Why I should stop smoking...

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:

( usmlemd.wordpress.com)

·         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.

·         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.

·         People who smoke cigarettes for 20 years or more are about 40 percent more likely to die of colon cancer

·         Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and causes far more diseases than once believed, the top US health official said Thursday.

·         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.

·         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

·         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.

·         The more you smoke, the higher your risk of one type of skin cancer, report scientists from the Netherlands.

·         Smoking during pregnancy could reduce the fertility of baby boys when they grow up. Sons of women who smoked also have smaller testes.

·         If you smoke and you're expecting a baby, expect to spend a lot more sleepless nights in the nursery.

·         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.

·         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

·         Because smoking restricts blood flow, it is a major cause of coronary heart disease and stroke.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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

·         Smoking accelerates the natural ageing processes, which is most apparent in the facial skin.

·         Smoking increases your chances of becoming blind due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by up to four times.

·         In addition to lung cancer, smoking can cause or worsen other lung conditions, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema

·         Many smokers who undergo serious operations take longer than other people do to recover.

I think it’s time I kicked the habit!!!

( slices-of-life.com)