What diseases does smoking cause? Poisons in tobacco smoke

Every smoker knows that on a pack of cigarettes the Ministry of Health warns that smoking leads to the development of various pathologies. But this stops few people; people continue to destroy their bodies again and again. However, over time, every smoker develops various diseases from smoking. According to statistics, every ten seconds on the planet one person dies from pathologies caused by cigarette smoke. A huge number of people have serious illnesses because of this bad habit.

The effect of nicotine on the body

Tobacco smoke negatively affects health. Over time, a smoker develops chronic cough, which often leads to lung pathologies. The scary thing is that smokers don't pay attention to alarming symptoms, attributing them to any other factors, so they turn to medical institution belatedly.

Diseases caused by smoking develop due to the fact that harmful toxins, for example, nicotine, tar, heavy metals and others.

Cigarette smoke contains a huge number of harmful components, sixty-nine of which are carcinogens that can cause the development of many pathologies.

Of course, at first the human body neutralizes most of the toxins, but over time it loses this ability as the immune system is impaired. Many toxins begin to accumulate in the respiratory organs, which leads to disruption of the functionality of organs and systems. As a result of this, various diseases develop, including those of a chronic nature.

How more people smokes, the more negative the consequences will be.

Elementary diseases of smokers

Since cigarette smoke contains many toxins and burns the mucous epithelium, smoking increases the risk of developing cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular pathologies. vascular system, as well as the psyche.

Basic diseases of smokers that do not cause visible discomfort include:

Chronic cough;
Dyspnea;
Dental diseases, yellow plaque;
Atherosclerosis at the initial stage of development;
Dysbacteriosis;
Hair loss;
Color change skin, their dryness;
Neuritis;
Osteoporosis.

Since the above pathologies can appear as a result of exposure to other factors, smokers do not associate these diseases with smoking, and therefore consider themselves healthy people. Delayed treatment These phenomena lead to the development of more serious complications in the future.

Serious diseases from smoking

The most serious diseases among smokers, provoked by nicotine and other toxins, are pathologies of the respiratory system.

Consider the list of diseases caused by smoking:

Oncology of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, nasopharynx and respiratory tract;
Inflammation of the trachea, bronchi, asthma;
Respiratory and venous insufficiency;
Violation genitourinary system, development of infertility, miscarriages, frozen pregnancy;
Vasoconstriction, aortic aneurysm, gangrene of the extremities;
Arthritis, diabetes mellitus, cerebral atherosclerosis;
Sudden death of an infant due to maternal nicotine abuse.

The above diseases can bother a person throughout his life, and some of them are fatal. In the outcome of the disease, much depends on the person who smokes.

It is already known what diseases smoking causes. One of dangerous pathologies cardiovascular system is myocardial infarction. When smoking, a person develops atherosclerosis, in which vascular walls become covered with plaques and lose their elasticity. In addition, they narrow under the influence of nicotine, their spasm constantly occurs, as a result of which a blood clot can develop. The vessels that supply oxygen to the heart become impassable as a result of narrowing, heart cells do not receive sufficient oxygen and begin to die, and a heart attack develops. The risk of developing a myocardial infarction in a smoker is twelve times higher than in those who do not have such a habit.

If the lesion is small, a scar forms on the heart muscle; otherwise, the pathology leads to death.

Smoking also causes stroke. This pathology develops as a result of hemorrhage in the brain or due to blockage of blood vessels. When smoking occurs good conditions for the development of this disease.

Toxins found in cigarette smoke lead to increased blood pressure, fragility and spasm of blood vessels, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, which provokes hemorrhage in the brain. Most often, a stroke results in disability, but sometimes it can cause death.

Buerger's syndrome or endarteritis is a smoker's disease that affects the blood vessels of the legs. The disease is characterized by impaired circulation in the lower extremities, which leads to blockage of blood vessels. The disease ends with gangrene and leg amputation.

