Atherosclerosis Causes
Have you ever observed a smoker enjoying the momentary pleasure of nicotine contained in each needed cigarette? He would probably inhale slowly and allow the smoke to travel down his windpipe. Unfortunately, along with each cigarette is the need for another cigarette, thus furthering the addiction uncontrollably. As his lungs are filling with nicotine, his bloodstream is carrying nicotine throughout his body systems, adversely affecting the heart and brain.
In spite of all the health warnings, teenagers continue to get hooked on tobacco even though they all know that it 's bad for them. Why do teens start to smoke? Teens find acceptance by peers if they smoke too. They often use cigarette smoking to avoid the pressures of everyday living. …show more content…
Eventually, they tend to lose their ability to learn how to cope effectively. This report examines the harmful effects of cigarette smoking on various organ systems and elaborates the notion that a few years of exposure to smoking will have lasting adverse consequences. Greater awareness and deeper knowledge of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking can discourage young people from taking up this deadly habit by appealing to their common sense and better judgment, thereby allowing them to choose not to smoke.
The use of cigarette smoking is a major aspect of our society. Smoking is used in socializing, relaxing, and even entertaining. According to the president of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, "Ninety percent of all the smokers began as teenagers or younger" ( MTGUS).They also feel invincible or that they can stop at anytime. However, life as a smoker is like a life of addiction. It is just difficult to quit. Few people do quit but only through extreme effort. And even those who quit are fighting to stay that way for the rest of their lives. Seventy five percent of smokers would like to quit, unfortunately only two or three percent quit each year. (MTGUS)
Cigarettes damage the body gradually and harmfully in a number of different ways. Some people believe that all of the health effects of smoking are reversible shortly after cessation regardless of the duration or intensity of the smoking exposure. Unfortunately, this is not true. Teenagers, in particular may be overly complacent about smoking because they believe incorrectly that they can smoke for a few years and quit without suffering any long-term effects. This complacency is evident in the research study, which shows that teen smoking rates have increased to 17.2% in 1992 to 22.2% in 1996. (Deaths:Leading Causes for 2002)). Teen smokers who believe that all the health hazards of cigarettes will disappear in a puff of smoke when they quit will have no long-term effects. More often than not, they fall back on an "I can always quit tomorrow" philosophy. In short, it is not an easy task to just quit. It takes constant determination and lifetime commitment to finally decide to quit cigarette smoking.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. " Lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer in the US. About 90% of those deaths are related to smoking." (MTGUS). It contributes to remarkable number of diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), peripheral vascular disease, peptic ulcer disease, and other types of cancer. In a report from the Centers for Disease Control, studies have shown that " cigarette smoking in adults causes heart disease and stroke...early signs of the blood vessel damage present in these diseases can be found in adolescents who smoke." (Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002).
Everytime a smoker lights a new cigarette, the fresh dose of nicotine puts additional stress on the cardiovascular system.
Nicotine pushes the heart to work faster- 10-20 times more beats per minute. Nicotine also causes the blood vessels to constrict which eventually causes high blood pressure. Additionally, smoking seems to accelerate the process of hardening of the arteries, also known as "Atherosclerosis". Nicotine stays along the artery wall causing it to become thickened and less elastic. As these plaques or thickened secretions develop and hardened, the progress of Atherosclerosis causes even more serious problems in the cardiovascular system, such as heart attack and stroke. Plaques can also break, creating blood clots, which completely block an artery and can be very fatal. Damage to the heart muscles can disrupt the function of the organ. This is confirmed by the research study made by Centers for Disease Control which shows that "in 2002, 696,947 people died of heart disease( 51% of them women). This was 29% of all US death." Moreover, "21.6% of cigarette smokers are high risk for heart disease". (Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002). The bottom line is that smoking is costly, both to the individual smoker and to society as a whole. Studies from CDC clearly indicate regular cigarette smokers are high risk and may eventually die from their …show more content…
addiction.
The effect smoking has on the respiratory system is irreversible. Smoking irritates and damages the respiratory tract. In the lungs, an accumulation of tar from smoking causes irritation and damage. This causes a variety of symptoms, including wheezing, productive cough, sputum production and respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These effects can be reduced but not entirely reversed by quitting. Smoking is the primary risk factor of developing COPD, i.e. chronic bronchitis, emphysema. Emphysema is characterized by permanent structural changes in the lung tissue. The deterioration in the lung function associated with COPD is directly related to duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence increases the number and severity of respiratory illnesses. It also causes retardation. Retardation in lung growth during childhood means that the lungs may never attain normal function. Smoking induced chronic irritation of the respiratory lining and the wide variety of carcinogens in cigarette smoke induces permanent changes in the cells lining the respiratory tract. These changes can lead to cancer. Cigarette smoke is, in fact, the major cause of lung cancers.(Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing).
