Why is smoking a matter of worry for the elderly?There are different health issues connected with smoking for people of all ages. It is difficult for the elderly smokers to quit smoking as compared to younger smokers.
It enhances the possibility of developing many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart and lung diseases.Smoking can increase the normal process of aging.Cigarettes have various toxic chemicals which are harmful for our bodies.
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It can increase the level of your blood pressure and heart rate.Elders who do excessive smoking take longer time to recover from an injury and after an operation.No matter what your age is, if you quit smoking, your body begins to cure from its injury.
How is the body of elderly affected by smoking?
There are a range of harmful chemicals present in the tobacco products.It damages your body, especially lungs and can kill you slowly. The largest reason of excessive smoking-related fatality for people above 60 years is lung cancer. At older ages the mortality rate can also be from cardiovascular diseases. It may possibly develop dementias, both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
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There are different dangerous chemicals which are available in the cigarettes which is injurious especially when you age. These are:
Health effects on elderly
Smoking has an extreme health impact on elderly people’s life. It can cause the following diseases:
Diabetes
Smoking leads to type 2 diabetes 30 to 40 percent more.The diabetes occurs when your body is not able to generate enough insulin and all the sugar dissolves in your blood.
It increases inflammation in your body. Inflammation happens when the harmful chemicals of cigarette damage cells. It causes swelling and oxidative stress. Both these may lead to diabetes. It becomes hard for the blood to move throughout your body, when you smoke.
Heart diseases
Cigarette smoke can cause cardiovascular diseases in the elderly as it can damage your heart and blood vessels completely. It can be fatal result of smoking. It can lead to diseases such as:
CVD happens when there is growth of plague in the blood vessels. The plague generally comes as cholesterol. Smoking can enhance the levels of bad cholesterol inside your body. It also increases the chances of blood clotting.
Increase in blood pressure
How does tobacco impact the blood pressure? It increases your blood pressure. Your blood vessels become narrow and damaged because of the nicotine present in the cigarettes and various tobacco products. It stresses your heart and can cause strokes, heart failure, kidney and coronary artery disease. Smoking can also lead to dementia.
Cancer
Smoking causes different cancers. Cigarette or tobacco has cancer-causing chemicals. When you smoke, lung tissue begins to change immediately. Most of these cancers start as you age. Few cancers which are caused by smoking are:
Gum and tooth diseases
Smoking weakens elders’ immune system. It makes it difficult to fight with the gum infection. This makes your gum damage and leads to many gum diseases, bad breath and plague. It becomes hard for the gum to heal. This is because when you smoke, the oxygen does not move to your bloodstream.
Besides these, smoking can also cause eye and skin damage, respiratory problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and so on.
Conclusion
It is never too late to quit smoking. It can significantly reduce your risk of death and can give you long lasting benefits. If you are a senior citizen and trying to quit smoking, you should get in touch with your healthcare professional.
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