Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: books4you.addr.com Destroying cigarettes is a great step in reducing your risk of many cancers and diseases.

Just about everyone knows the most common effect of smoking cigarettes: lung cancer. And whenever a nonsmoker sees someone smoking, they think that the person is writing themselves a death ticket which will surely come. Even though not all smokers get lung cancer, 87 percent of cases of lungs cancer are caused from smoking, according to the American Cancer Society.

Health conditions should not only concern smokers. Those who are victims of second hand smoke have much to worry about as well.

The smoke produced from cigarettes, either from the burning cigarette or directly from the smokers' mouth, produces about "50 cancer-causing chemicals," according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These chemicals include arsenic, which is used in pesticides, lead (which was formerly found in paint) butane, which is used in lighter fluid; and much more according to the 2007 Surgeon General's report on second hand smoke published by the US Department of Health and Human Services

When a nonsmoker breathes this in, they put themselves at risk for many respiratory complications, such as lung cancer and heart disease. Damage from smoking is not limited to the smoker, but to those who fall a prey of breathing the smoky air in.

Besides lung cancer and rotten teeth, smokers are putting themselves and others at risk for numerous numbers of other complications. For instance, smoking may result in the removal of the larynx, otherwise known as the voice box, if larynx cancer develops. If the larynx is completely removed, so is the sound of your voice. Surgery most often results with a hole in the neck to help the patient breathe.

Since the voice is lost, a speech therapist may have to assist the patient in speaking again. In this case, one method called esophageal speech must be learned. This consists of pushing air into the mouth through the food pipe. While air is being pushed up and the tongue is held at the roof of the mouth, it causes vibrations that can be used for speech.

If this process doesn't work for patients, another option is avaiblable. For example, a voice prosthesis is placed into the opening between the windpipe and esopagus. In order to speak, the patient needs to cover the opening at the throat while breathing to create vibrations in the esophagus. Once again these vibrations are used for speech. In addition to this there are other options available for speech restoration.

Furthermore, the CDC reports that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of many respiratory illnesses. More severely, smoking increases the risk of death from bronchitis and emphysema ten times.

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, the main passage of air to the lungs. When the bronchioles become inflamed, they also become irritated and can produce excess mucous. This leads to chronic cough, shortness of breath, and a longer recovery time of colds.

Emphysema is the destruction of the alveoli sacs of the lungs. When these sacs become damaged, the lungs are not able to get the oxygen it needs. As a result, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, and many more symptoms are common.

In addition to these respiratory diseases, smoking increases the risk of osteoporosis as bone density is lost.

The list of health issues from smoking cigarettes can go on for a lengthy period of time. These risks that smokers acquire are affecting everyone in the environment. Even though some of these risks are caused from long term smoking, it is a reality that no one, including smokers, wants to face.

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