Summary
Highlights
Smoking damages the eyes, doubling the risk of developing cataracts, which leads to reduced vision, light sensitivity, and muted colors. Doctors explain that smoking alters lens cells and causes a cadmium buildup.
Smoking damages and reduces antibodies and immune cells, leading to a weaker immune system, increased sickness, and lowered antioxidants like vitamin C. However, quitting can strengthen the immune system.
Smoking restricts blood flow and damages skin elasticity, leading to premature wrinkles, sagging under eyes, poor skin tone, age spots, hair loss, and crow's feet, creating a significantly aged appearance. Some effects can be limited by quitting.
Smoking negatively impacts the reproductive system, causing infertility issues in females (ovulation problems, damaged eggs) and males (lowered sperm count, erectile dysfunction), and significantly raising the risk of miscarriage or birth defects.
Smoking breaks down bone integrity, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, making bones weak and brittle. A study showed smoking produces excessive proteins that break down bone density, leading to increased risk of fractures.
Smoking makes it harder for the body to fight gum infections like gingivitis due to a weakened immune system. It doubles the risk of gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss as bone and tissue supporting teeth become damaged.
Smoking thickens the blood, turning it into a stickier fluid, which forces the heart to work harder. It also pumps cholesterol and fat into the blood, increasing the chance of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke, and damages blood vessel lining.
Smoking encourages mucus production, clogging airways and making breathing difficult. It rapidly ages lungs, demolishes their defense mechanisms, destroys tissue, and damages cilia, leading to less oxygen and extremely dirty, clogged lungs.
The poisons in tobacco smoke can alter cell DNA, leading to cancer. A smoker's weakened immune system allows these cancerous cells to grow and spread rapidly. Smoking can cause cancer in almost any part of the body, with nine out of ten lung cancer cases linked to it.
Smoking's thick, fat-filled blood significantly raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. It causes dramatic cardiovascular diseases, narrowing blood vessels, lowering good cholesterol, raising triglycerides, and increasing plaque buildup, contributing to one in three CVD deaths.