More good reasons to quit smoking

I think we all know by now that smoking is bad for your heart and lungs, but I bet you didn't know smoking also (according to this brochure from the Michigan Department of Community health) is responsible for:

1. Alzheimer’s Acceleration: Smoking speeds your rate of mental decline; smokers are 5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s in the later years of life – with or without a family history of the disease.

2. Increasing your chances of getting Lupus: Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, tissue damage, and pain throughout the body. Your risk of developing this disease increases when you smoke, but declines when you quit.

3. Increases your chance for impotence: Smoking has a serious effect on the prevalence of impotence; men who smoke nearly a pack a day increase their risk by a whopping 60%! Luckily, this risk can be decreased when you quit smoking – and the sooner the better.

4. Increases your chance for going blind: Your risk of age-related macular degeneration goes up 4 fold when you are a smoker – fortunately, quitting reduces that risk. This is a condition that causes a loss of central vision, which means you cannot see straight in front of you. If you enjoy activities like reading, sewing, or driving, it’s time to quit smoking.

5. Advancing arthritis: If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis in your family history, research shows you are 16 times more likely to get it when you smoke. Even when you don’t have the family history, you are 2.5 times more likely than non-smokers to be affected.

6. Causing Heartburn: If you have smoked for 20+ years, chances are you have heartburn. You are 70% more likely to get it than a non-smoker!

7. Causing insomnia: Withdrawal from nicotine may make it harder to fall asleep and the continued withdrawal overnight can cause increased insomnia.

According to the American Cancer Society, the following have also been linked to smoking:

Cancers caused by smoking:

• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Bladder and kidney
• Cervical
• Esophageal
• Gastric
• Laryngeal
• Lung
• Oral cavity
• Pancreatic
• Pharyngeal
• oral

Cardiovascular disease:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Coronary heart disease
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Peripheral arterial disease

Reproductive effects:

• Reduced fertility in women
• Poor pregnancy outcomes (e.g., low birth weight, preterm delivery)
• Infant mortality

Other effects:

• cataract
• osteoporosis
• periodontitis
• poor surgical outcomes (diminishes immune response and slows healing)

Periodontal effects:

• Gingival recession
• Bone attachment loss
• Dental caries