Most people are aware of the fact that smoking is hazardous to your health. There is an abundance of information available about the risks of lung cancer and heart disease associated with smoking. There are, however, many lesser known facts about smoking that you should be aware of.

They include additional dangers to you and those around you, to the many benefits of quitting. Aside from what we already know, there are many other facts about smoking that should be examined.

Health Risks

As stated above, most people are aware of the increased possibility of lung cancer and heart disease, but the potential problems do not end there. As a matter of fact, there are very few parts of your body that are not affected by smoking. In addition to your lungs, smoking can contribute to cancer forming in your throat, mouth, colon, stomach, cervix, and kidneys, just to name a few.

The medical facts about smoking don’t end with cancer and heart disease. A cigarette contains thousands of different chemicals, and hundreds of those are known to be poisonous. These chemicals are absorbed into your mouth, throat, skin and just about every other organ in your body.

Many of the problems associated with smoking stem from your blood and organs not receiving the oxygen they so desperately need to function properly. This lack of oxygen also affects the largest organ of your body, your skin. When your skin doesn’t receive the oxygen it needs, this will cause premature aging. Regular smokers will become wrinkled and unhealthy looking much sooner than non-smokers.

There are many facts about smoking and the effects it has on fertility in women, but men are at risk as well. It may surprise you to know that male smokers are 50% more likely to experience impotence than non-smokers. The facts about smoking around your loved ones are not very promising either.

This is especially true of children, who are much more vulnerable to second hand smoke than adults. If you smoke around your children, they are likely to experience more infections of the ears, nose and throat than they would have otherwise. They will also have a much harder time recovering from illnesses.

Children of smokers have been known to die from common ailments that they would have easily survived otherwise. It is said that around half of all regular smokers will die from an illness related to their habit. Those that do will have their life cut short by anywhere from 8-15 years.

Social and Financial Effects

There are many other facts about smoking that do not necessarily affect your health. Your appearance is also going to be damaged by smoking. In addition to the prematurely aged skin, your eyes, teeth and hair are also going to show the effects of your habit.

Smoking is as expensive as it is dangerous. The average smoker will spend about $3,000 a year on cigarettes. If you take this number and multiply it by, let’s say 20 years, imagine what could have been done with that money. Smokers will also be at a disadvantage in the workplace, as they are more likely to miss work due to illness than non-smokers.

These are just some of the facts about smoking that everyone should be aware of. The good news is, that when and if you stop smoking, the positive results will be almost immediate. Within just a few weeks, you will begin to feel your health improving. You’ll have a whole lot more money in your pocket as well.