It's a Saturday night - time for friends, beers and treats. Everyone else is smoking so you decide to light up just one (maybe more)...
Many people engage in "occasional" or "social" smoking because they believe it will not do them less harm than regular smoking brings. Some people choose to have just a stick or two a day to compensate their craving, believing it will have no long-term or serious effect on their health.
But this thinking VERY is wrong. Researchers from Norway assessed the health risks of light smoking which is considered smoking 1-4 sticks a day. The goal of the study was to determine whether light smoking has adverse health effects, and to what extent. Below are their findings:
1. Increased Risk of Heart Disease
The study, involving 43,000 people, found that light smokers are three times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers.
2. High Blood Pressure
The toxins found in tobacco cause a plaque build-up in the arteries. This increases the risk of blood clotting, and at the same time, disrupts the oxygen flow. One of the effects of plaque build-up in the arteries is high blood pressure - a major risk factor for stroke and heart failure.
3. Reduced Lifespan
Light smokers - those who consume one to four cigarettes a day are at higher risk of dying young as compared to those who never smoked. The risk increases as their consumption goes up and as the years go by.
4. Disrupted Blood Circulation
The circulatory system is responsible for making sure that the nutrients and oxygen taken by a person are well-distributed in his body. When the flow of blood is disrupted, some organs may weaken over time and become more vulnerable to disease and infection. Poor blood circulation is also a major factor in cardiovascular disease.
5. Lung Cancer
Both regular smokers and light smokers are at risk from dying of lung cancer. However, the study found that women are five times more likely to die from this disease while men are three times at risk.
6. Clogged Arteries
Smoking just 2 or three cigarettes a day could cause your heart arteries to stiffen. Aside from exposing the heart to illnesses, clogged arteries make it difficult for the body to cope with stress.
7. Increased Risk for other types of Cancer
Light smokers are also prone to breast cancer (especially younger women) and nasal cancer. Even though smoking is limited, the toxins are not completely eliminated from the body. Over time, they pile up and damage healthy cells.
Quitting Smoking Today
The best thing about being a light smoker is that a person has a higher chance of quitting as compared to regular smokers. If you are a light smoker, quitting is an easy challenge. The mere fact that you are not addicted to it yet is one great advantage of forever quitting on your first try. Anyway, help is always available.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Antonio Howell, MD. Help to Quit Smoking Today. Visit Help to Quit Smoking at drantoniohowell.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.
No comments:
Post a Comment