The Truth About The Health Risks of Smoking

When you smoke the Health Risks of Smoking are many. For those of us who understand the health risks and never begin or stop smoking if we have begun, we avoid the serious consequences of a habit that has caused the deaths of many people World-wide.

We place ourselves at risk when we cross the street and even while doing something as simple as walking up-or-down a flight of stairs, so why smoke and add the additional health risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, lung diseases, digestive complications, etc. to our lives when we do not have to? Smoking is not necessary and adds serious complications to every smoker's life. It has also been proven to affect non-smoker lives.

Besides the obvious, some of the more esoteric health risks of smoking include specific risks for pregnant women: miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy with the fertilized ovum's development outside of the uterus, as within a Fallopian tube), placenta abruption (when the placenta separates from the uterus before the delivery of the fetus), placenta previa (when the placenta develops in the wrong part of the womb), an early rupturing of membranes, premature birth, smaller babies, stillborns and birth defects.

The serious health risks from smoking are vast and altogether avoidable for pregnant women, if they would only quit smoking. If they were to stop smoking before or during their pregnancy, the health risks of smoking could be minimized and the complications could be diverted. The same can be said for any smoker.

More health risks of smoking are strokes, an altering of brain chemistry, stress caused from worrying about the possible harm smoking does, eye problems (macular degeneration, cataracts, and irritation) and graves and thyroid disease. There are more health risks and they all could be erased if only smokers would stop smoking.

The health risks caused by smoking are also present in the innocent lives of children and pets. When a parent smokes around his or her children the child also faces health risks from the second hand smoke, as does the pet when a pet owner smokes in its presence. The exhaled smoke and the smoke created by a smoldering cigarette are loaded with toxins and affect the innocent non-smoker as well as the smoker.

Besides the health risks of smoking there are other consequences to consider, such as the offensive odor left on a smoker's hair, clothes and breath, as-well-as the ugly yellow stains that smoke can leave on fingers and hands.

How about insurance rates and the impact on our checking accounts, does smoking affect them? The health risks of smoking, related problems and expenses are certainly preventable, if only smokers would quit smoking.