Effects of tobacco

 

The effects of smoking will vary from person to person and depend on such things as:

• a person's susceptibility to chemicals in tobacco smoke;
• the number of cigarettes smoked per day;
• the age when the person began smoking; and
• the number of years of smoking. 

Immediate effects

• smoking one cigarette immediately raises a person's blood pressure and heart rate and decreases the blood flow to body extremities like the fingers and toes;
• brain and the nervous system activity is stimulated for a short time and then reduced;
• a smoker may also experience dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and acid in the stomach; and appetite, taste and smell are weakened. 

Other effects of cigarette smoking

• smokers typically experience shortness of breath, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth and decreased sense of taste and smell;
• smokers have more colds and flu than non-smokers and find it harder to recover from minor illnesses;
• smoking can cause impotence in men, while women who smoke are less fertile than non-smokers;
• people who smoke tend to have facial wrinkles appearing much earlier and, in general, look older than non-smokers of the same age. 

Smokers have an increased risk of developing: 

• respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis;
• emphysema:  a progressive and potentially fatal lung disease;
• heart attack and coronary disease;
• cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach;
• stomach ulcers; and
• peripheral vascular disease due to decreased blood flow to the legs. 

A person who is dependent on cigarettes may find that they experience withdrawal symptoms when they cut down or stop smoking cigarettes.  These can include:  increased nervousness and tension, agitation, loss of concentration, changes to sleep patterns, headaches, coughs and cravings.