The smoking and chewing of tobacco have been known to affect human health negatively. Many who were once healthy now suffer from a lot of debilitating conditions because of the effect of prolonged use of tobacco.
Despite the risks associated with tobacco smoking, a lot of people are still using it. Some have decided to stop smoking tobacco and to start chewing it. Well, chewing tobacco is not as dangerous as smoking, but the end result is the same.
In this article, we are going to look at the pitfalls associated with smoking and chewing of tobacco.
The dark side of smoking
Addiction to nicotine: Smokers are liable to the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine. Being addicted to this chemical found in most cigarettes make it extremely difficult to quit. A lot of smokers who want to quit their bad habit have failed miserably because of the addictive nature of Nicotine. Only a handful of smokers have been able to break free from smoking successfully. One of the things that helped them was the use of some of the Best tobacco e liquid they could find in the market.
The risk of having cancer: The continuous smoking of cigarette lead to the accumulation of tar and other harmful substance. Smokers have a higher chance of getting cancer because of a chemical called Carcinogen that is formed when a person smokes a cigarette.
Lungs disease: Another long-term effect of prolonged smoking is chronic lungs disease. A common lung disease that affects smokers is the COPD which disrupts the breathing process. The sad truth here is that when the lungs are damaged (due to prolonged smoking) little or nothing can be done about it.
Dental damage: The gums and teeth of smokers are usually brown or dark brown. This change in coloration of the teeth of smokers is due to the reaction between nicotine and the teeth.
Fertility issues: This is not common with a lot of smokers, but there is a risk for smokers to have fertility problems.
Damage to the skin: Smoking limits the supply of blood to various parts of the body especially the blood capillaries. Prolonged smoking can lead to permanent damage to the skin.
Cholesterol issues: Nicotine has also been known to affect cholesterol level. The spike in cholesterol level associated with smoking can lead to a heart-related problem.
Exposure to harmful toxins: When tobacco is smoked, more than 400 harmful toxins are released into the bloodstream. Of course, the effects of these toxins might not be felt instantly, but they surely will lead to a lot of health problems in the future.
Does chewing tobacco pose any health risks?
The chewing of tobacco has always been seen as a healthier alternative to smoking. But this conception is wrong because chewing tobacco has its fair share of woes.
Addiction: Just like smoking, chewing tobacco can be addictive because it exposes you to nicotine.
Heart-related issues: Chewing tobacco leads to a sudden rise in the blood pressure and cholesterol level. The rise in cholesterol and blood pressure level will lead to heart-related problems in the future.
Dental problem: Chewing tobacco affects the teeth more than smoking. This is because the teeth have direct contact with tobacco. Chewing tobacco can lead to gum infection and decay.
Mouth sores: Prolonged use of tobacco (chewing) can lead to the formation of Leukoplakia, which is like small patches on in the mouth. These patches are believed to sometimes deteriorate into cancer.
Weighing the risks
Either tobacco is smoked or chewed it still poses a serious health risk and even death. Many may consider tobacco chewing to be less harmful, but it still has its fair share of issues.
Next, we are going to come to the risks associated with chewing and smoking of tobacco.
Chewing of tobacco poses a fewer chance of causing heart-related problems compared with tobacco smoking.
People who smoke have a higher chance of getting cancer than those who chew tobacco.
Smoking causes around four hundred and eighty thousand deaths each year, while other use of tobacco causes around two hundred and fifty thousand deaths each year.
In all, Smoking and chewing of tobacco are dangerous to human health.