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Johnathan Demmer #6

Essay 2

English 100

October 10, 2005

Effects of Smoking

Smoking is the cause of 80% of lung cancer deaths and 20% of cancer deaths. Therefore, tobacco causes more illness and deaths than any other drug. On average, people who smoke a pack of cigarettes or more a day lives 7 years less than someone who never smoked. The resting heart rates of young adults that smoke are two to three beats faster than those who do not smoke. There are over 60 cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke. Smoking is an important risk factor for the three major diseases that cause death: emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer.

*Smoking may cause emphysema. Emphysema is the type of lung disease characterized by shortness of breath. It damages and narrows the bronchi, the main airways leading to the lungs. The damaged airways do not regenerate and there is no cure. Symptoms may occur in result of emphysema. *For example, these symptoms may include breathlessness upon movement, chest pains, coughing, fatigue, or expansion of rib cage caused by expansion of lungs. Emphysema may begin with sudden trouble breathing from morning until night. Next, a short walk may be enough to bring an attack of breathlessness. *Additionally, it may reach a point to where every breath requires a great amount of effort. It is believed that emphysema is a late effect of irritation of the bronchial tubes. These tubes connect the windpipe to the lungs. When the bronchi become irritated, the airways may become damaged, trapping the air in the lungs. When emphysema is left untreated it becomes a complication for other harmful illnesses. Some complications of untreated emphysema may result in a collapsed lung, or a heart problem, which may lead to heart disease. Emphysema is diagnosed using many different tests including; lung function test, chest x-ray, and blood tests. A lung function test evaluates how much air someone's lungs can hold, how quickly they can move air in and out of their lungs, and how well their lungs move oxygen to their blood. A chest x-ray is a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of tissues, bones, and organs onto film. Blood tests are used to detect prostate cancer. Other than these tests doctors may also recommend other antibiotics to slow or stop the infection while it is in an early stage. There is no actual cure for emphysema, however, a few treatment options for emphysema include, quitting smoking immediately, stress management techniques, regular exercise to improve overall fitness, and oxygen treatment - in severe cases.

* Cardiovascular disease or heart disease is another effect that can occur because of smoking. Heart disease is the nation's leading killer for both men and women among all racial and ethnic groups. Heart disease accounts for over one million deaths each year. 160,000 of those deaths are individuals between the ages of 35 to 64 years old. Tobacco contains a high level of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide affects the heart by reducing the amount of oxygen the blood is able to carry. At the same time, nicotine causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. *Consequently, this will cause extreme "wear and tear" on the cardiovascular system. People who smoke have a much higher risk of heart problems. Smoking actually triples the risk of dying from heart disease. When symptoms occur, it may be because the heart fails to pump blood effectively