How Do Cigarettes Affect The Body?

From the time we’re in elementary school, the idea that “Cigarettes are bad” is implanted in our minds. When I was going to school, the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) class I had even featured a tiger mascot who would sing a rap song about cigarettes;

“Cigarettes are bad, bad, b-b-ad for you.”

I suppose the idea of making that song stick with us throughout life worked. One thing that did not stick with me is perhaps the most important part of education; the WHY. Why is smoking bad for you?

It’s time for a quick lesson, or what might be a refresher course for some of us. What is it about cigarettes that are so bad for us? Of course, there’s the fact that just under 600 ingredients are packed into each little filter. But what about taking a step beyond this? How do all of these ingredients in our stress-reducing, hunger curbing friend end up being our worst enemy?

The truth of the matter is that cigarettes affect almost every part of our bodies negatively, even if it feels good in the moment. Less than 10 seconds after inhaling, nicotine reaches the brain and stimulates the “feel good” parts just as heroin does. Just as with other addictive drugs, your body builds up a tolerance to the nicotine, and you begin to need more and more to achieve the desired effect. When you realize the damage you’re doing to your body, and decide to quit, the withdrawal symptoms of headache, nausea, and restlessness are often enough to get you to just give back in and smoke again.

Your stomach doesn’t enjoy the cigarette smoke. It can cause irritation and inflammation in the intestines and stomach. Stomach ulcers are very common in cigarette smokers due to the inflammation of stomach tissue.

These damages are the “minor” ones. The most damaged organs due to cigarette smoking are the lungs and heart. Smoking limits the amount of oxygen that is fueled to the brain. The air sacs in your lungs are damaged the very second smoke hits them. Many lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema can be attributed mostly to smoking. Also damaged are blood vessels. Your blood also gets thicker and harder to pump, causing the heart to beat more rapidly. Because of this, smoking can lead to heart disease and stokes.

This is just a brief overview of the major damages that smoking causes. This is not to mention the effects to the circulatory, reproductive and nervous systems. There is the harmful and deadly second-hand smoke emitted that causes over 53,000 deaths in non-smokers every year.

Every time you pick up a cigarette remember what it’s doing to every part of your body externally and internally. Think of the damage you’re causing to yourself and others. There’s a way out of the sick cycle of smoking, quitting, smoking again, quitting again, smoking again. You just have to be willing to help yourself and be open to finding a method that works for you.