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 few people stop it, people continue to destroy their body 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 diseases due to this bad habit.

The effect of nicotine on the body

Tobacco smoke adversely affects health. A smoker eventually develops a chronic cough, which often leads to lung pathologies. The scary thing is that smokers do not pay attention to alarming symptoms, attributing them to any other factors, so they turn to a medical facility late.

Diseases caused by smoking develop due to the fact that harmful toxins, such as nicotine, tar, heavy metals, and others, constantly enter the human blood.

Cigarette smoke contains a huge amount 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 immunity is impaired. Many toxins begin to accumulate in the respiratory organs, which leads to a violation of the functionality of organs and systems. As a result, various diseases develop, including chronic ones.

The more a person 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 oncology, pathologies of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well as the psyche.

The elementary diseases of smokers that do not cause visible discomfort include:

• chronic cough;
• Dyspnea;
• Diseases of the teeth, the appearance of yellow plaque;
• Atherosclerosis at the initial stage of development;
• Dysbacteriosis;
• Hair loss;
• Changing the color of the skin, their dryness;
• Neuritis;
• Osteoporosis.

Since the above pathologies may appear as a result of other factors, smokers do not associate these diseases with smoking, therefore they consider themselves healthy people. Untimely treatment of these phenomena in the future leads to the development of more serious complications.

Serious illness from smoking

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

Consider the list of diseases from smoking:

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

The above diseases can disturb a person all his life, and some of them lead to death. In the outcome of the disease, much depends on the person who smokes.

We already know what diseases smoking causes. One of the dangerous pathologies of the cardiovascular system is myocardial infarction. When smoking, a person develops atherosclerosis, in which the vascular walls become covered with plaques and lose their elasticity. In addition, they narrow under the influence of nicotine, they constantly spasm, as a result of which a blood clot can develop. The vessels that provide oxygen to the heart become impassable as a result of narrowing, heart cells do not receive enough oxygen and begin to die, a heart attack develops. The risk of myocardial infarction in a smoker is twelve times higher than in those who do not have this 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 a hemorrhage in the brain or due to blockage of blood vessels. When smoking, there are good conditions for the development of this disease.

Toxins that are in cigarette smoke lead to an increase in blood pressure, fragility and spasm of blood vessels, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, which provokes cerebral hemorrhage. Most often, a stroke leads to disability, but sometimes it can cause death.

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

Respiratory system diseases

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

Respiratory failure is a common disease caused by smoking. The respiratory organs of a smoker lose their elasticity, gas exchange is disturbed in them, a person develops shortness of breath and chronic cough. Respiratory failure leads to disability in 20% of cases, sometimes death occurs.

Diseases of the digestive tract

A person in this case develops such diseases due to smoking:

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

Under the influence of nicotine, the formation of gastric acid increases, respectively, 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, pathology leads to the development of complications, including a cancerous tumor.

Cancer can also develop from direct exposure to toxins found in cigarette smoke. In some cases, people do not even know about the development of cancer and go to the doctor already in its later stages of development. The prognosis in this case is unfavorable.

A malignant tumor of the esophagus can also develop due to constant smoking. The outcome of pathology is a 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 also have a negative effect on the vessels that oxygenate the genitals. Also, prolonged abuse of cigarettes leads to disruption of sperm production, its quality is greatly reduced.

In women, addiction causes the death of eggs, so in 25% of cases, infertility develops. But with the onset of pregnancy in 39% of cases, a miscarriage occurs in the early stages. In women, blood circulation in the genitals is also disturbed, nicotine contributes to damage to the mucous epithelium of the uterus, and all this together increases the risk of developing a malignant neoplasm in the organ.

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

Diseases of the organs of vision

Carcinogens from tobacco smoke enter the bloodstream and provoke circulatory disorders in the organs of vision. As a result of this, biochemical processes in the tissues are disturbed, the lens begins to become cloudy. 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 causes diseases from smoking, which, in the absence of nicotine addiction, would hardly have threatened. What kind of diseases of smokers are we talking about, and how exactly does the formation of the disease occur?