Respiratory system diseases

One of the dangerous pathologies is cancer, which most often develops from smoking. According to statistics, 70% of people with cancer are smokers. Constant inhalation of toxins leads to disruption of the blood supply to the organ, irritation of its tissues, which creates good conditions for development malignant neoplasm. In 85% of cases, the pathology leads to death.

Respiratory failure appears frequent illness caused by smoking. The smoker's respiratory organs lose their elasticity, gas exchange is disrupted, and the person develops shortness of breath and a chronic cough. Respiratory failure leads to disability in 20% of cases, and sometimes death.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

In this case, a person develops the following diseases due to smoking:

Stomach ulcer;
Cancer of the stomach, esophagus and pancreas.

Under the influence of nicotine, the formation of stomach acid Accordingly, the production of mucus, which protects the walls of the organ, decreases. Over time, smoking leads to the formation of stomach ulcers. In the absence of therapy, the pathology leads to the development of complications, including cancer.

Cancer can also appear from direct exposure to toxins found in cigarette smoke. In some cases, people are not even aware of the development cancer and consult a doctor already in the later stages of its development. The prognosis in this case is unfavorable.

A malignant tumor of the esophagus can also develop due to constant smoking. The outcome of the pathology is painful death. Smoking also increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by five times.

Diseases of the genitourinary system

Men often develop impotence and infertility as a result of nicotine abuse. This is due to the fact that toxins have negative impact and on the vessels that supply oxygen to the genitals. Also long-term abuse cigarettes leads to disruption of sperm production, its quality is greatly reduced.

In women, the addiction causes the death of eggs, which is why infertility develops in 25% of cases. But when pregnancy occurs, in 39% of cases a miscarriage occurs. early stages. In women, blood circulation in the genital organs is also impaired; nicotine causes damage to the mucous epithelium of the uterus, and all this together increases the risk of developing malignant neoplasms in the organ.

Another disease that is caused by smoking is cancer. bladder. Carcinogens enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. The urinary tract also suffers from this, and oncology often begins to develop in them. In most cases, the disease is asymptomatic, so it is detected on late stages development.

Eye diseases

Carcinogens from tobacco smoke enter the bloodstream and cause circulatory disorders in the organs of vision. As a result of this, biochemical processes in the tissues are disrupted, and the lens begins to become cloudy. The pathology can lead to loss of vision and even complete blindness.

Smoking is a harmful addiction that destroys and poisons life in the literal and figurative sense. This bad habit often becomes the cause of diseases from smoking, which, in the absence of nicotine addiction They would hardly threaten. What kind of diseases of smokers are we talking about, and how exactly does the disease form?

How smoking affects the body

If you define the process of smoking and its consequences on the body, then the easiest way to describe it is as intoxication. Decay products from smoking cigarettes, which are released along with smoke and then absorbed through the respiratory system, are foreign. After entering the organs and systems, the body tries to remove harmful substances, but with each cigarette the smoker again and again fills himself with poisons and toxins. The functioning of the immune system, cleansing and other systems is compromised. It is not surprising that processes of oppression and destruction begin to occur in the body, which is the root cause of the diagnoses that will subsequently be made. Almost any system or organ in a person can stop smoking, and good health– it’s just a matter of time.

Respiratory diseases - lung diseases and their symptoms in smokers

In the ranking possible diagnoses, associated with this addiction, places at the top of the top persistently hold respiratory diseases. It is not surprising, since they are the ones who bear the brunt of the blow and therefore suffer first.

Lung cancer

This pathology is considered the final outcome. Unfortunately, not all cigarette lovers take doctors’ recommendations seriously, even when a specialist talks about the likelihood of developing lung cancer. It seems that this terrible disease from smoking affects only those whose history of bad habit is long enough. Don't delude yourself about this.

Lung cancer is a typical diagnosis for smokers, and anyone addicted to this habit should be aware from the first cigarette that he is now at risk for developing organ cancer.

