Cigarette smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States. It is well-known that smoking causes disease of the lung tissue, otherwise known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is associated with many different types of cancers. Smoking also leads to disease of the arteries which are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to all of the tissues in the body. When the arteries degenerate or develop significant plaque from smoking, a process called atherosclerosis, it can result in heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), limb loss, erectile dysfunction or even death. Quitting smoking is critical to improving one’s overall health and halting the degeneration of the arteries and preventing these problems from occurring.
There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds which are toxic and more than 70 that cause cancer. Nicotine is the chemical in cigarettes that causes addiction. It is a stimulant that causes the heart to beat faster, increases blood pressure, and causes the arteries to narrow or become smaller. Also, nicotine causes the release of fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream which leads to hardening of the arteries. Nicotine dependence is the most common form of chemical dependence in the United States.
Smoking can lead to a stroke in several ways. Most notably it can cause the main arteries supplying the brain, the carotid arteries, to become filled with plaque. As the degree of plaque increases there is an increase in likelihood of suffering a stroke. Stroke can lead to paralysis, loss of speech, inability to walk or even death.
The arteries supply blood, rich in oxygen, to the muscles and tissue in the arms and legs. Smoking can cause PAD by reducing adequate blood supply to the limbs which may lead to leg pain with walking, gangrene and possibly amputation. Smokers are more likely to develop PAD than nonsmokers.
Smoking can interfere with sexual health as it can cause damage and narrowing to the arteries that supply blood to the penis, resulting in Erectile Dysfunction. An erection cannot occur if there is not enough blood flow to the penis to achieve an erection.
Aneurysms occur when walls of the arteries become weak, allowing expansion or bulging of the arterial wall. This could potentially lead to a ruptured artery and internal bleeding, which could be life threatening. Smokers are more likely to develop aneurysms than nonsmokers, and continued smoking can cause aneurysms to grow and expand.
Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) is a vascular disease that affects smokers. This condition can strike young patients in their twenties through forties and can result in limb loss due to poor circulation. It would otherwise be uncommon for a person of this age group to experience problems with blood flow that would result in an amputation.
It can be very difficult to quit smoking, as research suggests that nicotine may be as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. Quitting smoking may take a patient several attempts before achieving success. Personal stress, weight gain and uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal such as anxiety, irritability and increased appetite can cause a person to fail at their attempt at smoking cessation.
The benefits of quitting smoking are numerous, including reducing the risk for cancers, heart disease, stroke, PAD, lung disease and infertility. The positive effects of smoking cessation start within 48 hours of your last cigarette. Your blood pressure will decrease as your heart rate lowers, and carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal while the oxygen levels in your blood increase. Also, the chance of having a heart attack decreases, and one’s sense of taste and smell improves. Within the first year of quitting smoking, circulation and lung function improves, and shortness of breath and coughing will decrease.
Resources available to help smokers achieve success with abstaining from cigarettes include over-the-counter nicotine-replacement medications such as nicotine patch, gum and lozenges; prescription nicotine-replacement medications such as nicotine inhaler and nasal sprays; prescription non-nicotine medications such as buproprion SR and Chantix; along with counseling, support groups and alternative therapies such as hypnosis and acupuncture. Combining medications with counseling is recommended for the greatest success. A free, telephone-support service at 1.800.QUIT.NOW is available to help smokers who are interested in quitting. Additionally, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper offers smoking cessation classes in six-week group sessions and individual counseling. For more information, call 856.673.4254.