It’s very difficult for some opeople to understand, but the effects of smoking touch more than just your lungs alone.  While many still connect lung cancer with smoking, they are often uneducated about just how completely dangerous smoking effects can be.

Consider these areas of the body that are damaged by smoking.  Your skin is usually touched by premature aging and wrinkles, as one of the common effects of smoking is poor blood circulation and a loss of oxygen, both of which are needed for healthy skin.  A smoker’s mouth usually has discolored and stained teeth and plaque, and teeth can actually become loose as the gums dry up and become brittle.

Cancers of the lips, mouth, throat and larynx are common effects of smoking, as are constant sore throats, a reduced sense of taste, and breath that smells of smoke.  That poor blood circulation means cold hands and especially cold fingertips, which are usually stained of tar.

Lung cancer is not the only smoking effect that hits the respiratory system.  Most smokers are more prone to bronchitis, a constant shortness of breath and persistent cough with sputum, and are more likely to get colds, flu, pneumonia, and asthma.  Smoking also complicates tuberculosis and virtually any other respiratory condition one can get.

The heart is also one of the major parts of the body that is not immune to the effects of smoking.  Many heart attacks can be traced to smoking.  Smoking blocks and weakens the arteries of the heart and constricts blood vessels, making the heart need to work harder just to do its job.

When thinking about the body’s mid-section, cancers of the esophagus, abdomen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and colon are all traced to the effects of smoking.

The bones are also not immune to smoking’s effects.  Osteoporosis, spine and hip fractures, and degenerative disc disease can be traced back to smoking.

Infertility is another issue with heavy and chronic smokers, both male and female.  Men can have lower sperm counts and decreased sperm motility, and women can have difficulty with ovulation when smoking.

As for the rest of the body, the effects of smoking are many, including blood diseases, decreased circulation to the feet and toes, and difficulty recovering from wounds.  Really, when you think about it, there is not one place on the human body that does not suffer, and suffer greatly, from smoking’s effects.  Really, is there any reason why it’s not time to quit?