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A List of Smoking Related Diseases!

We are all aware of the link between smoking and lung cancer since the incidence of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke is very small. But smoking is also a major factor behind a whole other range of diseases.

Cardiovascular disease is the highest cause of death in smokers. Smoking speeds up the hardening of the arteries and as the vessels get blocked clots can occur; clots which can cause heart attacks and strokes. In fact over 30% of heart attack victims are smokers.

The risk of lung cancer in smokers is extremely high – an estimated one in five heavy smokers (those smoking over 15 cigarettes a day) will go on to develop this. But smoking is also related to many other types of cancer such as mouth and throat cancer, bladder cancer, cancer of the oesophagus, cancer of the kidneys and pancreatic cancer.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a generic name for a group of conditions including emphysema. Emphysema is a debilitating condition caused by inflammation of the lining of the lungs and is almost always found to some degree or other in smokers. Emphysema results in severe breathlessness which may lead to death in its later stages.

Also higher in smokers is periodontal disease which affects the gums and causes inflammation and loss of teeth, a side effect of which is severe bad breath. Smoking also causes acid to build up in the mouth which can lead to ulcers.

Smoking is a known cause of high blood pressure, a major risk factor in strokes and heart attacks. High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when the body starts to pump blood around the body at an increased rate. This is even more of a concern in smokers whose arteries may also have narrowed.