Unfortunately, even if a person quits smoking, malignant tissue will not disappear anywhere, although, undoubtedly, this decision will affect the development of the process.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis in smokers

As in the case of cancer, pulmonary sarcoidosis involves irreversible processes that change normal lung tissue into pathological ones. In this case we're talking about about the formation of granulomas in a huge number. Dense inflamed nodules depress immune system and affect the body’s ability to regenerate. In other words, sarcoidosis is not oncology, but it is not the norm for the body. Pulmonary sarcoidosis is dangerous in smokers because if any other infection is added, the course of the latter will be very severe, and even a common cold can lead to health problems and complications.

COPD and chronic bronchitis

This abbreviation refers to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is very dangerous disease, which starts with simple cough and ends in the most severe conditions, when it is extremely difficult for the patient to breathe and even sometimes leads to death.

The process of development of this disease from smoking occurs as follows. In response to inhalation cigarette smoke and along with toxins, the body releases special protective cells that secrete enzymes. Enzymes are designed to dissolve toxins, but healthy cells are also affected. Scars formed in the area of the bronchi reduce the ability of the tissue to stretch, that is, they make the bronchi less elastic. As a result, the patient can no longer breathe full breasts, and then completely faces respiratory failure.

The danger of COPD lies in the gradual increase in symptoms. The patient does not consider it necessary to visit a doctor and does so when natural processes have already changed quite a lot. COPD can also be a consequence of other smoking-related diseases. Most often we are talking about bronchitis, which is very difficult for people with this addiction.

The disease is chronic, moreover, the symptoms are constantly increasing, and the patient’s condition is worsening. It turns out that a person constantly feels shortness of breath and the inability to breathe normally. This is often accompanied by heart failure.

Is it possible to forget about COPD if you quit smoking? The patient's prospects for taking this step are improved in any case. COPD is believed to be incurable, but this should not be discouraging. The decision to quit cigarettes, coupled with modern treatment allows to slow down the progression of the disease in smokers and improve the patient’s condition.

Tuberculosis

Addiction to cigarettes in itself does not cause tuberculosis, but this addiction very well contributes to the consolidation and spread of bacteria on the mucous membrane of the lungs, which begin their destructive effect on the organ. Main danger tuberculosis in smokers is the absence of typical symptoms. Almost every cigarette lover has a cough, but only a specialist can determine that it is associated with tuberculosis.

The danger here is that the patient does not know about the development of the pathogen in the body and can easily infect his loved ones and, in general, all the people with whom he has direct contact.

Upper respiratory tract – oncology

Among all the patients who are faced with malignant processes of the upper respiratory tract, the largest part are cigarette lovers. This is not surprising, because pathological changes in tissues most often occur under the influence high temperature. A person inhales smoke that just a second ago was burning at the end of a cigarette.

Laryngeal cancer

If pathological processes affect the mucous membrane in the larynx area, there is a high probability of developing cancer of this organ. At first, the patient will simply experience difficulty swallowing, as if something is bothering him. Cigarette lovers can attribute this symptom to inflammatory process in the throat due to a cold. Next unpleasant symptoms will begin to affect the ears.

Positive aspects include the relative reversibility of the process. When you quit cigarettes, precancerous cells will stop developing and can completely return to their usual rhythm of functioning.

Oral cancer

In this case, the localization of the disease when smoking is in the mouth. Fortunately, many cigarette lovers are aware of the possibility of such a diagnosis, and the symptoms are difficult to miss. Clinical manifestations:

Redness on the mucous membrane;
Whitish film on lips or tissues oral cavity;
Pain in the mouth for no reason;
Unpleasant sensations on the gums;
Seals;
Bleeding.

Typically, identifying precancerous condition occurs in the dentist’s office, who recommends an urgent visit to an oncologist or immunologist.

Diseases of other organs

This addiction also disrupts the functioning of other systems and organs, because toxins from cigarette smoke enter the bloodstream and are then distributed throughout the body. This mainly concerns the genitourinary organs.

Impotence

The inability to have sexual activity, a weak erection or no erection at all – smokers face these problems very often, and we are also talking about young men. It is known that potency is closely related to the state of the vascular system. The nicotine contained in tobacco reduces the elasticity of blood vessels. By the way, it also reduces their permeability, as a result of which pathogens easily penetrate into the genitourinary organs. An inflammatory process begins to develop there, resulting in impotence.