How smoking affects the body

If we define the process of smoking and its consequences on the body, then it is easiest to describe it as intoxication. The breakdown products from cigarette smoking, which are emitted along with the 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 work of the immune system, cleansing and other systems is compromised. It is not surprising that the 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 refuse smoking, and good health is only a matter of time.

Respiratory tract diseases - lung diseases and their symptoms in a smoker

In the ranking of possible diagnoses associated with this addiction, places at the top of the top tenaciously hold respiratory diseases. It is not surprising, because it is they who take the brunt and therefore suffer in the first place.

Lungs' cancer

This pathology is considered the final result. 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 formidable disease from smoking concerns only those whose experience of a bad habit is long enough. You should not delude yourself about this.

Lung cancer is a typical diagnosis for those who like to smoke, and everyone who is addicted to this habit should be aware from the first cigarette that he is now at risk for the possibility of developing organ cancer.

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

Sarcoidosis of the lungs in smokers

As in the case of cancer, with sarcoidosis of the lungs, irreversible processes of changes in normal lung tissues to pathological ones occur. In this case, we are talking about the formation of granulomas in large numbers. Dense inflamed nodules depress the immune system and affect the body's ability to regenerate. In other words, sarcoidosis is not an oncology, but it is not the norm for the body either. Lung sarcoidosis in smokers is dangerous in that if any other infection is added, the course of the latter will be very difficult, 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 a very dangerous disease that starts with a simple cough and ends with the most severe conditions, when it will be extremely difficult for the patient to breathe and even sometimes leads to death.

The process of development of this disease from smoking is as follows. In response to the inhalation of cigarette smoke and with it toxins, the body releases special protective cells that secrete enzymes. Enzymes are designed to dissolve toxins, but healthy cells are also affected. The scars formed in the region 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 inhale deeply, and then completely encounters 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 this when the natural processes have already changed quite a lot. COPD can also be a consequence of other diseases associated with smoking. 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 worsens. It turns out that a person constantly feels shortness of breath and the inability to breathe normally. This is often accompanied by heart failure.

Can you forget about COPD if you stop smoking? The patient's prospects for taking such a step are improved in any case. It is believed that COPD is incurable, but this should not be discouraged. The decision to give up cigarettes, coupled with modern treatment, can slow down the development of the disease of smokers and improve the patient's condition.

Tuberculosis

In itself, addiction to cigarettes does not cause tuberculosis, but this addiction very well contributes to the fixation and spread of bacteria on the lung mucosa, which begin their destructive effect on the organ. The main danger of 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 people with whom he has direct contact.

Upper respiratory tract - oncology

Among all patients who have encountered 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 of high temperature. A person inhales the smoke that just a second ago burned at the end of a cigarette.

Cancer of the larynx

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

The positive aspects include the relative reversibility of the process. If you give up 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 during smoking is in the mouth. Fortunately, many cigarette users are aware of the possibility of such a diagnosis, and the symptoms are difficult to miss. Clinical manifestations:

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

As a rule, the detection of a precancerous condition occurs in the dentist's office, which recommends an urgent visit to an oncologist or immunologist.

Diseases of other organs

This addiction disrupts the work of other systems and organs, because toxins from cigarette smoke enter the bloodstream and then spread throughout the body. This mainly concerns the urinary organs.

Impotence

The impossibility of sexual activity, a weak erection or its absence at all - smokers face these problems very often, and we are talking about young men as well. 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 lowers their permeability, as a result of which pathogens easily penetrate into the genitourinary organs. There begins to develop an inflammatory process, resulting in impotence.

Infertility

In this case, we are talking not so much about erectile dysfunction as about genetic changes that occur in the body of a smoker. So, the spermogram of a man with this habit is very different from a person leading a healthy lifestyle.

Moreover, the low quality of spermatozoa not only reduces the likelihood of pregnancy in a smoker's partner, but can also cause 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 when a person has an addiction. This is usually preceded by signs of cystitis, which the smoker may miss: itching and burning in the urinary organs, a weak or intermittent stream when urinating, frequent urination.

