Effects and the reasons why you should stop smoking

Regardless of how careful you will always smoke, tobacco is harmful to your health. Cigarette smoking also referred to as the tobacco epidemic still remains to be one of the biggest public health problems facing the current generation. Averagely, more than a billion people across the globe are active smokers and up to a half of its users die from conditions that arise from smoking. Tobacco takes away more than 7 million lives in a year and out of this, 6 million people die as a result of direct tobacco use. Currently cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and even worldwide. The following are the effects of smoking on different systems of our bodies.
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is one of the most important systems in the body that is affected by tobacco. Nicotine, a compound found in tobacco is a mood altering substance. After smoking, nicotine typically reaches the brain in just seconds. Nicotine is the substances that creates the addiction that finally makes it difficult to quit smoking. Withdrawal from nicotine has been discovered to impair cognitive ability. It is also linked anxiety and depression.
Respiratory system
The respiratory system is the first system that is exposed to smoking. Smoke is highly detrimental to the lungs causing a variety of complications. The commonest complications are COPD, chronic bronchiolitis, emphysema and lung cancer. There are also other acute problems like lung congestion, cough, and respiratory comfort. The more you are exposed to smoking the more the complications worsen.
The skin hair and nails
The obvious signs of smoking are always evident in the integumentary system. There are changes in the complexion of the hands and the lips that signifies that an individual smokes. This has been linked to the increased risk of skin cancers in active smokers. Nicotine also increases the risk of hair loss, balding and greying.
Digestive systems
Several organs in the digestive systems are affected by cigarette smoking. In the digestive system, smoking increases the risk of cancer of the larynx, gullet and the throat. Pancreatic cancers are also found in higher rates in chronic smokers, and even the smokers who don’t inhale the smoke predispose themselves to increased risks of mouth cancers.
Insulin resistance
Insulin is synthesized in by the beta cells in the islets of the pancreases. Insulin regulates the blood glucose levels in the body. Type 2 diabetes develops as a result of the resistance of the body’s cells to the action of insulin. Smoking increases the possibilities of your body’s cells to be resistant to the action of insulin that predisposes you to type 2 diabetes.
The reproductive system
Nicotine has been linked to reduced blood flow to the reproductive areas of both males and females and blood is essential for the propper functioning of every sysem of the body. This decreases sexual perfomance in men and creates a feeling of sexual disatisfaction i n women. Smoking also lowers the levels of sex hormones leading to decreased levels of sexual desire.