Analyze Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Human Body (Essay Sample)

EFFECTS OF CIGARATTE SMOKING ON HUMAN BODY
Health is a major concern for human being given that with modern ways of life, our health is slowly deteriorating away. Our choice of lifestyle in regards to the foods we eat, lack of exercise and the use of substances have greatly increased the risk of leading unhealthy lives. Cigarette smoking has greatly increased over the years such that the cigarette producing industry is one of the leading industries in today’s economy. This therefore means that more and more people, including adolescents are putting their health at risk by smoking cigarettes. This paper analyzes how cigarette smoking affects the human body.
The health hazards associated with cigarette smoking have been at the forefront of the war raged against the use of tobacco. It is from this health hazard that the World Health Organization (WHO) formulated Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that requires health warnings be displayed on the tobacco packages as a means of public awareness. The organization notes that additives that are added to tobacco during cigarette production are increasing the addictiveness and toxicity of the end product. This also applies to modern products such as the e-cigarettes that have been engineered to deliver the same level of addictiveness. The additives used in producing cigarettes have toxicity when used alone or when combined with other substance that is found in tobacco. These additives include, but not limited to nicotine, ammonia, caffeine, taurine and acetaldehyde. When a cigarette is lit, new products are formed that are pharmacologically active (WHO) and end up affecting the blood circulation system, body temperature and the lung diffusing capacity and the body as whole as indicated below


(Nothern Territory Government)
The major components of the blood circulation system are the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries. Also referred to as the cardiovascular system, oxygen and nutrients are carried by the blood to the body cells while waste products are carried away. Blood consists of the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets and apart from the above mentioned functions also plays a major role in protecting against diseases and aids in clotting of blood(BBC ). Cigarette smokers are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases since the compounds found in the product increase the likelihood of the blood clotting and the hardening of the arteries.
Hung et al (1995) carried out tests to determine how an increase in platelet thrombus formation was higher in smokers than in non smokers. Data collected indicates that smoking caused a twofold increase in plasma epinephrine on the arterial media wall. As shown in the below, smoking is a contributor for acute coronary illnesses due to the aggregate effect it has to platelets

Graph showing whole blood platelet aggregation curve after thrombin stimulation comparing effects before (A) and after (B) smoking in one patient (patient 430). After smoking, there is an increased amplitude (in ohms) of platelet aggregation to thrombin 0.075 U/mL.(Hung, Lam and Lacoste)
Smoking greatly increases the likelihood of the coronary and arteries of the legs as well as the aorta hardening. This cardiovascular disease is referred to as atherosclerosis and is characterized by the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Plaque consists of cholesterol, calcium, fibrin, fatty substances and cellular waste products which cause a partial or full block to the blood’s flow. Cigarettes cause the accumulation of plaque in the artery wall and over time may stimulate the artery wall cells to produce more cells where atherosclerotic lesions accumulate. When this happens, many of the cells divide and fat builds up within and around this cells and form connective tissues. This leads to the thickening of the arterial wall thus reducing the flow of blood meaning there is a decrease in oxygen supply. Often, this will lead to clotting of blood where a permanent block of blood flow occurs and oxygen supply is cut-off. Depending on where the blood clot is a heart attack or stroke may arise. These are when the oxygenated blood flow to the heart and brain respectively are cut-off (American Heart Association).
The temperature at the tip of a cigarette is 950C and by inhaling the hot smoke, the smoker’s lung temperature increases. This leads to the lung being unable to cool the body hence an increase in the core body temperature. It has been documented that the body temperature returns to normal after twenty minutes when one stops smoking (Orenstein).
Cigarette smoking also affects the lung’s diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. In tests carried out by Mohammed (2010) the effects of cigarette smoking were evaluated twice after six months among 94 middle aged, asymptomatic male subjects among which 56 were smokers and 38 were non smokers. Statistical analysis of the collected data highlighted that the lungs diffusion capacity in smokers was highly decreased when compared t...