While smoking combustible cigarettes has been linked to a wide variety of health problems affecting almost every organ in the body, many of those risks and complications start with the cardiovascular system—which includes the heart, blood, and blood vessels. Although some side effects of smoking are less severe—yellow teeth and bad breath—those that involve the cardiovascular system can be very serious and lead to greater issues or time, such as a stroke or heart failure. If you want to know more about how smoking is affecting your heart and why you should quit smoking with e-cigs, continue reading.
How does tobacco affect heart health?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term that’s used to describe a wide variety of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels.
In terms of heart health, smoking combustible cigarettes can lead to:
- High blood pressure: This condition is when the blood in your arteries flows with too much force. Tobacco from your combustible cigarette causes high blood pressure because the nicotine within heightens it. While e-cigs also contain nicotine, the user chooses their intake amount, with the option to lower it over time.
- Atherosclerosis: This condition is when the arteries become narrow and stiff due to plaque buildup that’s made of substances like cholesterol, fat, and scar tissue. Since plaque can block blood flow, the heart pumps extra hard to ensure that the blood makes it to other parts of the body. Tobacco worsens this condition by increasing the inflammation of the arteries.
- Arrhythmia: This condition is when a person has an abnormal heart rhythm. Since tobacco triggers cardiac fibrosis or scarring of the heart muscle, arrhythmia is a possible outcome.
- Coronary heart disease (CHD): This condition happens when the arteries in the heart are unable to re-circulate blood back to the heart. Things like high blood pressure affect the body’s ability to push around blood, especially with narrow arteries.
- Stroke: Since tobacco promotes the formation of plaque in the arteries, the blood vessels become easily blocked. If this occurs in the brain, a stroke may occur.
- Heart attack: Similar to a stroke, since tobacco is blocking blood flow to the heart, the heart muscle will slowly begin to die without enough oxygen-rich blood.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm: The aorta is a major artery that delivers blood from the heart and pumps it throughout the body. Since many chemicals found in a tobacco cigarette increase plaque formation and inflammation, the aorta may develop a bulge referred to as an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This condition can grow over time and if it bursts, it’s life-threatening.
What can quitting smoking do for your heart?
Quitting smoking is one of the best actions you can take for your heart health, and the effects begin the minute you stop! Plus, you will reduce your heart rate, improve your blood flow, and lower the risk of all of the above ailments and diseases.
How do you quit smoking with e-cigs?
Since quitting smoking can be challenging and require dedication and effort, be sure to select the best e-cig setup to ensure that your journey is a successful one. Aside from letting loved ones know your plan to wave goodbye to tobacco, be sure to select a device that possesses a multitude of reviews and transition to a flavor and nicotine strength and meets your physical needs. Good luck!
What other strategies have you used to successfully quit smoking? Drop a comment below to share with our readers.
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