Lung cancer might be one of the most well-known potential consequences of using tobacco, but it’s far from the only health problem that’s been linked to it. In fact, tobacco use can affect nearly every organ in the body – so what other conditions can it cause?
Gum disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use in any form – whether that be smoking or the use of smokeless products like chewing tobacco or snus – can increase the risk of someone developing gum disease, also known as periodontal disease.
This can happen in multiple ways. Smoking tobacco, for example, increases the likelihood that someone’s mouth will contain bacteria associated with the development of gum disease. At the same time, smoking can also weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to adequately respond to those harmful bacteria.
It’s worth pointing out here that gum disease is no joke – not only can it leave someone with symptoms like persistent bad breath and inflamed, receding gums that may also bleed, but if left untreated, it can eventually lead to tooth loss.
Erectile dysfunction
There are a number of reasons why someone might have problems with getting or maintaining an erection, and that includes them being a tobacco user. This is thought to manifest through a number of pathways, but one of the main ways is through reducing the body’s availability of a key compound in getting hard: nitric oxide.
When someone with a penis experiences arousal, it triggers a nerve signaling cascade that leads to the release of nitric oxide from nerves in the corpora cavernosa, the spongy erectile tissue in the penis.
Nitric oxide then activates a biochemical chain reaction that leads to the relaxation of the smooth muscle forming the walls of arteries within the corpora cavernosa. When these arteries relax and dilate, blood flows into the penis, causing it to inflate and just like that – an erection appears.
With less nitric oxide around, that crucial smooth muscle can’t relax as well, and so blood flow into the penis is decreased, making it more difficult to get an erection. The good news, however, is that research suggests that for some people, cutting out tobacco – particularly when it comes to smoking – might help them to regain their erectile function.
A whole bunch of other cancers
Though it took a long time to uncover the link between tobacco and cancer, scientists now know that smoking can cause a whole range of different cancers – not just those affecting the lungs.
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking tobacco is responsible for around 20 percent of all cancer cases and 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States. Besides lung cancer, smoking has been linked to cancers of the mouth, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and stomach, among others.
It’s not just a matter of smoking either; even smokeless forms of tobacco still put someone at an increased risk for developing cancers of the mouth, tongue, esophagus, and pancreas.
Both tobacco smoke and smokeless forms of tobacco increase the risk of cancer primarily because they contain cancer-causing compounds known as carcinogens. These compounds can damage DNA and/or make it harder for DNA damage to be repaired, which can lead to cells dividing uncontrollably – in other words, cancer.
Stroke
Tobacco use can cause numerous problems within the circulatory system, which encompasses the heart, blood vessels, and blood. It’s the effect on the latter two that can lead to an increased risk of one of the most serious consequences of tobacco use: stroke.
Stroke is a condition in which either major blood vessels supplying the brain are blocked, leading to brain cell death (known as ischemic stroke), or a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing bleeding, an increase in pressure, and damage in nearby parts of the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
Exposure to tobacco smoke – whether direct or secondhand – increases the risk of both types of stroke. That’s because its components are known to weaken and damage blood vessels, upping the chances that they might rupture, as well as increasing the likelihood of blood clotting.
The result is that, according to the Stroke Association, smokers are around three times more likely to have a stroke than those who don’t smoke – and the more that they smoke, the higher the chance that they’ll have one. Even for those who don’t use tobacco, if they’re exposed to secondhand smoke, their risk of stroke still increases by between 20 to 30 percent.
Reproductive issues
Tobacco use has also been linked to problems with fertility and reproduction, for both males and females.
For example, in its most recent committee opinion regarding tobacco or cannabis use on fertility, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine concluded that there is evidence to show that tobacco use can lead to delays in conception, earlier menopause, and to a variable degree, decreases in sperm concentration, its ability to move, and its shape and structure. Even just five or so cigarettes smoked a day can end up making it more difficult for someone to get pregnant.
The effects of tobacco use can be seen beyond attempts to conceive too; it’s also been associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus), spontaneous miscarriage, and stillbirth.
However, the effects aren’t necessarily irreversible. When someone stops smoking tobacco, for example, it can lead to improvements in both sperm count and quality, as well as the time it takes to get pregnant.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Source Link: 5 Health Problems Caused By Tobacco Use That Aren't Lung Cancer
