I’ve been an active smoker for nine years. Yes, nine long
years of my life. I knew the dangers of smoking when I started. And I have not
tried to quit since. It’s an expensive habit. I ‘ve come to realize exactly how harmful it is to my health after reading
www.biomedcentral.com:
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If their increased risk of cancer, heart disease
and other ills isn't enough, smokers may be persuaded by simple vanity to kick
the habit.
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In South Africa, seven million people smoke, 80%
have tried to quit at least once and 90% of people started smoking before the
age of 18. Here's how it affects your heart health.
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People who smoke cigarettes for 20 years or more
are about 40 percent more likely to die of colon cancer
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Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and
causes far more diseases than once believed, the top US health official said
Thursday.
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Smoking is not usually associated with breast
cancer, but women who have smoked heavily for years may have a greater risk of
developing the disease.
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Smoking doesn't just raise the risk of pancreatic
cancer, it radically accelerates the onset of the highly virulent tumours in
patients who have a rare inherited disorder
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Smokers already worried about their risks for
cancer and heart disease now have another reason to quit: Tobacco may raise the
risk for type 2 diabetes, say two new studies.
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The more you smoke, the higher your risk of one
type of skin cancer, report scientists from the Netherlands.
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Smoking during pregnancy could reduce the fertility
of baby boys when they grow up. Sons of women who smoked also have smaller
testes.
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If you smoke and you're expecting a baby, expect to
spend a lot more sleepless nights in the nursery.
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Smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancers. The
Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has organised a No Tobacco Radiothon
to encourage smokers to kick the habit.
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Although smokers tend to be thinner, the effect of
smoking on the endocrine system (glands which secrete hormones) often results
in the abnormal distribution of body fat
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Because smoking restricts blood flow, it is a major
cause of coronary heart disease and stroke.
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Neurological experts stress that although nicotine
stimulates the central nervous system, providing a temporary rush, it is
unlikely to improve the way the mind functions.
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Smoking increases the risk for gum disease, a
condition that destroys the supporting tissue of the teeth. This can cause
tooth loss; smokers are twice as likely to lose teeth.
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When a pregnant woman smokes, so does her baby.
Carbon monoxide and nicotine are transferred from mother to baby, leading to
lower levels of oxygen intake and a higher pulse rate
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Smoking accelerates the natural ageing processes,
which is most apparent in the facial skin.
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Smoking increases your chances of becoming blind
due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by up to four times.
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In addition to lung cancer, smoking can cause or
worsen other lung conditions, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), which includes emphysema
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Many smokers who undergo serious operations take
longer than other people do to recover.
I think it’s time I kicked the habit!!!
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slices-of-life.com) |
