Why quit smoking? We generally think of quitting smoking as it may cause heart disease and lung cancer. Yet, there are some not so obvious reasons to quit smoking, which are equally mind blowing. Knowing about them helps us to strengthen our will power to quit smoking. Let us throw some light on them, in order to be more aware of the dangers of smoking. In fact, over a billion people may die due to smoking during this century, according to World Health Organization.
Why Quit Smoking?
Here are some of the reasons to quit smoking, which you may have not thought of:
- Mind gets fogged up- A June 2008 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine observed that smoking in middle ages affected the memory and resulted in a down slide of reasoning abilities. This was not so in the case of those who had quit smoking for a considerable number of years. The elderly smokers faced a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia as compared to those lifetime nonsmokers.
- Smoking can cause Diabetes- The analysis of the risk factors of smokers suffering from Diabetes appearing in the Journal of Medical Association, which appeared last year, observed that current smokers had a 44 percent higher chance of developing type 2 Diabetes as compared to nonsmokers. The heavy smokers were at a greater risk.
- One can suffer from infections- Smokers were at a great risk of infection caused by pneumonia-causing bacteria as compared to nonsmokers. A study appearing in the May issue of Tobacco control observed that children who were victims of passive smoking at home were susceptible to infections, leading to hospitalization in their childhood.
- Makes sex life dull- Smokers are more vulnerable to erectile dysfunction as compared to nonsmokers. This risk is heightened as more cigarettes are smoked.
- Can cause wrinkles- Smoking can cause premature wrinkling of the face. Wrinkling can occur in the most unusual places such as under arms and buttocks.
- Menopause can be hastened- Women who smoke face the risk of infertility and the natural menopause can occur much earlier as compared to non-smoking women. Women who smoke during pregnancy can face infertility and the newborn can also become infertile.
- Vision can become dull- There is of course a link between smoking and eye disease. Smokers can develop the risk of age-related macular degeneration, which can cause blindness or permanent blurring of the vision.
- Bones get affected- smoking is a serious risk for developing osteoporosis. It affects the bone-density among post-menopausal women.
- Can damage the digestive system- Smoking can cause heartburn, peptic ulcers, as well as gallstones.
- Sleep can get affected- One may find it difficult to sleep.
- Less years to live- Your longevity of life gets affected as you are at a risk of developing various diseases.
- One can develop various forms of cancer- One can suffer from bronchial cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the kidney and urinary bladder etc.
According to United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, use of tobacco is most important preventable risk, which is responsible for a number of premature deaths around the world. According to World Health Organization, smoking killed about 100 million people around the world in the 20 century. Smoking can responsible for the deaths of about 1 billion people in the 21st century.
One should think twice before smoking. Your bodily functions are affected in many ways. Smokers are at many health risks as compared to nonsmokers.
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December 12th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I think people should just stop smoking