250 substances in cigarette harmful to your lungs

Tobacco smoke contains about 7,000 chemicals and 250 of such substances are known to be harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers. The chemicals are hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.

According to the International Cancer Research Agency, among the 250 known harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 69 can cause cancer. These cancer-causing chemicals include acetaldehyde, aromatic amines, arsenic benzene and butadiene, to mention just a few.

If you are looking for the ingredients on the labelling, you may not find them there. While experts insist that there is no incentive for smoking, they advise smokers to save their lungs by quitting the deadly habit.

Smoking, according to the public health physician, Dr. James Ayorinde, is the leading cause of cancer of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth and liver.

Ayorinde states that the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke have been known to double smokers’ risk of developing pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other infections that affect the airways.

He says, “In addition, smoking causes inflammation and impairs immune function of the pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon, and rectum, as well as acute myeloid leukemia. It practically harms every organ of the body.”

Experts on betobaccofree.com warn that each time cigarette smoke is inhaled it affects breathing and scars the lungs.

Another condition, they say, that results from smoking is Emphysema, a condition in which the walls between the air sacs in the lungs lose their ability to stretch and shrink back.

However, doctors say the real danger in smoking is its harmful effect on the health of non smokers. According to them, non smokers who live with smokers have an increased risk of developing a range of tobacco-related diseases, including asthma, respiratory illnesses, lung cancer and coronary heart disease.

Also, the World Health Organisation describes second-hand smoking as the highest cause of sudden death in infants whose parents smoke, while pregnant women, who inhale smoke exhaled by their spouses, will experience frequent miscarriages.

The global body states, “Passive smoking is a cause of sudden deaths. A child who lives in a household where there is a smoker has an increased risk of developing a range of respiratory illnesses and pneumonia.

“Smokers’ neighbours will be prone to getting cold, cough and their lungs will have a reduced ability to function and grow because they are busy trying to process the smoke they inhale from the environment. A child that is exposed to second-hand smoke in the home is more likely to develop asthma,”

WHO adds that direct smoking and second-hand smoking has increased the population of people living with heart diseases and warns that people must protect themselves against tobacco smoke inhalation at all costs.

The body says there is evidence that passive smoking makes the blood clot and causes a reduction of antioxidant vitamins in the blood – conditions that affect the blood vessels of the heart.

Ayorinde adds, “You will notice that any time you inhale smoke, you become breathless, uncomfortable and feel like you want to choke. You experience all that reaction because the blood is not getting the oxygen that it should. This affects the blood circulation. Just 30 minutes of exposure to second-hand smoke can affect how your blood vessels regulate blood flow to a degree similar to that which is seen in people who smoke.”

The physician says studies show that passive smokers have a 20 to 30 per cent higher chance of developing lung cancer, compared to those who do not inhale tobacco smoke.

There is nothing to gain and so much to lose by keeping such a dreadful habit. But you can quit, if you really set your mind to it.

However, to help you cope better with this decision, here are tested and trusted tips that can help you break the habit.

Trash those cancer sticks

The first step is to get rid of the cigarettes in your car, drawer, or pocket and to resist every temptation to smoke. Whenever you are tempted to grab a cigarette, think about your loved ones. Think about how much they want you to be healthy and have a good life or you will end up harming your lungs, in addition to other unpleasant side effects.

Grab something else instead

Eating some candy or chewing a gum may help you overcome the urge to smoke a cigarette. Also, to get your mind off smoking, engage in a physical activity that requires your full attention.

If you have any friends that smoke, ask them to not do it in your presence for two reasons: to avoid getting tempted and the fact that second-hand smoke is even more dangerous than smoking itself.

Make a good list of reasons why you should stop smoking. You don’t want to let your family members down and you want to keep your lungs healthy.