Smoking cigarettes can really result to many adverse effects on the human body. Most of these challenges may even be life-threatening most of the times.

Publications by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have stated that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of dying from all causes, not those linked to tobacco use only.

Studies have proved that smoking cigarettes impact adversely the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, the skin, and even the eyes. Smoking also increases the risk of many different cancers.

See in this article 10 possible effects of smoking cigarettes.

1. Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes

According to report by CDC, people who smoke constantly have a 30–40 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes more than those who do not smoke.

Furthermore, smoking can also make it extremely difficult for people with diabetes to manage their condition.

2. Smoking Weakens immune system

A person’s immune system can be badly weakened by consistently smoking cigarettes, which can make them more susceptible to several tobacco related illnesses.

So much tobacco in the body can also cause additional inflammation in the body.

3. Poor oral hygiene

The risk of gum disease for individuals who smoke is extremely high. This risk increases with the number of sticks an individual smokes per day.

See more symptoms of gum disease below:

• bleeding while brushing
• loose teeth
• swollen and tender gums
• sensitive teeth

4. Vision challenges

Cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and other several eye problems are very much associated with consistent use of tobacco.

Some other vision problems related to smoking are:

• glaucoma
• diabetic retinopathy
• dry eyes

5. Smoking causes unhealthy skin and hair

At a glance , you may be able to identify those who smoke because of the looks of their skins. Tobacco can drastically affect a person’s skin and hair. People who smoke may experience prematurely aged, wrinkled skin. They also have a higher risk of skin cancer, especially on their lips.

Those who smoke consistently may have their hair and skins smell of tobacco. It can also contribute to hair loss and balding.

6. Risk of complication during pregnancy

Smoking can affect pregnancy and the developing fetus, according to the CDC in this following ways:

• increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy
• impacts the baby’s birth weight
• increases the risk of premature infant death syndrome
• increases the risk of preterm delivery
• damages the fetus’s lungs, brain, and even the central nervous system

7. Fertility challenges

Women who smoke may stand a risk of damaging their female reproductive system and may even have more difficulty getting pregnant. This may be because tobacco and the other chemicals in cigarettes affect adversely hormone levels.

On the flip side, men who smoke consistently may stand a higher risk of erectile dysfunction. Smoking can also affect the quality of the sperm and consequently reduce fertility.

8. Lung damage

Cigarettes affects lung health, reason is that a person breathes in not only nicotine but also a variety of additional chemicals. The CDC report states that roughly 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths is associated with smoking.

Smoking cigarettes also comes with it a greater risk of developing and even dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). In fact, the American Lung Association suggests that smoking causes over 80 percent of COPD deaths.

9. Heart disease

Research indicates a direct link between smoking and developing Peripheral Artery Disease, which happens when the arteries to the arms and legs begin to narrow and blood flow is restricted. Even those who had quit cigarettes face a higher risk than people who never smoked.

PAD in a person increases the risk of experiencing:

• a stroke
• blood clots
• a heart attack
• even chest pain

10. Risk other cancers

In addition to the well-documented link with lung cancer, smoking cigarettes can also contribute to other forms of cancer. The American Cancer Society report suggest that cigarette smoking causes 20–30 percent of pancreatic cancers.

Individuals who smoke are also three times as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who don’t smoke. Tobacco is extremely associated with stomach cancers that occur around the esophagus.

Cigarettes may also increase the risk of:

• mouth cancer
• throat cancer
• kidney cancer
• liver cancer
• cervical cancer
• and even acute myeloid leukemia

The person who is even a secondhand smoker, (that is one who does not smoke but inhales smokes from others who smoke) is not even exempted from these negative impacts of tobacco. Secondhand smoke can also have extensive health effects on family members, friends, and even coworkers.

Negative effects of exposure to secondhand smoke may include:

• rise in blood pressure
• heart damage
• escalating the risk of colds and ear infections
• escalating asthma
• reduction on the levels of high-density lipoprotein, or “good,” cholesterol