Heart failure

It is a violation of myocardial contractility. This is not an independent disease, but a symptom of some disease caused by smoking or something else. Why do smokers have this symptom much more often than others? It's all about the violation of the elasticity of the vessels, which cannot be sufficiently stretched and narrowed if necessary, that is, contract. And of course, the inability to breathe normally, that is, to saturate the blood with oxygen as much as possible, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the vascular system, contributes a considerable share to the symptoms. 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.

Summing up

The love of cigarettes negatively affects the entire body, and not just the respiratory system, as many people think. The list of smoking ailments that you can face is impressive and should be a reason to change your lifestyle to a healthy one. Do not break your life and hurt 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 relieve stress for a while. Nicotine even has a mild analgesic effect. But the consequences of addiction can be very dangerous to health, incommensurable with 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 addiction are constantly increasing.

Every cigarette you smoke shortens your 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 cancer of the lungs and larynx, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis. But the real list is much longer. Toxic compounds contained in one small cigarette act destructively on almost every internal organ. But even this information does not stop smokers.

First of all, the lungs are exposed to the action of nicotine. They experience stress, their capacity decreases, air alveoli are gradually destroyed in the bronchi. This results in labored breathing, more shallow than in a healthy person. Then harmful substances are absorbed into the blood and carried to all cells of the body, causing disruption of the organs.

Already a few minutes after smoking a cigarette, the vessels suffer from a strong spasm, the pressure rises by 5-10% of the age norm, and the heartbeat quickens. 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, blood circulation is disturbed.

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

Tuberculosis

The pathologies caused by smoking are often referred to as "consumption". Direct smoking does not affect the development of the disease. But it contributes to the inhibition of the protective functions of the mucous membranes, the epithelium of the lungs and bronchi, and 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 frequency of infection in smokers is several times higher than in people leading a healthy lifestyle.

The danger of tuberculosis lies in the absence of pronounced symptoms. Often, patients believe that they have a normal cough. At the same time, they are a source of infection for all those around them.

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

According to the research, it is clear that the incidence of this terrible disease in regular passive smokers 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 experience 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 disorders that occur in the lungs. At the same time, the work of the epithelium, which is responsible for their purification, is inhibited in the bronchi. This also contributes to the degeneration of healthy cells into malignant ones.

obstructive lung disease

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

The disease develops gradually. When smoking, the body secretes 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 body loses its elasticity, and the patient cannot take deep breaths. In severe cases, severe respiratory failure occurs.

The danger lies in the fact that the symptoms of the disease begin to appear when irreversible changes in the bronchi have begun. The patient develops shortness of breath during the simplest physical exercises, for example, when walking slowly. The inability to fully breathe deeply leads to the development of oxygen starvation of the whole organism, which is manifested by weakness, dizziness, migraines.

Cancer of the larynx

In case of violation of the mucous membrane of the throat, the probability of developing an oncological process is extremely high. Toxic substances with smoke irritate and disrupt the functioning of the mucosa. This leads to cell regeneration. The first symptoms of the disease are difficulty swallowing, a feeling of a lump in the throat.

Obliterating endarteritis

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

The first symptoms of the disease are blanching of the skin over the affected vessels, chilliness and numbness of the fingers. The process progresses rapidly and soreness appears on exertion. The main symptom of endarteritis is intermittent claudication. It is characterized by frequent stops of the patient when walking for a break. In the initial stages, the pain disappears after a short rest, later it manifests itself even at rest.

The result of the running process is gangrene. Due to blockage of blood vessels in the tissue, blood stops flowing, and they begin to die. The only treatment for dead cells is amputation of the limb.

heart attack

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

The risk of blockage of blood vessels in the brain in smokers is 9 times higher than in those who are not prone to bad habits.

The condition is characterized by a sharp pain in the chest, extending under the shoulder blade, to the left arm or neck, a feeling of panic fear, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness. If the affected area is too large, then the person dies. With a small area of ​​violation on the myocardium, a scar appears, which in the future does not allow it to fully contract. Smokers have a 5-6 times higher risk of a second heart attack, and the same is more likely to die.

