The Ill Effects of Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking and Its Health Benefits One of the most common problems today that are killing people, all over the world, is smoking. Many people start this horrible habit because of stress, personal issues and high blood pressure. Companies selling cigarettes, cigars have a warning on their packages, ‘Warning: Smoking is Injurious to Health’ yet no one pays attention to this. Smoking cuts of 10 years of a person’s life, yet people continue to smoke. So, why people are still smoking? The answer is obviously, addiction. Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. There are several effects and causes of smoking. This essay is going to discuss the effects of smoking on a person’s body, physical health, diseases, and risks of smoking. Next it will discuss the solutions to stop smoking and to treat people with smoke related diseases; their benefits, and disadvantages. Finally this essay will conclude with a few facts and opinions on smoking. There are many health risks and problems caused by smoking cigarettes. All smokers know the health risks of smoking, yet they cannot stop. Why? This is because of Tobacco. Tobacco contains Nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant, a substance that speeds up the body. This is an addictive drug, which causes damage within the smoker 's body. The body depends on it to function normally. When the smoker is not smoking, they become jittery, irritable and anxious. Nicotine makes the heart beat at nearly twice its regular rate and forces the exhausted, oxygen starved body to work twice as hard. Cigarettes have been seen to contain double the amount of chemicals that they should legally be, many of which contain further health problems. The main ingredients that harm the body when smoking are tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine. Dangerous chemicals such as nail varnish remover and even bleach were found! More than 4000 chemicals have been found in just one cigarette. All these chemical damage the body fatally, if they are kept on taken in. “Some of these are: Arsenic (found in rat poisons), Acetic acid (found in hair dye developer), Ammonia (found in household cleaners), Benzene (found in rubber cement), Butane (found in lighter fluid), Carbon Monoxide (found in car fumes), Hydrazine and Methanol (both found in rocket fuel), Tar (found in roads)” (Ref 1) All these chemicals are constantly being taken in by your body, as smoke. There are many debilitating effects of smoking.
The chemicals and smoke irritates the bronchial tubes; therefore making you cough, violently, as your body desperately tries to get rid of the smoke. The chemicals slowly over time turn your lungs and trachea, black, and weak. These organs cannot function properly, as they are coated in tar, nicotine, and other chemicals which paralyze them. Smoking paralyzes the cilia in the trachea. The Cilia is what pushes out the dust, smoke and other things inhaled, that are not needed in the body, however when the Cilia are paralyzed by the chemicals, the smoke and chemicals get into your lungs and cause havoc.
When Cigarettes burn, they produce Carbon Monoxide, this chemical gets into the bloodstream and sticks to the Hemoglobin in the Red Blood Cells. When you breathe, oxygen from the air enters your lungs. It is picked up by your red blood cells and transported to every cell in your body. The substance carrying the oxygen is the protein hemoglobin. Each hemoglobin molecule contains four iron-containing units called heme groups. Each heme can pick up one molecule of oxygen (O2) so each hemoglobin molecule can carry up to four oxygen molecules. “Carbon monoxide is toxic because it interferes with this process. It is better at binding to haemoglobin than oxygen is – about 200 times better.” (Ref 2) The Carbon Monoxide binds with the hemoglobin, and the remaining hemes can be filled with oxygen molecules, however the CO does not allow the hemoglobin to release the oxygen to the cells, and so the transformation is incomplete. Smoking can cause many heart - related and body - related diseases, and changes the physical appearance of a person.
