It’s not a secret that the chemicals contained in tobacco harm all organs without exception. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco consumption is associated with the occurrence of at least 25 diseases. Tobacco use is considered the biggest cause of death in the world. How does it influence male health? Let’s discover all dangers of smoking for men and their reproductive system.
How tobacco affects overall health?
Tobacco has a cancerous effect, causing cancer in at least 12 different parts of the body: in the lungs, oral cavity, nasal cavity, paranasal sinus, larynx, throat, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, renal pelvis, gall bladder. Tobacco also causes myeloid leukemia (blood cancer).
Tobacco is also a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (40% of cases), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (80% of cases), and malignant tumors (30% of cases, including 90% of lung cancer). With abstinence from tobacco, 40% of these diseases can be prevented.
General health risks from tobacco use:
- Lungs — bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer.
- Heart — increased pressure, accelerated heart rate, narrowing of the arteries (gangrene), damage to the inner lining of the arteries (stroke, heart attack).
- Digestive organs — disorders of the stomach, stomach ulcers.
- Oral cavity — inflammation of the gums, cancer of the oral cavity.
- Skin — rapid aging, grayness and pallor of the skin.
- Genitals — infertility, impotence.
- Human embryo — premature birth, underweight, poor health.
- Psychological addiction.
- General health — shortens life expectancy.
How smoking affects male health?
How exactly does smoking affect potency in men? Consider the mechanism of formation of an erection. Good blood supply leads to sexual arousal. Therefore, one can predict what tobacco leads to, given that smoking causes vasoconstriction and blood clotting.
Many people, both smokers and non-smokers, believe that cigarettes can do harm over the years. But this is not so. Nicotine has a negative effect immediately, that is, with the first cigarette. Tobacco smoke contains many chemical compounds. Many of them have a direct effect on the potency of men. Even after just one cigarette.
In addition to influencing male power, smoking negatively affects fertility. Cigarettes also provoke the development of a number of diseases. Will your condition improve after you give up cigarettes? Sure!
The effect of tobacco on the blood circulation system
Most smokers believe that lungs are the first to suffer from their “bad habits”. This is not true. Why? Nicotine affects the cardiovascular system! Carbon dioxide is a powerful damaging factor that attacks the smoker’s body, even if you are smoking a hookah. Therefore, it makes no sense to define what is more harmful — a hookah or cigarettes.
The destructive effect of smoking on the circulatory system leads to impotence. Of course, there are other prerequisites for erectile dysfunction, but smoking is recognized as factor number one. As statistics show, smokers are 2 times more likely to suffer from impotence.
The substance IPDE-5, which is present in drugs to improve the potency of Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, promotes blood flow to the genitals, stimulating sexual arousal. But will those remedies work when a man spoils the effects by smoking and impairing blood flow?
Smoking and potency: statistics
Tobacco smoke contains about 7000 chemical compounds. Of these, 700 are artificially added to cigarettes, and another 300 are poisons, without exaggeration. Even smoking just one cigarette harms the body. An erection falls 20% below the level that you would have if you had not smoked cigarettes at all.
Blood supply is not only the delivery of blood at the right time to the right place (I hope you understand what I mean). Even if at the moment you do not need a powerful erection and the penis is just in a normal state, normal blood circulation is still imperative for health!
Why should you also give up cigarettes or electronic cigarettes? Because nicotine, being a powerful neurotoxin, blocks the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide, reduces potency, negatively affects the quantity and quality of sperm.
Harm of passive smoking
Giving up smoking not only benefits one’s health, but also benefits the others. The harm from smoking cigarettes is felt by random passers-by and close relatives who have to regularly contact an heavy smoker. Nicotine in tobacco smoke causes increased heart rate, heart rhythm disturbance, coughing, and even severe asthma attacks.
If you do not smoke, then do not start, and avoid places and situations in which you are exposed to ambient tobacco smoke. Passive smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular, bronchopulmonary, respiratory and cancer diseases.
When it comes to passive smoking, here are some things to watch out for:
- reduced fertility;
- depressive state;
- redness, eye irritation;
- dry throat, sore;
- bouts of coughing, choking;
- decline in overall performance.
Noticed these symptoms? Keep away from smokers!
Decided to quit? Here’s what you can do
If you smoke, the most important thing you can do to maintain your health and lifespan is to stop smoking! Quitting smoking is not easy, but possible. This requires sufficient motivation for the person who wants to quit smoking and medical care. To date, medical care for patients with smoking cessation is carried out as part of individual or group counseling, and, as a rule, includes medical treatment. Some medication is needed to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
If you seriously thought about giving up a cigarette
Make the final decision to stop smoking and take it as a gift to yourself!
- Determine for yourself the benefits of quitting smoking — what you get by freeing yourself from a cigarette and writing them down on paper, review from time to time and adjust the list
- Be prepared for attacks of cravings for a cigarette — they pass faster if you get distracted and turn your attention (housework, phone call to non-smoking friends, walking, playing sports, etc.), look for your alternative to a cigarette;
- Determine how many cigarettes a day you smoke and situations that promote smoking — try to avoid such situations;
- Plan for yourself a reward for quitting smoking, for example, buying something that was postponed to a later time;
- Set a date for you to completely stop smoking and follow this schedule;
- Part with cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters;
- Free the apartment, the car interior, personal belongings from the smell of tobacco smoke, hand dry cleaned clothes;
- Alternate physical and mental activity, try to prevent overwork, stressful situations;
- Make physical activity regular (1 hour / day — brisk walking, swimming, cycling, dancing) — this way the body will quickly cope with the consequences of chronic tobacco poisoning;
- Eat foods rich in vitamins (C, B1, B12, E, PP), fiber (vegetables, fruits, cereals), protein (low-fat dairy products, fish);
- Drink more liquid, if there are no contraindications, give preference to alkaline drinking (unsweetened mineral waters, juices, vegetable decoctions);
- Avoid tonic drinks, strong tea and coffee, alcohol (better — herbal teas with mint, lemon balm);
- Avoid salty, spicy and spicy foods;
- If you need support from loved ones — tell them about your decision, about the need for their help;
- Develop an approving attitude towards non-smoking, and do not despair if the attempt to part with a cigarette has failed — a new attempt will be more successful!
- Believe in your strength and you will succeed!
How a doctor can help?
The doctor will help to identify the causes of smoking and, on the basis of this, choose the appropriate method for quitting smoking, select the scheme of drug treatment. According to statistics, most people who quit smoking return to the cigarette again, but subsequent attempts to finally give up smoking appear to be more successful. Good luck!