Infertility

In this case, we are talking not so much about erectile dysfunction as about genetic changes occurring in the smoker’s body. So, the spermogram of a man with this habit is very different from a person who healthy image life.

Moreover, low quality sperm not only reduces the likelihood of pregnancy in a smoker's partner, but can also cause the development of pathologies in the fetus.

Bladder cancer

The carcinogenicity of tobacco smoke is very strong, and the bladder mucosa is very sensitive. The cells of the mucous membrane of this organ often undergo changes if a person has addiction. This is usually preceded by signs of cystitis, which the smoker may miss: itching and burning in genitourinary organs weak or intermittent stream when urinating, frequent urge to the toilet.

Heart failure

It's about violation contractility myocardium. This is not independent disease, but a symptom of some disease caused by smoking or something else. Why does this symptom appear so much more often in smokers than in others? The whole point is a violation of the elasticity of blood vessels, which cannot sufficiently stretch and contract when necessary, that is, contract. And of course, a significant contribution to the symptoms is the inability to breathe normally, that is, to maximally saturate the blood with oxygen necessary for normal functioning vascular system. As a result, tissues are less saturated with oxygen and are no longer able to cleanse themselves of metabolic products. The heart muscle begins to work at the limit of its capabilities, which leads to its rapid wear.

Let's sum it up

Love of cigarettes negatively affects the entire body, not just respiratory system, as many people think. The list of diseases that you can encounter from smoking is impressive, and this should be a reason to change your lifestyle to a healthy one. You shouldn’t ruin your life and cause pain to your loved ones because of smoking. If it is difficult for a person to say “no” to nicotine, then it is better to seek help from a specialist.

Cigarettes help people temporarily relieve stress. Nicotine even has a mild analgesic effect. But the consequences of an addiction can be very dangerous to health, incommensurate with the momentary pleasure. From school, children are taught that smoking is harmful. At the same time, the number of heavy smokers in the world is growing every year. At the same time, mortality rates from diseases caused by tobacco use are constantly increasing.

Each cigarette smoked shortens life by 10-11 minutes. This statement has long been proven by scientists who have conducted hundreds of studies. The most famous diseases of smokers are lung and larynx cancer, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis. But the real list is much longer. The toxic compounds contained in one small cigarette have a devastating effect on almost everyone. internal organ. But even this information does not stop smokers.

The lungs are the first to be affected by nicotine. They experience stress, their capacity decreases, and the air alveoli in the bronchi are gradually destroyed. This results in difficulty breathing, more shallow than that of healthy person. Then harmful substances are absorbed into the blood and distributed to all cells of the body, causing disruption of organ function.

Just a few minutes after smoking a cigarette, the blood vessels suffer from severe spasm, the pressure increases by 5-10% of age norm, heart rate increases. There is an increased production of cholesterol, which accumulates on the walls of blood vessels in the form of fatty plaques, significantly narrowing the lumen. Because of this, the heart muscle wears out faster and blood circulation is impaired.

These processes and the action of toxic chemical compounds lead to the development of diseases to varying degrees gravity.

Tuberculosis

Pathologies caused by smoking are often referred to as “consumption.” Smoking does not directly affect the development of the disease. But it promotes oppression protective functions mucous membranes, epithelium of the lungs and bronchi, their damage. It turns out that nicotine creates favorable conditions for the penetration of Koch's bacillus (the causative agent of tuberculosis), its active growth and reproduction in tissues.

The incidence of infection in smokers is several times higher than in people leading a healthy lifestyle.

The danger of tuberculosis lies in the absence of bright severe symptoms. Patients often believe that they have normal cough. At the same time, they are a source of infection for all surrounding people.

Statistics say that smoking is the main factor that provokes the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Carcinogens contained in smoke and combustion products cause irritation of the mucous membrane bronchopulmonary system, impair the functioning of the epithelial layer. Accumulating in the body, they lead to disruption of blood circulation and cell renewal. Then deformation and replacement of healthy cylindrical epithelial cells with flat, multilayered ones begins to occur.