The chemicals in cigarette smoke harm your blood cells and damage the function of your heart. This damage increases your risk for:
Atherosclerosis, a waxy substance called plaque builds up in your arteries
Aneurysms, bulging blood vessels that can burst and cause death
Coronary Heart disease, where platelets stick together along with proteins to form clots which can then get stuck in the walls of arteries and cause heart attacks, and high blood pressure
Peripheral arterial disease: plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs
Stroke: sudden death of brain cells caused by blood clots or bleeding (Ref 3)

Tar is a brown chemical that is left behind on the body of the smoker. It stains the smoker’s teeth and fingers and it also coats everything with a brownish-yellow film. The stench of stale tobacco and tar stays in the smokers mouth, even if they cannot smell it others can. Smoking and the smoke leaves your mouth feeling dry, and your tasting buds, and smelling buds are not as effective as those of a nonsmoker. Smoking affects the body as a whole and can cause various kinds of diseases and everyday problems like:
Poor Vision
Colds and Flus
Being Anxious and Irritable
Smoking can also cause cancer in various parts of your body. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, of which 70 are known to cause cancer:
Respiratory System: Trachea, Bronchus
Digestive System: Esophagus, Bladder, Pancreas, Kidney, Liver
Oral and Nasal Cavity, Lip
Larynx (Voice Box)
Colon, Rectum
In addition, smoking is known to cause leukemia. (Ref 4) The image on the right sums up all the diseases related to smoking, and how it changes the body of a smoker. There are many risks and problems related to smoking, and people want to stop smoking, and treat their diseases, but HOW? Well, there are different ways to quit smoking and curing diseases. The causes and effects of smoking are being discussed among our society, and solutions to resolve this issue are being brought up around the world. The cure for restoring back hemoglobins to their natural state is to “To make a person who has been poisoned by CO feel well again, the poisoning process needs to be reversed” (Ref 2) The hemoglobin affected by the CO need to be broken down so the can return to their natural state. This takes around 320 minutes if no more carbon monoxide is inhaled. If the poisoning is to severe the person must be taken to the hospital and be put on oxygen to eliminate the CO. Simply stopping smoking can make the person more irritable and anxious. As the levels of Nicotine drops in the body, the smoker “Develops withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, increased appetite, inability to concentrate, irritability, dizziness, constipation, nicotine craving, or just feeling awful.” (Ref 5 / 6) These symptoms is what makes the smoker go back to smoking. They can start occurring within 2 hours of having the last cigarette. However when a person stops smoking the changes are instantaneous. Below is a table that shows the health benefits of stopping smoking

How to Stop Smoking? “If you do not smoke any more cigarettes, the withdrawal symptoms peak after about 24 hours, and then gradually ease over about 2-4 weeks. “ (Ref 5 / 6) The reason smokers cannot stick to their plan of trying to stop smoking is because they cannot handle the withdrawal symptoms, and simply give up. This is where Varenicline can help smokers. Varenicline (Trade name: Champix®) is a medicine that was first made in UK, December 2006. It was made to help smokers quit smoking. Varenicline mimics nicotine, it helps reduce the urge to smoke and reduces the withdrawal symptoms a smoker gets. “The precise action of varenicline is that it interferes with the receptors in the brain that nicotine stimulates” (Ref 5). Varenicline partly stimulates the nicotine receptors, at the same time it blocks the receptors so the nicotine does not attach to them. This weakens the effect of nicotine in smokers, and so they don’t give in to the urge of smoking. According to studies, it shows that 21 out of 100 smokers who took Varenicline have successfully stopped smoking. To take Varenicline a person needs to decide on a quite date, and start taking medication 1 week before that. You have to build up the dosage, so the body gets used to medicine. “Start with 0.5 mg daily for the first three days. Then 0.5 mg twice daily on days four to seven. Then, 1 mg twice daily for 11 weeks” (Ref: 5) The most commonly reported side-effect is nausea (feeling sick). Some other reported side-effects that occur in some people include: insomnia, abnormal dreams, and headaches. It may also affect your ability to drive or use machines. Another medication that helps with smoking is Bupropion (Trade name: Zyban®) Bupropion was developed to treat depression. Later it was found that it helped smokers quit smoking. It is not clear how it works. Studies show that it changes the levels some chemicals in the brain (Neurotransmitters), and this seems to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. According to studies, it shows that 19 out of 100 smokers who took Bupropion have successfully stopped smoking. “Set a target date to stop smoking one to two weeks after starting treatment. This allows bupropion to build up in your body before you stop completely.” (Ref 6) A smoker should start by taking one tablet (150mg) each day for 6 days, increasing to 2 tablets / day eight hours apart. Continue taking tablets for the next seven weeks. Some side-effects include:
Drowsiness: you should not drive or operate machinery
A seizure (fit): Occurs in about 1 in 1000 people. Risk is increased if there is history of medication, or medicinal conditions. Not usable if smoker has high blood pressure as Bupropion increases BP
A person is not to take Bupropion if:
Have a tumor of the brain or spinal cord.
Are under the age of 18.
Are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Taking Medicines such as:
Antimalarial
Medicines to treat depression or other mental illness.
Theophylline: used to treat chest conditions.
Steroids.
Antibiotics.
Tramadol.
