How can cigarettes affect your body

By , it was official: The U. Surgeon General confirmed that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. But in the 50 plus years that followed, we learned that smoking is responsible for a heap of other awful diseases, contributing to the , lives lost to tobacco we face today. Smoking doesn't do your peepers any good. Smoking increases your risk of age-related macular degeneration , the leading cause of blindness in adults over the age of Smoking contributes to type 2 diabetes and increases the risk of complications from the disease— including poor blood flow to legs and feet.

This can lead to infection and result in the need to amputate a limb. Yep—you could lose your foot or leg! Male sexual function is affected when you smoke. Tobacco causes narrowing of blood vessels all over your body, including those that supply blood to the penis. Good news is that quitting will make a big difference. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening reproductive complication in women that is more likely in smokers. It occurs when a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus.

Smokers lose bone density at a faster rate than non-smokers which puts you at risk for breaking body parts like your hip. Putting down the cigarettes can help slow down this process and keep you breaking a sweat, not your bones, on the dance floor. Colorectal cancer, which forms in your intestines colon or rectum , is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

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Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Health Effects. Minus Related Pages. Tobacco use increases the risk for many types of cancer, such as Lung cancer. Studies show a direct link between cigarette smoking and coronary heart disease.

Smoking, including during the teenage years, increases the risk of dying from COPD. Since smoking affects every body system, finding a way to quit is the most important step you can take to living a longer and happier life.

But that doesn't make it easy to quit. Our readers sent us their tips on how to quit…. Do you know all the leading causes of death in the United States? The fourth cause in our list may surprise you. The top 12 causes of death in the…. Let us help you find the right products to help you quit smoking. Read about aids, medications, and therapies to help you succeed in your plan to quit smoking. New research suggests smokers make an average of 30 attempts before they successfully quit smoking.

Is it better or worse to know this? Nicotine dependence causes an addiction to tobacco products. You may experience fatigue, headache, dry mouth, or other symptoms when you stop smoking.

The FDA is investigating whether cigarettes could be made 'nonaddictive' and if the lack of nicotine would encourage or discourage people from smoking…. Snuff is a dried form of tobacco that can raise your risk of health problems. Learn how to quit, starting today. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. The Effects of Smoking on the Body. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. Share on Pinterest. Central nervous system. Respiratory system. Cardiovascular system. Integumentary system skin, hair, and nails.

Digestive system. Sexuality and reproductive system. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.