- Image by Kanaka Menehune via Flickr
The media, doctors and our friends have all told us that smoking is not good for us. You may be trying to quit, or have tried to quit in the past. While knowing the health issues that can arise from smoking, quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do. But as we know, quitting smoking—even if you have smoked for years—can be beneficial to your health. Here’s some information about the dangers of smoking—and it’s important even f you don’t smoke. Even if you don’t smoke you may work or live in a situation where there are smokers. Smoking is the single number one activity that causes preventable deaths and diseases. Unfortunately the decline of women smokers leveled off in the 1990s and the rates were increasing among teenage girls. This emphasizes the fact that most women started their smoking habit as teens. Another interesting, but frightening statistic, is that almost 3 million American women, since 1980, have died from smoking related diseases. These diseases include cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory causes. And there are other risks to fertility and conception caused by smoking. Atherosclerosis or the build up of fat in the arteries is caused mainly by smoking. This condition cause the blood supply to the heart to decrease, and this may cause a heart attack. Atherosclerosis also may increase the risk of stroke. Statistics say that women who smoke are between two and six times more likely to experience a heart attack. And the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked—essentially no amount of smoking is safe. By quitting, you can prolong your life; reduce the chances of cardiovascular or other disease. You will also reduce the likelihood of diabetes, cancer, ulcers and other diseases. And you will look and feel better!