The disease develops due to blockage of cerebral vessels or hemorrhage. When this occurs, 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, vasoconstriction, loss of their elasticity, and thickening of the blood. These processes lead to a stroke.

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

stomach ulcer

Nicotine inhibits the immune functions of 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 tissues, forming ulcers.

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

Ulcerative processes are dangerous for their complications:

• bleeding;
• transformation of healthy cells into malignant ones.

Impotence

Toxins reduce the production of 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 spermatozoa 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 (gestosis) when smoking in late pregnancy;
• Miscarriage, fetal fading in the early stages, intrauterine death in the last trimester;

• Beginning of preterm labor.

Cataract

Oxygen starvation of body tissues due to the harmful effects of smoking leads to disruption of metabolic biochemical processes in all organs. The eyes are no exception. There is a gradual destruction of the protein components and clouding of the lens. This process impairs vision and often leads to its absolute 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 the restoration of health.

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

What is the cause of pathologies in smokers

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

A large number of harmful substances enter the body of a smoker along with smoke, some of which have the ability to provoke the growth of malignant neoplasms.

The danger to society lies in the fact that the smoker harms not only himself, but also the people around him. Scientists have proven that a person who is in a smoky room inhales a several times greater concentration 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, the production of 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 work, causes a constant cough;
• Tar (tar). It provokes the development of oncological diseases;
• Arsenic. A poison that is used in rodent control;
• Heavy metals. They have carcinogenic properties, disrupt the activity of the kidneys, liver, stomach;
• Formaldehydes. Mummify living cells, used in morgues;
• Polonium. One of the radioactive isotopes causes cancer of the blood, kidneys, stomach;
• Carbon monoxide. A deadly chemical compound that provokes hypoxia of all cells of the body, inhibition of metabolic processes in the body;
• Hydrocyanic acid. A poisonous substance that paralyzes the respiratory system.

Related video

Few of the heavy smokers paid attention to the phrase that the Ministry of Health warns. And if he did, he hardly thought about it. After all, it is much easier to indulge in a habit and escape from the problems of everyday life by exhaling a cloud of smoke than to think aboutwhat diseases does smoking cause. But when the incessant cough begins to disturb, unpleasant hoarseness appears in the breath and pain begins to torment in the region of the heart, that small phrase written on the packaging of cigarettes immediately comes to mind. Even when nicotine has already taken possession of all organs, there is always a chance to get out of its trap and start a new, healthy life.

Concerned about their health, every smoker can get help by contacting a doctor. In order to push him to the right actions, we will tell you aboutWhat diseases does smoking lead to?.

Lungs' cancer

People who have been putting themselves at risk for a long time by indulging in smoking are most often patients with lung cancer. The tumor is formed and grows due to the constant irritation of the lung tissue and problems with its blood supply, which appear due to exposure to tobacco smoke constantly inhaled by a smoker.

Warning symptoms to watch out for are:

• severe cough with bloody discharge;
• persistent shortness of breath;
• pain in the chest region.

All these signs can 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 vessels in the legs of every seventh smoker. The legs of a person suffering from endarteritis have even become known as "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 circulatory disorders in the lower extremities.

For starters, endarteritis manifests itself in a pale hue of the skin of the legs, numbness of 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 a characteristic syndrome. It is expressed in pain that manifests itself when walking, forcing a person to make frequent stops.

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

Bronchitis and emphysema

Cigarette smoke exposes the lungs and bronchi to dangerous changes. These changes cause great damage to the 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 in large quantities. This mucus clogs the small bronchi, which leads to this condition. Emphysema of the lungs is manifested in the loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, after which the alveoli are stretched and a process of gas exchange disturbance occurs between them. Shortness of breath and cough, especially in the morning, are true companions of almost every person who loves to smoke.

Chronic bronchitis is an irreversible condition that can cause disability and possibly death due to respiratory failure.