Lastly, the effects of smoking in the reproduction system could mean the life of an unborn child. Infertility is more common among smokers but is not reversible. The damage done to smokers ' babies during pregnancy is irreversible. Based on the article, "More teen girls smoking in the US," it states that, " Like their male counterparts, women who smoke are at risk for heart disease and lung cancer. They are also at risk for reduced fertility and premature menopause. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, sudden infant death syndrome, and low birth weight babies." David Satcher, the Surgeon General also predicted that the teen girls who smoke would be the "victims of these smoking related diseases in the future." (MTGUS).
When a pregnant woman smokes, she exposes the fetus, the unborn infant, to a number of cancer-causing chemicals and poisons.
She then faces the risk of miscarrying or going into premature labor. This is due to fetal oxygen deprivation and placental abnormalities induced by the carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarette smoke. She is also at greater risk of losing the baby before his or her first birthday. Infants born to mothers who smoked in pregnancy are more likely to die of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), a medical condition in which seemingly healthy babies die in their sleep.
As these smokers ' babies grow older, they may fall behind in physical growth and intellectual development. Impaired physical, emotional and intellectual development is evident in most low birth weight babies of smoking mothers. This is due to the vasoconstriction or constriction of the blood vessels caused by the nicotine, which reduces the blood flow to the placenta.(Introduction to Maternity and Pediatric
Nursing).
There should be no illusions as to the dangers and harmful effects of cigarette smoking. Nicotine is a highly addictive pharmacologically active substance. The array of noxious chemicals packed in a cigarette can permanently and drastically affect health. Cigarette smoking has great negative impact on various body systems specifically the cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive system. Teenagers, in particular, may be over complacent about smoking. Believing incorrectly that they can smoke for a few years and then quit without suffering any long-term effects can cost them their lives. Deeper knowledge and greater awareness of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking can discourage teenagers from taking up this addictive habit and prevent them from facing the irreversible consequences of smoking in the various body systems.
Works Cited
" Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002." National Vital Statistics Reports 2005;53(17), Heart
Disease Facts and Statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4
December 2006. < http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm> Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
"Heart Attack:Key Info." Smart Ways to live well. Prevention .com.4 December 2006.
Prevention.com
Liefer, Gloria. "Introduction to Maternity and Pediatric Nursing." 3rd Ed, Philadelphia,
PA: W.B. Saunders Company, 2000
Linton, Adrianne Dill, and Matteson, Mary Ann, and Maebius, Nancy K, Introduction to
Medical-Surgical Nursing.3rd Ed, Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company,
2003
McCance, Kathryn and Huether,Sue, Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in
adults and children, 4th Ed, St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc., 2002
"More Teen Girls Smoking in US." CNN.com/HEALTH. 27 March 2001. 4 December
2006.< http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/03/27/women.smoking.02/ >
CNN.com
In spite of all the health warnings, teenagers continue to get hooked on tobacco even though they all know that it 's bad for them. Why do teens start to smoke? Teens find acceptance by peers if they smoke too. They often use cigarette smoking to avoid the pressures of everyday living. …show more content…
Eventually, they tend to lose their ability to learn how to cope effectively. This report examines the harmful effects of cigarette smoking on various organ systems and elaborates the notion that a few years of exposure to smoking will have lasting adverse consequences. Greater awareness and deeper knowledge of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking can discourage young people from taking up this deadly habit by appealing to their common sense and better judgment, thereby allowing them to choose not to smoke.
The use of cigarette smoking is a major aspect of our society. Smoking is used in socializing, relaxing, and even entertaining. According to the president of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, "Ninety percent of all the smokers began as teenagers or younger" ( MTGUS).They also feel invincible or that they can stop at anytime. However, life as a smoker is like a life of addiction. It is just difficult to quit. Few people do quit but only through extreme effort. And even those who quit are fighting to stay that way for the rest of their lives. Seventy five percent of smokers would like to quit, unfortunately only two or three percent quit each year. (MTGUS)
Cigarettes damage the body gradually and harmfully in a number of different ways. Some people believe that all of the health effects of smoking are reversible shortly after cessation regardless of the duration or intensity of the smoking exposure. Unfortunately, this is not true. Teenagers, in particular may be overly complacent about smoking because they believe incorrectly that they can smoke for a few years and quit without suffering any long-term effects. This complacency is evident in the research study, which shows that teen smoking rates have increased to 17.2% in 1992 to 22.2% in 1996. (Deaths:Leading Causes for 2002)). Teen smokers who believe that all the health hazards of cigarettes will disappear in a puff of smoke when they quit will have no long-term effects. More often than not, they fall back on an "I can always quit tomorrow" philosophy. In short, it is not an easy task to just quit. It takes constant determination and lifetime commitment to finally decide to quit cigarette smoking.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. " Lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer in the US. About 90% of those deaths are related to smoking." (MTGUS). It contributes to remarkable number of diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), peripheral vascular disease, peptic ulcer disease, and other types of cancer. In a report from the Centers for Disease Control, studies have shown that " cigarette smoking in adults causes heart disease and stroke...early signs of the blood vessel damage present in these diseases can be found in adolescents who smoke." (Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002).
