While there have been commercials and ads occurring for years that talk about the negative impact smoking has on your health, perhaps it’s been something that you haven’t really paid attention to; however, if you’ve been smoking for a while and you are looking for a reason to quit, let an otolaryngologist tell you the many long-term and potentially serious health problems smoking can cause.

Many of the chemicals found in cigarettes are harmful and several of them have even been linked to cancer; however, smoking is the most common preventable cause of death in the US, according to the CDC. So it’s important to quit smoking if you want to protect yourself from:

Every time you take a puff of a cigarette or consume a tobacco product you are exposing your lungs to poisonous chemicals that damage both the airways and the alveoli in your lungs. Along with the increased risk of infection, you are also putting yourself at an incredible risk for long-term or potentially serious lung problems such as:

• Chronic bronchitis
• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• COPD
• Emphysema
• Lung cancer

If you are someone who has asthma, tobacco may not only increase your chances of an asthma attack but it can also make asthma attacks worse.

Cardiovascular Issues

The nicotine found in tobacco products is known to restrict blood flow. Not only does this affect healing but also it can damage the walls of the blood vessels and raise your blood pressure. As a result, this can increase your chances of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Of course, exposing others around you to smoke increases their risk of cardiovascular problems, as well.

Digestive Disorders

Besides the increased risk of throat, lung or esophageal cancer, smoking can also increase your chances of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, smoking affects insulin production, which can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Smoking and Other Health Problems

Smoking affects just about every system in your body, from your skin and eyes to your stomach and colon. Smoking also increases your risk of cancer-related death. By quitting smoking you could drastically cut your risk of cardiovascular problems in just one year. Your risk of stroke or developing cancer will also drop drastically the first few years after you quit.

If you are trying to quit smoking you don’t have to do it alone. Talk to an ENT doctor who can provide you with the recommendations you need to quit smoking for good. You deserve to lead a long, healthy life.