Stroke

In a stroke, a part of the brain dies. It can appear in two cases: if there is a hemorrhage in the brain or if the vessels supplying the brain area 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. Blood pressure begins to rise, and due to the fragility of blood vessels, hemorrhage in the brain can occur. The spasmodic state of the 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, they may have impaired vision, hearing or speech skills, and so on. Moreover, this disease can be fatal.

myocardial infarction

Atherosclerosis is often found among people who are prone to the bad habit of smoking, because the fatty plaques that cover the walls of their vessels reduce their elasticity. Also, getting nicotine into the blood leads to the fact that blood vessels begin to narrow. In a person who smokes for many years, the vessels are constantly in a spasmodic state. So there are favorable conditions for the appearance of blood clots. Because of this, problems with the heart begin, which lead to the fact that the vessels that feed and supply oxygen to the heart muscle become impassable and stop feeding the heart area. After that, the cells of the heart tissue begin to die and a heart attack occurs.

Such problems can eventually arise in any heavy smoker. It is worth remembering that they are 10-12 times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers.

If you suddenly feel that you are suddenly seized by acute pain in the heart area, which 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 can leave a scar on the heart, but the second one can be fatal.

stomach ulcer

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

If you begin to feel the symptoms of an ulcer, then you should start treatment as soon as possible, otherwise complications may appear, such as stomach bleeding, the transformation of an ulcer into a malignant one, and so on. All these complications are dangerous 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, getting into the blood, the smoke is filtered in the kidneys, damaging the epithelium located in the urinary tract. It is twice as common in smokers as in non-smokers.

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

When the disease begins to progress, there may be pain in the perineum, problems with urination.

The further development of bladder cancer may depend on the type of tumor and the duration of the disease process without treatment, with a neglected condition, death often occurs.

Cataract

With a cataract, the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Such a disease can develop in case of problems with the biochemical processes occurring in the tissues of the eye. In a person who smokes cigarettes, there is a violation of the blood supply to the eyes, there are more free radicals that adversely affect cells. All this leads to the destruction of the protein components of the lens of the eye and its clouding.

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

Now you know what are diseases of smokersand we hope that you will think about whether it was worth it to continue smoking or whether it is better to save your health and save your life.

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

Don't ignore the pain

Obliterating diseases include diseases in which there is a significant (or other "tubular" organ). The most common of these is atherosclerosis, the appearance of cholesterol plaques inside the vessels. In 9 out of 10 cases, it affects men, and over 45 years of age. But another disease - endarteritis - chooses younger ones, debuts 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 blood circulation, and then to the complete closure of the artery. Several reasons can lead to inflammation, but one of the main ones is the frequent spasm of the arteries, which.

A person is able to detect the beginning of the disease himself. The main symptom: it is worth walking 200-400 m -. It is worth stopping and resting - it calms down. Doctors call this phenomenon intermittent claudication. In advanced cases, the pain annoys even at rest, accompanied by the disappearance of the pulse on the sore leg.

Another characteristic symptom is that it is warm in the room, and even woolen socks cannot warm them. Do not hesitate for a long time - consult a surgeon: the disease is extremely serious and life-threatening. With its progression, tissue necrosis develops with the formation of ulcers or even gangrene.

Don't delay the operation

Only at the earliest stages of the disease is conservative treatment with antiplatelet drugs possible. But, as practice shows, drug therapy only stops the process. Inevitably, there comes a time when surgeons must take over.

Surgery is the only way of treatment that really relieves (often for life) of 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 around the affected area.

The first is femoral-popliteal shunting, when the valves located on the inner surface of the great saphenous vein are destroyed with the help of a special tool. Its ends are sutured on one side with the femoral, on the other - with the popliteal artery.

The second - arterialization of the venous blood flow of the foot, the operation is paradoxical. The same vein, after the destruction of the valves, connects to the femoral artery, from where arterial blood rushes down through the venous system, carrying oxygen and necessary substances with it to the "starving" leg.

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

Examination and active preparation for such operations, as a rule, take from 3 to 5 days, the surgical intervention itself 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 feet, be sure to quit smoking. In tobacco smoke

contains 4720 different substances that 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 receive less oxygen. And under the influence of nicotine, blood viscosity increases and blood clots form. For the legs affected by a serious illness, 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 big body.