not signs of aging or simply being out of shape. These
are real signs of the damage that smoking is doing to your
lungs. If you have these signs of smoking damage to your lungs,
see you doctor. Unless you do something now, these symptoms will
keep getting worse.
