Smoking is a significant risk factor for stroke. Approximately 25% of strokes are attributed to tobacco smoking. Passive smoking is becoming more recognised as a risk factor. There is evidence to show that tobacco smoking increases the risk of having a stroke by almost three-fold. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of stroke by itself. Combining it with one or more other risk factor increases the risk of stroke significantly. Smoking also increases blood pressure, increases the tendency for blood to clot and decreases exercise tolerance.
Main Risk Factors of Smoking
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- Women who smoke and take oral contraceptives are at a greater risk of stroke and coronary heart disease than non-smoking women of similar age who take oral contraceptives.
- Smoking contributes to narrowing of the arteries (blood vessels), raises cholesterol levels and increases the stickiness of the blood, making it more likely for blood clots to form.
- Sticky blood flowing though hardened arteries is more likely to form a clot and block an artery, and cause a stroke.
- Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of them poisonous.
- Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes the addiction. It is powerful and the addiction caused is almost similar to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
- Carbon Monoxide (the poisonous gas in car exhausts) is present in all tobacco smoke. It is absorbed into the blood and makes the blood carry less oxygen.
- Tar is a brown sticky substance present in tobacco smoke as tiny particles. It is tar that stains smoker’s fingers and teeth yellow. It is deposited in the lungs and gradually absorbed into the body.
- Smoking affects the heart, blood vessels and lungs. Within minutes of starting to smoke, nicotine causes your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to rise. As your heart is working faster, it needs more oxygen. Carbon monoxide which is in tobacco smoke makes the blood carry less oxygen. Overall, the amount of oxygen available to the heart and other organs is reduced.
- Smokers are at a greater risk of developing arteriosclerosis (hardening of the blood vessels)
Benefits of quitting
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After Day 1- Your pulse rate and blood pressure will return to normal. The nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood will reduce by 50%. Your lungs will start to get rid of mucus and debris that have accumulated due to smoking.
After Day 2 - The nicotine will have cleared from your body. You will find that food tastes better as your sense of smell and taste improve.
After Day 3 - Your breathing will get easier and you start to feel more energetic.
In the first 3 months your circulation will improve. Coughing, wheezing and breathing problems continue to improve for 9 months.
- Your risk of stroke will have decreased significantly 2 years after you stop smoking.
- After 5 years your risk of stroke will be about the same as a non-smoker.
- After 10 years you will have the same risk of heart disease as someone who never smoked.
- You will have more money to spend
Sources to help
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Quitline 1850 201 203
Irish Heart Foundation www.irishheart.ie |