According to the studies conducted, it is clear that the incidence of this terrible illness for regular passive smokers it is 1.5 – 2 times higher. Irreversible processes lead to slow destruction of the lungs and death.

The occurrence of the disease depends largely on the length of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Long-term exposure to nicotine and other toxic carcinogens with each cigarette increases the number of problems that occur in the lungs. At the same time, the work of the epithelium in the bronchi, which is responsible for their cleansing, is inhibited. This also contributes to rebirth healthy cells into malignant ones.

Obstructive pulmonary diseases

The disease begins with a common cough, and in advanced cases it can lead to death.

The disease develops gradually. When smoking, the body releases enzymes that are designed to break down toxic substances. In this process, healthy tissue cells also suffer. Over time, scars form in the bronchi. Connective tissue gradually replaces healthy epithelial tissue. In this case, the organ loses its elasticity, and the patient cannot do deep breaths. In severe cases, severe respiratory failure occurs.

The danger is that the symptoms of the disease begin to appear when they began. irreversible changes in the bronchi. The patient develops shortness of breath with the simplest physical exercise, for example, when walking slowly. The inability to fully breathe deeply leads to the development oxygen starvation throughout the body, which manifests itself as weakness, dizziness, and migraines.

Laryngeal cancer

If the mucous membrane of the throat is damaged, the likelihood of developing oncological process. Toxic substances with smoke irritate and disrupt the functioning of the mucous membranes. This leads to cell degeneration. The first symptoms of the disease are difficulty swallowing and a feeling of a lump in the throat.

Obliterating endarteritis

Buerger's disease (another name for obliterating endarteritis) affects blood vessels lower limbs. Smoking causes spasm, narrowing of the lumen of veins and arteries. This leads to their blockage. The walls of blood vessels become less elastic and stretch in weak areas. The blood supply to the legs is disrupted.

The first symptoms of the disease are pale skin over the affected vessels, chilliness and numbness of the fingers. The process progresses quickly and pain appears on exertion. Main sign endarteritis – intermittent claudication. It is characterized by frequent stops by the patient while walking to take a break. On initial stages the pain goes away after a little rest, later it manifests itself even at rest.

The result of the neglected process is gangrene. Due to blockage of blood vessels, blood stops flowing into the tissues and they begin to die. The only treatment dead cells– amputation of a limb.

Heart attack

Processes related to harmful influence toxins on the body, affect and cardiovascular system. Under the influence of nicotine, vasospasm occurs, increased production cholesterol. Fatty plaques form on the walls of veins and arteries, which greatly narrow the lumen. Due to a lack of oxygen supply, disturbances begin to occur in the myocardium, which provoke a heart attack.

Risk of blockage of blood vessels in the brain in smoking people 9 times higher than those who are not exposed bad habit.

The condition is characterized by severe pain in chest, extending under the scapula, in left hand or neck, feeling panic fear, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness. If the affected area is too large, the person dies. With a small area of disturbance, a scar appears on the myocardium, which subsequently prevents it from fully contracting. Smokers have a 5-6 times higher risk of having a second heart attack, and the same more likely lethal outcome.

The disease develops due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain or hemorrhage. In this case, cell death occurs. Smoking is the main factor in the occurrence of this pathology. Chemical compounds in the process of burning a cigarette, penetrating into the blood, cause an increase in blood pressure, narrowing of blood vessels, loss of their elasticity, and thickening of the blood. These processes lead to stroke.

The outcome of the disease depends on which part of the brain is affected. In most cases, people remain disabled. There is loss of hearing or vision, paralysis of the limbs.

Stomach ulcer

Nicotine is depressing immune functions the body, increases the production of acid in the stomach, disrupts the functioning of the mucous membrane, which serves as a protective barrier. Gastric juice begins to attack unprotected tissue, forming ulcers.

The main symptoms of the disease are heartburn, painful sensations, nausea and frequent belching.