Everytime a smoker lights a new cigarette, the fresh dose of nicotine puts additional stress on the cardiovascular system.
Nicotine pushes the heart to work faster- 10-20 times more beats per minute. Nicotine also causes the blood vessels to constrict which eventually causes high blood pressure. Additionally, smoking seems to accelerate the process of hardening of the arteries, also known as "Atherosclerosis". Nicotine stays along the artery wall causing it to become thickened and less elastic. As these plaques or thickened secretions develop and hardened, the progress of Atherosclerosis causes even more serious problems in the cardiovascular system, such as heart attack and stroke. Plaques can also break, creating blood clots, which completely block an artery and can be very fatal. Damage to the heart muscles can disrupt the function of the organ. This is confirmed by the research study made by Centers for Disease Control which shows that "in 2002, 696,947 people died of heart disease( 51% of them women). This was 29% of all US death." Moreover, "21.6% of cigarette smokers are high risk for heart disease". (Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002). The bottom line is that smoking is costly, both to the individual smoker and to society as a whole. Studies from CDC clearly indicate regular cigarette smokers are high risk and may eventually die from their …show more content…
addiction.
The effect smoking has on the respiratory system is irreversible. Smoking irritates and damages the respiratory tract. In the lungs, an accumulation of tar from smoking causes irritation and damage. This causes a variety of symptoms, including wheezing, productive cough, sputum production and respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These effects can be reduced but not entirely reversed by quitting. Smoking is the primary risk factor of developing COPD, i.e. chronic bronchitis, emphysema. Emphysema is characterized by permanent structural changes in the lung tissue. The deterioration in the lung function associated with COPD is directly related to duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence increases the number and severity of respiratory illnesses. It also causes retardation. Retardation in lung growth during childhood means that the lungs may never attain normal function. Smoking induced chronic irritation of the respiratory lining and the wide variety of carcinogens in cigarette smoke induces permanent changes in the cells lining the respiratory tract. These changes can lead to cancer. Cigarette smoke is, in fact, the major cause of lung cancers.(Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing).
Lastly, the effects of smoking in the reproduction system could mean the life of an unborn child. Infertility is more common among smokers but is not reversible. The damage done to smokers ' babies during pregnancy is irreversible. Based on the article, "More teen girls smoking in the US," it states that, " Like their male counterparts, women who smoke are at risk for heart disease and lung cancer. They are also at risk for reduced fertility and premature menopause. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, sudden infant death syndrome, and low birth weight babies." David Satcher, the Surgeon General also predicted that the teen girls who smoke would be the "victims of these smoking related diseases in the future." (MTGUS).
When a pregnant woman smokes, she exposes the fetus, the unborn infant, to a number of cancer-causing chemicals and poisons.
She then faces the risk of miscarrying or going into premature labor. This is due to fetal oxygen deprivation and placental abnormalities induced by the carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarette smoke. She is also at greater risk of losing the baby before his or her first birthday. Infants born to mothers who smoked in pregnancy are more likely to die of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), a medical condition in which seemingly healthy babies die in their sleep.
As these smokers ' babies grow older, they may fall behind in physical growth and intellectual development. Impaired physical, emotional and intellectual development is evident in most low birth weight babies of smoking mothers. This is due to the vasoconstriction or constriction of the blood vessels caused by the nicotine, which reduces the blood flow to the placenta.(Introduction to Maternity and Pediatric
Nursing).
There should be no illusions as to the dangers and harmful effects of cigarette smoking. Nicotine is a highly addictive pharmacologically active substance. The array of noxious chemicals packed in a cigarette can permanently and drastically affect health. Cigarette smoking has great negative impact on various body systems specifically the cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive system. Teenagers, in particular, may be over complacent about smoking. Believing incorrectly that they can smoke for a few years and then quit without suffering any long-term effects can cost them their lives. Deeper knowledge and greater awareness of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking can discourage teenagers from taking up this addictive habit and prevent them from facing the irreversible consequences of smoking in the various body systems.
Works Cited
" Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002." National Vital Statistics Reports 2005;53(17), Heart
Disease Facts and Statistics.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4
December 2006. < http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm> Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
"Heart Attack:Key Info." Smart Ways to live well. Prevention .com.4 December 2006.
Prevention.com
Liefer, Gloria. "Introduction to Maternity and Pediatric Nursing." 3rd Ed, Philadelphia,
PA: W.B. Saunders Company, 2000
Linton, Adrianne Dill, and Matteson, Mary Ann, and Maebius, Nancy K, Introduction to
Medical-Surgical Nursing.3rd Ed, Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company,
2003
McCance, Kathryn and Huether,Sue, Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in
adults and children, 4th Ed, St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc., 2002
"More Teen Girls Smoking in US." CNN.com/HEALTH. 27 March 2001. 4 December
2006.< http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/03/27/women.smoking.02/ >
CNN.com