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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration of lung function after quitting smoking Lung function after quitting smoking

When you inhale tobacco smoke, you ingest numerous chemicals that reach most of your body's vital organs. Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 known cancer-causing chemicals and more than 4,800 other harmful substances.

Smoking harms almost every organ of your body. More than half the people who keep smoking will die because of it. The negative health effects include:

  • Lung cancer and other lung diseases. Smoking causes nearly nine out 10 of lung cancer cases, as well as other lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also makes asthma worse.
  • Heart and circulatory system problems. Smoking increases your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. Smoking 15 cigarettes a day doubles your heart attack risk. Even smoking just one to four cigarettes daily increases your risk of heart disease. If you have cardiovascular illness or heart failure, smoking worsens your condition. However, stopping smoking reduces your risk of having a heart attack by 50 percent in the first year.
  • Other cancers. Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the esophagus, larynx, throat (pharynx) and mouth and also is related to cancer of the bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix, stomach, and some leukemias.
  • Physical appearance. The chemicals in tobacco smoke can change the structure of your skin, causing premature aging and wrinkles. Smoking also yellows your teeth, fingers and fingernails.
  • Infertility and impotence. Smoking increases the risk of infertility in women and the chance of impotence in men.
  • Pregnancy and newborn complications. Mothers who smoke while pregnant face a higher risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, decreased birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in their newborn. Low birth weight babies are more likely to die or have learning and physical problems.
  • Cold, flu and other illnesses. Smokers are more prone to respiratory infections, such as colds, flu and bronchitis, than are nonsmokers.
  • Diabetes. Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can set the stage for the development of type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, smoking can speed the progress of complications such as kidney disease.
  • Impaired senses. Smoking deadens your senses of taste and smell, so food isn't as appetizing as it once was.
  • Risks to your family. Spouses and partners of smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer and heart disease, compared with people who don't live with a smoker. If you smoke, your children will be more prone to sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, ear infections and colds.
Tests and diagnosis Risk factors
References
  1. Nicotine. NIDA for Teens. http://www.teens.drugabuse.gov/drnida/drnida_nic1.asp. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  2. Cigarette smoking. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_12X_Cigarette_Smoking.asp?sitearea=PED. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  3. Benowitz NL. Clinical pharmacology of nicotine: Implications for understanding, preventing, and treating tobacco addiction. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2008;83(4):531-541.
  4. Smoking 101 fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39853. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  5. Hatsukami DK, et al. Tobacco addiction. The Lancet. 2008;371:2027-2038.
  6. Burke MV, et al. Treatment of tobacco dependence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2008;83(4):479-484.
  7. Nides M. Update on pharmacologic options for smoking cessation treatment. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S20-S31.
  8. Executive summary. In: Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat2.section.28189. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
  9. Guide to quitting smoking. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp?sitearea=PED. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  10. Le Foll B, et al. Treatment of tobacco dependence: Integrating recent progress into practice. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2007;177(11):1373-1380.
  11. Benowitz NL. Neurobiology of nicotine addiction: Implications of smoking cessation treatment. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S3-S10.
  12. Woodward K. Quit before kids reach third grade. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/center_news/2003/may15/sart1.html?&printfriendly=yes. Accessed Oct. 22, 2008.
  13. Berrettini W. Nicotine addiction. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2008;165(9):1089-1092.
  14. Clinical interventions for tobacco use and dependence. In: Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat2.section.28251. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  15. Smoking and cardiovascular disease risk. Washington, DC: American Heart Association.
  16. Kuehn BM. Personalized care may help smokers quit. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007. 298(21): 2472. 
  17. Niaura R. Nonpharmocologic therapy for smoking cessation: Characteristics and efficacy of current approaches. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S11-S19.
  18. Online guide to quitting: Managing cravings. Smokefree.gov. htttp://www.smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/managing_cravings.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  19. Youth & tobacco. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/youth/information_sheets/yuthfax1.htm. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
  20. Hurt RD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 5, 2008.

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