Sign In
For claim assistance in the cyclone affected areas of the EAST, please click here. Similarly, for assistance with claim related queries in the flood affected areas of Kerala and Himachal Pradesh please click here. To get assistance with claims for flood affected regions of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, please click here.

How Smoking is Linked to Various Diseases

We all know that smoking is injurious to health. It causes a number of chronic diseases, especially lungs disorders, among individuals, which may turn fatal at times. According to a WHO report, around 8 million people die of tobacco exposure every year, with cigarette smoking being the most common way of tobacco consumption across the world. Even Passive smoking leads to 1.2 million deaths annually.

Effects of Smoking on Body Parts

    1. Central nervous system

    ​Tobacco can cause many physical and mental health issues. Cigarette smokers are more prone to depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. Nicotine present in the cigarette is extremely habit-forming.

    Nicotine withdrawal can create problems while falling asleep or experience headaches.

    2. Lungs and Heart –

    Cigarette smoke harms the heart's arteries, blocks them, and weakens them, increasing the risk of heart disease. Additional attributes to smoking are heart attacks and lung cancer. Asthma, shortness of breath, the frequent cold may occur to an addicted person. Additional smoking effects include Pneumonia and the risk of complications from tuberculosis.

    3. Bone problems –

    It also affects your bones. Smoking erodes the bones and makes it possible for a person to get injured if they fall down or if they are in an accident. The bone of the spine can cause neck and back pain, because of degenerative disc disease.

    4. Nose and Eyes are affected

    If you smoke yourself or you are near a smoker, you might irritate your eyes with a waft of cigarette smokes that causes stinging and watering. Exposure to cigarette smoke in the long term also cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and reduced smell.

    5. Damage to the throat, teeth, and mouth

    Cigarette smoking can lead to yellowish teeth and a smelly mouth, but there are other health effects, including sore throat, decreased taste, gum (gingivitis), and buildup of plaque, cavities, and other diseases. These symptoms are visible to other people, too. To cope-up with these diseases, it is best to have the best health insurance policy that would cover medical expenses.  

    6. Skin and Hair Problems –

    You would not think that smoking can affect your hair-fall and skin, but it does. Smoking is frequently linked to discoloured and fragile nails, cigarette-smelling hair, and dry mouth. Also, there are other tobacco effects also, such as wrinkles, premature ageing, poor circulation (e.g. cold hands and feet), and gangrene.

    7. Inflammation, blood, and immunity are hampered –

    ​Smoking increases inflammatory levels in your body which can make your symptoms worse. Higher levels of inflammation also contribute to cancer and cardiovascular disease development, which is not good. Smoking is a known blood cancer risk factor. It also lowers the immunity of a body, makes it harder to cure disease, and an injury puts an individual at risk for infection.

FAQ's

1. How does smoking affect public health?

- The main cause of overall deaths is the consumption and smoking of tobacco. Smoking causes many deaths every year and a percentage of the death is caused because of second-hand smoke. Every day, this means approximately 1,200 deaths.

2. Is smoking one cigarette a day bad for my health?

- A study conducted on January 24, BMJ discovered the risk of heart attack and stroke that is caused by even smoking one cigarette a day had significant effects on health.

3. What are the diseases caused by smoking?

- Stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, Asthma, etc.

You can compare the best health insurance plans and get the right online health insurance policy for you. It is important to go through the policy document before buying any insurance plan.​