Stimulant medicines. (Ref 6)
Another treatment possibility is the NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) NRT is a way of getting Nicotine into the blood stream, there are different methods of getting it into the bloodstream without smoking, such as: Gums, patches, inhalers, tablets and sprays. It reduces the symptoms of Nicotine withdrawal. Set a date to start using NRT. Some prefer to quit and then start NRT, others prefer to start NRT, and gradually stop smoking. “Use NRT for at least 8-12 weeks for the best chance of stopping smoking in the long term.” (Ref 7)
According to studies, it shows that 17 out of 100 smokers who took NRT have successfully stopped smoking. The gum comes in 2 strengths: 2 mg and 4 mg. “To release the nicotine, chew the gum slowly until the taste is strong. Then rest it between the cheek and the gum to allow absorption of nicotine into the bloodstream.” Nicotine Gum is not ideal if the smoker wears dentures. Patches can be applied to skin. It steadily releases nicotine into the blood stream. It is discrete, and easy to use. There are ones you can use for 16 hours and others for 24 hours. A disadvantage of patches is that it gives a steady, and consistent amount of nicotine, unlike the cigarettes, which has a high and a low. Some users can get skin irritation because of the patches. Nicotine tablets are placed under the tongue, and the spit constantly breaks it down and nicotine is absorbed into the blood stream. Inhalers can be oral or nasal. Simply spray. Side-effects such as nose and throat irritation, coughing, and watering eyes occur in about 1 in 3 users. “no more than two sprays at a time, four sprays in an hour, or more than 64 sprays over the whole day”(Ref 7). NRT should not be combined with bupropion or varenicline. Through research it has been shown that Varenicline (21 / 100) is the most effective, followed by NRT (19 / 100) and finally Bupropion (17 / 100). According to research Varenicline is a dominant option (more effective at a lower cost) compared with all other smoking treatments. To treat Smoking Related diseases, there are various kinds of treatments. The Main focus will be Cancers, as they are a big threat and can occur throughout the body. The treatment for cancer depends on the type of cancer and the stage of the disease. Often, the goal of treatment is to cure the cancer. In some cases, the goal is to control the disease or to reduce symptoms. Most treatment plans include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Sometimes the doctors involve hormone therapy (keeps cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow). Another plan they involve is the biological therapy (helps your immune system fight cancer). Some cancers can be treated with only one treatment plan while others need a combination of treatment plans. After learning the health risks of smoking and how to quit smoking we can finally conclude. In conclusion, Smoking is a habit which individuals find difficult to quit. Many People try to quite smoking and make preparations to get rid of their effort, and sometimes it is in vain. Many teenagers smoke because of depression and stress, but they should know by now that smoking kills you from the inside the are many ways to solve problems like those but one of them is NOT smoking. Peer pressure is another thing no one should fall for, being pressured into smoking is not something you should allow. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking. People around smokers are also affected by the smoke, as they inhale it. They can get the same diseases as those of a smoker. SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU!

References
Ref 1:
L, Stacey. Smoking cause and effect Essay [Online] Available from:http://www.teenink.com/opinion/school_college/article/529303/Smoking-cause-and-effect-Essay/ [Accessed: 7th March 2015]
Ref 2:
Carbon monoxide – the silent killer. [Online] Available from:http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/Inspirational/resources/2.7.1.pdf [Accessed: 8th September 2015]
Ref 3:
Effects of Smoking on Your Health [Online] Available from:http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/health-effects/smoking-health/ [Accessed: 7th September 2015]
Ref 4:
Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. [Online] Available from:http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/ [Accessed: 5th September 2015]
Ref 5:
Kenny, Dr. Tim (2012). Varenicline (Champix®). [Online] Available from:http://www.patient.co.uk/health/varenicline-champixr [Accessed: 5th September 2015]
Ref 6:
Kenny, Dr. Tim (2012). Bupropion (Zyban®) [Online] Available from:http://www.patient.co.uk/health/bupropion-zybanr [Accessed: 7th September 2015]
Ref 7:
Kenny, Dr. Tim (2012). Nicotine Replacement Therapy. [Online] Available from:http://www.patient.co.uk/health/nicotine-replacement-therapy [Accessed: 8th September 2015]
Ref 1 Image:
Pietrangelo, A. (2014). The Effects of Smoking on The Body. [image] Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/smoking/effects-on-body [Accessed 8 Mar. 2015].
Ref 2 Image:
Kenny, D. (2012). Smoking - The Facts. [image] Available at: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/smoking-the-facts [Accessed 8 Mar. 2015].
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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References: Kenny, Dr. Tim (2012). Nicotine Replacement Therapy. [Online] Available from:http://www.patient.co.uk/health/nicotine-replacement-therapy [Accessed: 8th September 2015] Kenny, Dr Kenny, Dr. Tim (2012). Varenicline (Champix®). [Online] Available from:http://www.patient.co.uk/health/varenicline-champixr [Accessed: 5th September 2015] L, Stacey Pietrangelo, A. (2014). The Effects of Smoking on The Body. [image] Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/smoking/effects-on-body [Accessed 8 Mar. 2015]. Smoking and Cancer. (2012). [online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/cancer.html [Accessed 8 Mar. 2015].