Most people already know how dangerous “cigarettes” are, but those addicted to smoking find it difficult to quit. Importantly, smoking not only harms the smoker’s health but also negatively affects those close to them who are exposed to “secondhand smoke”.
The chemicals in “cigarette smoke” are numerous, including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, hydrogen oxide, nitrogen oxide, ammonia, cyanide, and formaldehyde. All of these are harmful chemicals that significantly affect the body. Regular exposure increases the risk of serious diseases. If you learn what these “serious diseases” are, you might never want to touch or get close to “cigarettes” again.
- Lung Cancer
Chemicals from cigarettes damage lung cells, making smokers 10-30 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. If detected early, lung cancer can be cured, but early-stage lung cancer often shows no symptoms. By the time patients realize, the disease is usually advanced or has spread. Without regular screening, it often goes unnoticed, making lung cancer one of the leading causes of death.
- Heart and Vascular Diseases
Cigarettes are a major factor causing coronary artery disease because toxins in cigarettes cause the heart’s blood vessels to constrict due to fat deposits on the vessel walls. When the coronary arteries narrow, the body receives less oxygen, causing the heart to beat faster and work harder.
- Emphysema
This condition occurs when the alveoli lose elasticity and become fragile, possibly rupturing, which reduces the surface area for oxygen exchange in the lungs. Patients experience shallow breathing, coughing, and shortness of breath even without physical activity. It is a respiratory disease caused by smoking. The longer and more you smoke, the higher the risk. Even exposure to secondhand smoke from close contacts can lead to this disease.
- High Blood Pressure
This group of diseases requires strict adherence to medical advice to keep blood pressure as close to normal as possible, preventing dangerous complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney deterioration, and kidney failure. Certainly, toxins in cigarettes are a major cause. - Dementia
Regular smoking causes brain atrophy and degeneration more easily than in normal people because cigarettes contain nicotine and other toxins that cause narrowing of brain blood vessels. This reduces blood flow to the brain, causing parts of the brain tissue to die, eventually leading to dementia.
Besides these serious diseases, “cigarettes” also cause other harms to the body, such as tooth decay, bad breath, body odor, rough skin, and premature aging.
Prevent and Avoid Serious Diseases by Staying Away from “Cigarette Smoke”
We hardly know how much toxic cigarette smoke is in the air we breathe, especially if family members or close contacts smoke, making it even harder to avoid. However, there are ways to help protect loved ones from “secondhand smoke,” such as:
- Do not smoke inside the house or car.
- Smoke only in well-ventilated areas or designated smoking areas.
- Smokers should wash their hands thoroughly after smoking.
It is clear how serious the harm from “cigarettes” is. Besides burning your money daily, it also damages your health and the health of those close to you. Don’t let each cigarette burn away your precious time of living happily…
Dr. Thitiwut Hu
General Practice Specialist
Health Promotion Center, Phyathai Nawamin Hospital
