Heart disease is the number one killer in America. It is estimated that every year, 785, 000 people in the country experienced coronary heart attack. Currently, there are more than 27 million adults who have been diagnosed with heart problems.
But did you know that smoking is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease? Unfortunately, yes. So if you are a smoker, you remain at high risk of developing heart disease until you quit.
How does smoking lead to heart disease? Here are the steps/stages involved:
1. Smoking suppresses the circulation of blood.
When you smoke, carbon monoxide enters your bloodstream and prevents the oxygen from passing through the veins. Because of this, your heart has to work double time (it needs to pump harder) in order to supply oxygen to all parts of your body.
2. It stimulates adrenaline rush.
Does your heart beat faster whenever you smoke? That is because nicotine in cigarettes stimulates the production of adrenaline – a hormone that is released when the body is on a flight-or-fight response. This causes your heart to pump harder. Because it works harder than the usual, the heart begins to accumulate stress.
3. It elevates blood pressure.
Since the heart has to pump harder, expect that your blood pressure will increase. Elevated blood pressure, a condition known as hypertension, has been linked to cardiovascular disease.
4. Your arteries become inflamed.
The strain cigarette puts on the heart leads to inflammation overtime. Research shows that inflammation is a major risk factor to heart disease. It can lead to blood clot, which prevents blood supply from reaching its destination. People with blood clots in their veins are more likely to have stroke or heart attack (which can lead to permanent disability, even death).
5. It damages cells.
The cells are the building blocks of life. The toxins found in tobacco tend to clog in the veins and the arteries, bringing great damage to the cells. As the cells die, so do the veins, tissues and muscles that make up the cardiovascular system. This eventually leads to cardiovascular disease.
Save your heart, quit smoking now!
You know how important your heart is. When it stops beating, your body stops functioning. It is important that you provide extra care to your heart health. If you are a smoker, you are increasing your risk to heart disease day by day. So you don’t suffer from the debilitating consequences of heart disease, stop smoking today.
If you have been smoking for years and you decide to quit, there are available treatments that make smoking cessation easy. After successfully quitting, you may need to undergo detoxification programs to eliminate the nasty toxins that your body accumulated when you were still a smoker. Observing a balanced diet and exercising regularly are also key factors to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Go and see your doctor to know the status of your cardiovascular system. It isn’t too late to quit smoking. You can still save your heart if you will quit NOW.
