A lot has been said about smoking and how terrible it is for your health. To make matters worse, smoking not only affects the smoker, but also the people around the smoker, including family members, friends, and co-workers.
Smoking harms every organ inside your body — your lungs, heart, blood vessels, and joints to name a few. Approximately 16 million Americans live with smoking-related illnesses and diseases.
If you’re one of many who find it difficult to quit, understanding the health problems caused by smoking may be just the push you need to stop smoking. Let’s talk about the health problems caused by smoking.
Lung Cancer
Smoking is the number 1 risk factor for cancer of the lungs. Hundreds of thousands of people get lung cancer every year, and many of them smoked for an extensive part of their lives. Most patients diagnosed with lung cancer are over the age of 65, and have a 1 in 5 chance of surviving for five years after diagnosis.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Patients with COPD, also known as emphysema, experience difficulty breathing due to low airflow as a result of inflamed airways and diseased lung tissue caused by smoking. COPD may contribute to disability as it makes it difficult for the sufferer to remain active. Therefore, patients with this disease have an overall lower quality of life.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking contributes to the formation of plaque in your blood vessels and arteries. Plaque in arteries is a symptom of heart disease. The plaque creates blockages, which can reduce blood and oxygen flow necessary for a healthy heart.
Stroke
Your stroke risk quadruples if you smoke. The carbon dioxide, nicotine, and other toxic chemicals found in cigarettes can enter your bloodstream, which affects healthy blood and oxygen flow. These harmful chemicals can damage your blood vessels, including those in your brain. With a blockage in the blood supply to your brain, it can lead to a stroke.
Other Cancers
Lung cancer is not only cancer that you are at risk of getting. Smoking affects every organ in your body, which also contributes to the development of cancer in your breast, colon, cervix, pancreas, liver, and stomach. If you are a cancer patient, smoking can contribute to the development of secondary cancers.
Comprehensive Treatment for Lung Diseases in Sarasota & Bradenton, Florida
The pulmonologists at the Intercoastal Medical Group specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of lung conditions and diseases. If you’re having trouble breathing or are experiencing chest pains, have our skilled and compassionate pulmonologists examine you. The sooner you get a diagnosis and begin treatment, the sooner you will find relief from your symptoms and can go back to living your life to the fullest. In many cases, life-threatening conditions need to be treated immediately. Don’t wait – visit us today for a quick diagnosis and get an effective treatment plan in place.
To request an appointment with our pulmonologists, call our location that is most convenient for you. Intercoastal Medical Group has pulmonology offices in Sarasota at its Cattleridge Medical Building, 3333 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, FL 34232 (941) 379-1799, and at the Lakewood Ranch I Medical Building, 11505 Rangeland Parkway, Bradenton, FL 34211 (941)362-8662. You can also submit an appointment request online. We look forward to serving you.
