Cigarettes can cause about 50 different diseases, and this is due to the chemicals present in their composition, which have bad health consequences and are responsible for causing cancer in various organs, lung diseases, such as bronchitis and emphysema and cardiovascular diseases, such as high. blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Even people who smoke little or no smoke, but inhale smoke from others, can suffer consequences because toxic substances in cigarette smoke can cause inflammation and changes in cell genetics. In addition, not only traditional industrialized cigarettes are bad, but also versions of chewing tobacco, straw, pipe, cigar, hookah and e-cigarette.
Some of the conditions that cigarette use can cause include
Emphysema and bronchitis, known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, are more common in people over the age of 45 and occur because cigarette smoke causes inflammation of the tissues lining the airways, making it difficult for air to pass through and causing permanent damage. reducing the lung’s ability to exchange gases effectively.
The main symptoms of this type of disease are shortness of breath, chronic cough and frequent pneumonia. Shortness of breath occurs initially during efforts, but as the disease worsens, it can occur even when it stops and cause complications, such as pulmonary hypertension and respiratory infections. Understand how to identify and treat COPD.
What to do: It is recommended to see the family doctor or pneumologist so that the tests can be performed and the most appropriate treatment is indicated, which usually includes the use of inhaled pumps containing drugs that open the airways, facilitating the passage of air. . In cases where symptoms get worse, your doctor may recommend corticosteroid or oxygen use. In addition, quitting smoking is critical to prevent the progression of inflammation of the lungs and worsening symptoms.
Cigarettes cause cardiovascular changes, speed up heart rate, and contract the main arteries, leading to changes in heart rate and increased blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack, angina, stroke and an aneurysm.
O cigarro causa inflamação na parede dos vasos sanguíneos e, por isso, aumenta as chances do desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares, como infarto, AVC, trombose e aneurismas.
The person who smokes may be more likely to have high blood pressure, chest pain, such as angina, and fat plaques in the vessels, for example, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if associated with other risky situations. such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
What to do: It is important to consult a cardiologist to evaluate your heart health and start treatment, which in these cases may include the use of medications that control the formation of blood clots, such as salicylic acetyl acid (AAS) and clopidogrel. and medications that control blood pressure. In more severe cases, surgery may be recommended and, in case of stroke, brain catheterization may be necessary, which is a procedure to remove the clot. Understand how brain catheterization is performed.
Smoking causes impotence in men, especially in those under the age of 50, both by altering the release of hormones important for intimate contact, and by inhibiting blood flow that pumps blood to the penis, necessary to maintain an erection, as well as impairing sperm quality.
For example, the person who smokes may have difficulty establishing or maintaining intimate contact until the end, causing some discomfort. However, quitting smoking often reverses this situation partially or completely.
What to do: In these cases, it is most recommended to stop smoking, as this way it is possible to regain sexual capacity. In some cases, it may also be interesting to have sessions with a psychologist or sexologist, as they can help reverse impotence.
Smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, with the presence of pain, swelling and redness in the joints, especially in the hands, and increases the severity and difficulty of your treatment, as it decreases the effectiveness of medicines to treat arthritis.
Smoking also increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in people with rheumatic diseases due to increased inflammation and dysfunction of the body’s cells.
What to do: In the case of rheumatic diseases, in addition to quitting smoking, it is important that the person is accompanied by the rheumatologist and regular checkups are done to check for changes and if the dose of the drug needs to be changed. for smoking.
Cigarettes promote the appearance of new ulcers, delay their healing, interfere with the effectiveness of treatment to eradicate them and increase the complications associated with ulcers.
Cigarettes increase the chances of developing a gastric ulcer by 4 times, as well as other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis, reflux and inflammatory bowel diseases, for example, due to increased inflammation also in the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestine. .
As a result, it’s common for people who smoke to have more symptoms such as stomach pain, burns, poor digestion, and changes in bowel rhythm.
