Cigarette smoking is one of the most harmful activities that a person can indulge in, because no other activity causes such extensive damage to the human body. Smoking causes cancer, and it also brings about feelings of addiction and craving that can affect the mental stability of any individual.
Thanks to a good amount of research in the field, people are now well aware about the problems that cigarette smoking can bring about in their lives. Although the number of smokers has not come down drastically, people are informed about the diseases that they can contract through smoking and this is a welcome change.
Why is Smoking So Harmful?
Smoking is very harmful because addiction to cigarettes can cause around eleven types of cancer, including kidney cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, mouth cancer, and cancer along the esophagus. Frequent smokers can also experience symptoms of asthma and shortness of breath.
Other than such diseases, smoking can cause coronary artery disease and other related heart problems. Smokers suffer from increased blood pressure and decreased HDL levels (the good cholesterol). Smoking also speeds up the aging process and leads to wrinkles in the skin and yellow stains on the teeth and gums.
Apart from these effects, studies have shown that smoking reduces fertility in humans.
How Does Smoking Reduce Fertility and Cause Impotence?
It’s a well known fact that smoking can cause atherosclerosis. Under this phenomenon, plaque builds up along the blood vessels and cholesterol starts settling in these blood vessels blocking the proper flow of blood.
Smoking also interferes with the production of nitric oxide, and this substance is very essential for regulating proper blood flow throughout the body. Nitric oxide helps in relaxing all organs so that more blood can flow into them, and also in keeping the arteries free of clogs. Constant smoking can cause all blood vessels to narrow, and blood pressure along these vessels tends to build up in this way.
During sexual arousal, the tissues in the penis enlarge and blood flows into the organ, making it hard and sturdy. Due to the effects of smoking, the flow of blood to the penis is decreased, and in this way erectile dysfunction is caused.
Studies have shown that smoking can also bring about a decline in the quality of sperms produced in males, along with a decrease in the quantity of sperms produced too. Tobacco smoking also influences sperm mortality and mobility.
How Can Such Impotence Be Set Right?
The fact is that popular treatment methods for erectile dysfunction (including pills like Viagra and Cialis that are supposed to increase a person’s sex drive) don’t work on people who smoke. This is because smoking causes damage to the endothelium and this makes artificial supplements for sexual health ineffective.
The only way through which cigarette smokers can avoid and treat erectile dysfunction is by quitting smoking. This way, they can improve their chances of healing and can also avoid other disorders, diseases that smoking cigarettes regularly can cause.