Ulcerative processes are dangerous due to their complications:

bleeding;
degeneration of healthy cells into malignant ones.

Impotence

Toxins reduce production male hormones, responsible for sexual activity. They also cause vasoconstriction due to spasm and atherosclerotic plaques on their walls. This leads to impotence.

Smoking also affects the process of sperm formation. Under the influence of toxic substances, the number of viable sperm decreases. Therefore, smokers often face the problem of conceiving a child.

Diseases of the female reproductive system

Tobacco smoke has an even greater impact on women. Smoking is a risk of developing the following pathologies:

Death of healthy eggs. This leads to the inability to conceive a baby;
The occurrence of late toxicosis (preeclampsia) when smoking on later pregnancy;
Miscarriage, fetal death in the early stages, intrauterine death in the last trimester;

The onset of premature labor.

Cataract

Oxygen starvation of body tissues due to the harmful effects of smoking leads to disruption of metabolic biochemical processes in all organs. Eyes are no exception. There is a gradual destruction of protein components and clouding of the lens. This process worsens vision and often leads to its complete loss.

In advanced cases, cataracts can only be cured by replacing the lens.

This list of diseases caused by the harmful effects of substances released during smoldering cigarettes is far from complete. Fortunately, giving up a bad habit in most cases leads to restoration of health.

Smoking contributes to the development of diseases of all organs of the body. are susceptible to its harmful effects reproductive functions men and women, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary systems, brain.

What is the cause of pathologies in smokers

When you smoke a cigarette, thousands of harmful chemicals enter your lungs and then your blood, which slowly begin to kill you from the inside. 400 of them belong to the group of toxic substances, and 60 have the status of powerful carcinogens.

It enters the smoker's body along with smoke. large number harmful substances, some of which have the ability to provoke the growth of malignant tumors.

The danger to society lies in the fact that a smoker harms not only himself, but also the people around him. Scientists have proven that a person who is in a smoky room inhales several times higher concentrations of poisons than a tobacco user.

Composition of cigarette smoke:

Nicotine. This is the main component that causes addiction. It also provokes vasospasm, increased blood pressure, production bad cholesterol and its accumulation on the walls of veins and arteries;

Resins. Their concentration is always indicated on the pack next to the nicotine. A viscous substance envelops the bronchi from the inside, inhibits their functioning, and causes a constant cough;
Tar (tar). Provokes the development of cancer;
Arsenic. A poison used in rodent control;
Heavy metals. They have carcinogenic properties, disrupt the activity of the kidneys, liver, and stomach;
Formaldehyde. They mummify living cells and are used in morgues;
Polonium. One of radioactive isotopes, causes cancer of the blood, kidneys, stomach;
Carbon monoxide. Lethal chemical compound, provokes hypoxia of all cells of the body, inhibition metabolic processes in the body;
Hydrocyanic acid. A toxic substance that paralyzes the respiratory system.

Video on topic

Rarely did any heavy smoker pay attention to the phrase that the Ministry of Health was warning. And even if he did, he hardly thought about it. After all, it is much easier to indulge in habit and run away from problems everyday life, exhaling a cloud of smoke, than to think aboutwhat diseases does smoking cause?. But when it starts to bother persistent cough, an unpleasant hoarseness appears in your breathing and pain in the heart begins to torment you, and you immediately remember that small phrase written on the packaging of cigarettes. Even when nicotine has already taken over all organs, there is always a chance to get out of its trap and start a new, healthy life.

If you are concerned about your health, every smoker can get help by contacting a doctor. To push him to correct actions, we will talk aboutwhat diseases does smoking cause?.

Lung cancer

People who are already for a long time Those who put themselves at risk by indulging in smoking are most often patients with lung cancer. The tumor forms and grows due to constant irritation of the lung tissue and problems with its blood supply, which appear due to damage from tobacco smoke constantly inhaled by the smoker.

Warning symptoms to look out for are:

severe cough with bloody discharge;
constant shortness of breath;
pain in the chest area.

All these signs may be an indicator of the development of a cancerous tumor.

This disease is extremely difficult to treat and has a high mortality rate.

