The Danger of Smoking Cigarettes

The Danger of Smoking Cigarettes

Introduction

The paper attempts to explain the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes in a holistic context. It highlights the various dangers associated with smoking and also points out the damage it does to the different areas of body. The paper also points out the possibilities of quitting smoking and highlights the recovery levels of human body once a smoker quits smoking.

Discussion

The smoke that originates from the incomplete combustion of tobacco and paper which surrounds it consists of at least 4,000 substances (Hall, 2005). Among the irritants in tobacco smoke: Hydrogen Cyanide, Acrolein, Formaldehyde, and Ammonia. Cause immediate damage to the mucosa of the respiratory tract. The action also causes irritating cough, excess Mucus, Chronic Bronchitis, and Emphysema (Fitzgerald, 2007). The tar, which is part of the corpuscular component of smoking, includes a variety of substances. Among them, the most famous are Benzopyrene and aromatic hydrocarbons has shown that these substances are carcinogenic. The tar also irritates the respiratory tract, is also a cause of yellow teeth and bad breath (Wahl, 2007). Apart from that, it also causes sensation of bitterness in the mouth. The carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood, reducing its ability to carry oxygen. This means less nourishment for the tissues (Bernhard, 2011).

The severity of damage depends on parameters like the age of onset and number of years of smoking, number of cigarettes daily, and mode of smoking (inhaling more or less deeply). Cancer of the lung, kidney and pancreas are some of the common diseases associated with smoking (Hall, 2005). Apart from that, cancer of the lip, tongue, mouth, esophagus and larynx and bladder cancer also have been strongly associated with the effects of smoking. Furthermore, smoking also increases the tendency of developing ischemic heart disease, chronic bronchitis, ...