What are the dangers of smoking for health?

The content of cigarettes consists of thousands of substances that can harm the body.

The effects or dangers of smoking may not appear immediately. However, over time various substances in cigarettes can bring harm to the body.

Here are the various effects or consequences of smoking that you should be aware of:

1. Diabetes risk

Diabetes is one of the health hazards that can arise from smoking.

In fact, active smokers have a 30-40% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to non-smokers.

This is because the nicotine in cigarettes makes blood sugar levels either too high or too low.

In addition, nicotine alters chemical processes in cells so they cannot respond to insulin. This condition is known as insulin resistance.

When insulin resistance occurs, blood sugar levels in the body can be too high. This is because the hormone insulin is in charge of helping the body to absorb glucose.

Disruption of insulin due to smoking, making blood sugar levels also so out of control.

If left unchecked, this condition can increase diabetes complications such as heart problems, kidney, nerve, and eye damage.

2. Cancer risk

Cigarettes account for 90% of deaths from lung cancer.

Not only lung cancer, smoking can also cause cancer in other body parts such as:

mouth,
larynx (voice box),
pharynx (throat),
esophagus,
kidney,
cervical,
heart,
bladder,
pancreas,
stomach, and
colon (intestine 12 fingers).
When the body's cells are exposed to cigarette smoke, at that time the cells are in danger. Whatever type of cigarette you smoke, the risk of cancer is inevitable.

Therefore, the impact of smoking is very dangerous for the organs of the body because it can be damaged slowly.

3. Tooth and mouth disease

People who smoke have twice the risk of developing gum disease. If you smoke too many cigarettes in a day, the risk of this disease can increase sharply.

Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a gum infection that can destroy the bone that supports the teeth.

Periodontitis is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults.

Various symptoms that usually appear when someone has gum disease are:

swollen and tender gums,

bleeding gums when brushing teeth,

missing or loose teeth, and

sensitive teeth.

On the other hand, smoking can stain teeth. Usually, heavy smokers have yellow or brown stains on the front teeth, especially in the middle.

This is because the area of the tooth is the part where the cigarette usually sticks when smoked.