Obliterating endarteritis

This disease, also called Buerger's disease, affects the blood vessels in the legs of every seventh smoker. The legs of a person suffering from endarteritis even began to be called “smoker’s legs.” Buerger's disease can lead to blockage of blood vessels, beginning its manifestation in the narrowing of the lumen of the arteries. This contributes to poor circulation in the lower extremities.

To begin with, endarteritis manifests itself in a pale skin tone on the legs, numbness in the fingers and a feeling of chilliness in the limbs. The disease begins to progress, manifesting itself in pain in the legs, as well as intermittent claudication, which is characteristic syndrome. It is expressed in pain that occurs when walking, forcing a person to make frequent stops.

In the final stages of the disease, gangrene may appear, and its outcome will be amputation of the limb.

Bronchitis and emphysema

Cigarette smoke causes dangerous changes to the lungs and bronchi. These changes bring great harm breathing process and can lead to respiratory failure. It, in turn, occurs due to the fact that tobacco smoke irritates the bronchial mucosa, after which it begins to secrete thick mucus V large quantities. This mucus clogs the small bronchi, which leads to this condition. Emphysema manifests itself in loss of elasticity lung tissue, after which the alveoli stretch and a process of gas exchange disruption occurs between them. Shortness of breath and cough, especially in the morning, are faithful comrades almost every person who loves to smoke.

Chronic bronchitis is an irreversible condition that can cause disability with possible fatal occurring due to respiratory failure.

Stroke

During a stroke, an area of the brain dies. It can appear in two cases: if there is a hemorrhage in the brain or if the vessels supplying the area of the brain are clogged. These cases are called hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Tobacco smoke creates all the conditions for the smoker’s body to develop these types of strokes. Starts to rise blood pressure, and due to the fragility of the blood vessels, bleeding in the brain can occur. The spasmodic state of blood vessels, atherosclerosis and possible thrombosis help to develop ischemic stroke.

What part of the brain is affected depends on how both strokes turn out. Stroke often leads to disability. A person may lose the ability to move, have problems with vision, hearing or speech skills, and so on. Moreover, this disease can be fatal.

Myocardial infarction

Atherosclerosis often occurs among people who are exposed to the bad habit of smoking, because fatty plaques covering the walls of their blood vessels reduce their elasticity. Also, the entry of nicotine into the blood leads to the fact that blood vessels begin to narrow. In a person smoking for many years, the vessels are constantly in a spasmodic state. This creates favorable conditions for the appearance of blood clots. Because of this, heart problems begin, which lead to the fact that the vessels that feed and supply oxygen to the heart muscle become obstructed and cease to nourish the area of the heart. After this, heart tissue cells begin to die and a heart attack occurs.

Such problems can arise in anyone over time. heavy smoker. It is worth remembering that their likelihood of having a stroke is 10-12 times greater than that of non-smokers.

If you suddenly feel that you are suddenly overwhelmed sharp pain in the area of the heart that does not go away and is accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and sometimes fainting, you should immediately consult a doctor, as these symptoms are attributed to a heart attack. The first heart attack may leave a scar on the heart, but the second can be fatal.

Stomach ulcer

In the stomach of a heavy smoker, all conditions are created for the development of ulcers, since nicotine increases acid formation. The production of mucus, the function of which is to protect the walls of the stomach from the aggressive effects of acid, is reduced. The immune system, which resists the formation of ulcers, is weakened. All this allows the development of an ulcerative process, which is accompanied by heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain and belching.

If you begin to feel symptoms of the development of an ulcer, then you should start treatment as soon as possible, otherwise complications may appear, such as stomach bleeding, the ulcer turning malignant, and so on. All these complications pose a danger to human health and can lead to death.

Bladder cancer

Long-term exposure to tobacco smoke inhaled by a smoker can lead to bladder cancer. This is due to the fact that, when smoke enters the bloodstream, it is filtered in the kidneys, damaging the epithelium located in urinary tract. This disease occurs twice as often in smokers as in non-smokers.