What to do: To treat gastric ulcers, the gastroenterologist or family doctor recommends the use of medicines that reduce heartburn, preventing aggravation of symptoms and progression of the ulcer. In addition, it may be indicated the use of painkillers to control pain and changes in eating habits, avoiding very acidic and hot foods that favor the release of stomach acids, such as coffee, sauces and black tea. . See what gastric ulcer treatment should look like.
Substances in cigarette smoke also increase the risk of developing eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, by increasing the risk of cell dysfunction and inflammation.
Cataracts cause blurred or blurred vision, which affects visual ability, especially at night. Already in macular degeneration, changes occur in the center of vision, which becomes blurry and may get worse over time.
What to do: In these cases, it is recommended to consult the ophthalmologist for evaluation of vision and, if necessary, surgery may be indicated to correct the problem.
Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, both due to Alzheimer’s disease and brain damage resulting from a micro stroke.
Dementia syndromes lead to memory loss, which worsens over time and can also lead to changes in behavior and communication.
What to do: One way to stimulate memory is to exercise with puns or images, in addition to eating a diet rich in omega 3, a substance that promotes brain health, and sleep well at night. Get more tips for improving memory.
For pregnant women who smoke or overinhale cigarette smoke, cigarette toxins can cause a number of complications, including miscarriage, delayed fetal growth, preterm birth, or even infant death, so it’s very important for a woman to quit before becoming pregnant.
It is important to note the presence of bleeding, severe cramps or changes in the growth of the uterus, it is very important to perform prenatal care in an appropriate way to identify changes as soon as possible.
What to do: If you notice signs of change during pregnancy that may be due to smoking, the best thing you can do is to go to the obstetrician for testing to see if the baby is developing properly.
Learn more about the risks of smoking during pregnancy
Grande parte das substâncias cancerígenas presentes no cigarro que entram na circulação, podem chegar nas vias urinárias e não serem eliminadas, aumentando também o risco de desenvolver câncer de bexiga, por ficarem em contato com estas estruturas.
Some of the signs and symptoms that may occur in people with bladder cancer include the presence of blood in the urine, abdominal pain, desire to urinate more frequently, pain in the pelvic area, and weight loss, for example. Learn more about bladder cancer symptoms.
What to do: In the presence of signs and symptoms of bladder cancer, it is recommended to consult the urologist or oncologist so that tests can be performed that confirm the diagnosis and verify the extent of the tumor, so that the most appropriate treatment can be performed. be indicated. may be done through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. Learn more about bladder cancer treatment.
When cigarette substances come into contact with the thin tissues of the lungs that perform respiratory exchanges, there is a risk of developing cancer, due to inflammation and inducing dysfunction.
Lung cancer causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, excessive coughing or blood and weight loss. However, cancer is usually silent and only causes symptoms at an advanced stage, so it’s important to quit smoking as soon as possible, in addition to regular follow-up with your pneumologist.
What to do: In this case, the first thing you should do is quit smoking, as well as follow the treatment guidelines recommended by your doctor. Lung cancer treatment is defined by the oncologist based on the type, classification, size and health status of the person, and may be indicated, for example, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or photodynamic therapy. Understand how lung cancer is treated.
In addition to lung and bladder cancer, smoking is responsible for increasing the risk of nearly 20 cancers. In fact, carcinogens in cigarettes can interfere with genetic information from cells, as well as cause inflammation.
Watch the video below, in which nutritionist Tatiana Zanin and Dr. Drauzio Varella talk about the health damage to smoking:
The only way to prevent these diseases is to quit smoking. While it is difficult to give up this addiction, it is important to consider the importance of this attitude to health and take the first step. Check some to quit smoking.
If it’s hard to get it on its own, there are treatments that can help quit smoking, prescribed by the pneumologist, such as nicotine patches or pills, as well as the ability to attend support groups or receive psychological support. Normally, when you stop smoking, the risk of developing smoking-related diseases decreases.