Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How Does Smoking Affect Your Life

Medical Aspects


When you take a puff of a cigarette, you are actually inhaling carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide attaches itself to the body's red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for bringing oxygen to all of the parts of the body but they can't do that effectively when they are being inhibited by carbon monoxide. Smoking contributes to several forms of cancer, bronchial infections, pneumonia, emphysema, heart attacks and poor circulation. Smoking also causes premature aging and an expected shorter life span. Use the calculator at the end of this article to figure out your expected life span.








Physical Aspects


The body releases toxins through the skin. When you smoke cigarettes, you are putting over 4,000 chemicals in your body that have to go somewhere. As some of the poisons leave your body through the skin they cause the skin to prematurely age. The nicotine and tar also stain the teeth. Finally, smoke causes a condition known as halitosis or chronic bad breath. You can't cure it with toothpaste or mouthwash.


Financial Aspects


Consider that most smokers smoke a pack of cigarettes per day. That adds up to a lot of hard-earned cash going up in smoke. If you smoke, it is likely that your spouse smokes too, which would double the amount of money spent on cigarettes each week. Use the calculator at the end of this article to figure out exactly how much money you are spending on your habit. You may find that as much as two months of your annual salary is spent on cigarettes. All in all, a cigarette habit can have a huge impact on your financial situation.


Spiritual Aspects


Many religions believe that smoking is a sin because it is damaging to the body. You are to treat your body as the temple of the Holy Ghost and keep it healthy. Anyone who believes this and continues to smoke is going to live in turmoil. Until these issues are resolved, there is a constant internal battle. Stress of this sort can lead to anxiety and depression.

Tags: your body, article figure, blood cells, calculator this, calculator this article, carbon monoxide