| Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health. | | | | Emphysema - also known as a chronic obstructive |
| Each year, thousands of people die from smoking or | | | | pulmonary disease (COPD), is caused by constant |
| smoking related illnesses. Many more live life with | | | | inhaling of the toxic fumes of cigarette smoke. This |
| debilitating illnesses such as chronic bronchitis or | | | | disease is characterized by the lack of elasticity of |
| asthma. This paper covers the five most common | | | | lung tissue and destruction of capillaries. This makes |
| deadly conditions for which this addiction is responsible. | | | | breathing extremely difficult. |
| Lung Cancer - the most common cancer caused by | | | | Pleurisy - results from the lining of the lungs becoming |
| smoking. Every year, of those diagnosed with lung | | | | inflamed. Fluid may build up in the chest cavity and |
| cancer, approximately 84% of the diagnosis are | | | | breathing becomes not only difficult, but painful. |
| cigarette smoking related. (UK study, 2002). Because | | | | Coughing is often persistent and may be dry or |
| cigarettes contain nicotine, a tar like substance, and | | | | produce sputum. |
| carbon dioxide, the lining of the lungs are coated with | | | | Pneumonia: A serious infection of the lungs, this |
| up to 1 cup of tar per year, for a smoker of 1 pack of | | | | disease is characterized by chest pain, fever, chills, |
| cigarettes a day. Even one cigarette each day can | | | | cough and shortness of breath. Lungs often fill with |
| trigger changes of cells within the lungs tissue, resulting | | | | fluid, and often the patient can drown on those fluids. |
| in lung cancer later in life. | | | | Pneumonia can happen to anyone, but smokers are |
| Heart Disease - the second leading cause of death for | | | | especially prone to the problem. |
| smokers are heart related diseases. Many types of | | | | Most of these fatal diseases - with the exception of |
| heart disorders such as aortic aneurysm, (a bulging | | | | pneumonia - are preventable by leading a healthy |
| major blood vessel), myocardial degeneration (heart | | | | lifestyle. That includes not smoking. Some may be |
| attack) and ischemic heart disease (lack of blood to an | | | | genetically related or caused by other factors, but the |
| organ, such as the heart) are often seen in the | | | | risk of developing them are increased exponentially |
| mid-thirties age range. | | | | when an individual smokes. |