Bladder cancer may not have any symptoms, but can often be mistaken for: inflammatory diseases, such as urethritis or cystitis. The only symptom that often occurs with this disease is the presence of blood in the urine.

When the disease begins to progress, pain in the perineal area and problems with urination may appear.

The further development of bladder cancer may depend on the type of tumor and the duration of the disease process without treatment; in advanced cases, death often occurs.

Cataract

Cataracts cause clouding of the lens of the eye. This disease can develop if problems arise with biochemical processes, occurring in the tissues of the eye. In a person, smoking cigarettes, there is a disruption in the blood supply to the eyes, it becomes more free radicals which have a detrimental effect on cells. All this leads to the destruction of the protein components of the eye lens and its clouding.

The development of the disease worsens visual acuity and can lead to its complete loss.

Now you know which ones exist smokers' diseasesand we hope that you will think about whether it was worth continuing to smoke or whether it was better to take care of your health and save your life.

Doctors call this disease obliterating endarteritis. Common people use a simpler expression - “smoker's legs”, because it is the addiction to cigarettes that is the leading risk factor for the disease.

Don't ignore the pain

Obliterative diseases include diseases in which a significant (or other “tubular” organ) occurs. The most common of these is atherosclerosis, the appearance inside blood vessels cholesterol plaques. In 9 out of 10 cases, it affects men over 45 years of age. But another disease - endarteritis - selects younger people, debuting at the age of 20-40 years.

With this disease, an inflammatory process develops in the walls of the vessels of the legs, which leads to impaired circulation, and then to the complete closure of the artery. Several reasons can lead to inflammation, but one of the main ones is frequent spasm of the arteries, which.

A person is able to detect the onset of the disease himself. The main symptom: it is worth walking 200-400 m - . Once you stop and rest, it calms down. Doctors call this phenomenon intermittent claudication. In advanced cases, the pain is annoying even at rest and is accompanied by the disappearance of the pulse in the affected leg.

Another characteristic symptom- it’s warm in the room, and even woolen socks can’t warm them up. Do not hesitate - consult a surgeon: the disease is extremely serious and life-threatening. As it progresses, tissue necrosis develops with the formation of ulcers or even gangrene.

Don't delay the operation

Only at the most early stages diseases are possible conservative treatment drugs - disaggregants. But, as practice shows, drug therapy It only stops the process. The moment inevitably comes when surgeons must get down to business.

Operation - the only way treatment that actually relieves (often for life) the suffering brought by the disease. And the sooner it is done, the better. At this stage, there are two most effective surgical interventions, each of which provides blood flow bypassing the affected area.

The first is femoral-popliteal bypass, when the valves located on the inner surface great saphenous vein of the thigh. Its ends are sutured on one side to the femoral artery and on the other to the popliteal artery.

The second is arterialization venous blood flow feet, paradoxical operation. The same vein, after destruction of the valves, connects with femoral artery, where arterial blood rushes down through venous system, carrying oxygen and necessary substances into the “starving” leg.

In addition to your own vein, vascular prostheses made of plastic materials are successfully used for such interventions.

Survey and active preparation Such operations usually take from 3 to 5 days, surgery lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours. On the 7-8th day the patient is discharged.

Forget about cigarettes

If you want to go through life on your own two feet, be sure to quit smoking. IN tobacco smoke

contains 4720 various substances, which damage the cells lining the vessel wall, which creates conditions for the development of endarteritis. Carbon monoxide, which is part of tobacco smoke, leads to the formation of carboxyhemoglobin. This substance displaces hemoglobin in red blood cells, and tissues do not receive enough oxygen. And under the influence of nicotine, blood viscosity increases and blood clots form. For those affected by severe disease of the legs, all this is like death.

It is also necessary to constantly monitor the level of cholesterol in the blood, especially for those who have been diagnosed with atherosclerosis of the lower extremities. The ideal to strive for is 5.2 mmol/l.

Limit salt: it causes swelling of tissues, including the walls of blood vessels. And be sure to watch your weight - it’s hard for sore legs to carry a large body.