Latest posts
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Smoking and Colorectal Cancer: Risk Evidence and Screening Recommendations
Yes. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cigarette smoking is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer and to an increased risk of dying from colorectal cancer. Smoking is also linked to a higher risk of developing colorectal adenomas, the type of polyp that can turn into cancer over time. This article walks…
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The Financial Cost of Smoking: Lifetime Spending, Insurance and Hidden Expenses
A pack-a-day habit costs roughly $3,000 a year at today’s average U.S. cigarette price, and that number only covers what you hand over at the register. The real lifetime cost is much higher once you add higher insurance premiums, extra health care spending, and lower home resale value. Most smokers never add up the full…
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Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction: Vascular Damage and Recovery After Quitting
Yes. Smoking damages the blood vessels that carry blood into the penis, and an erection depends on strong blood flow. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) lists smoking cigarettes as one of the lifestyle behaviors that can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED), alongside conditions like atherosclerosis and high blood pressure…
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Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain: Why It Happens and Evidence-Based Management
Most people who quit smoking gain some weight, and it usually happens for two simple reasons: nicotine raises your resting metabolism, and smoking tends to blunt appetite. Once you stop smoking, your body may burn calories a little more slowly, and you may feel hungrier than before. Government health sources put the average weight gain…
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Smoking and Bladder Cancer: The Overlooked Smoking-Related Cancer Risk
Yes. Smoking is the most well-established risk factor for bladder cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bladder cancer is one of several cancers that health agencies list as caused by tobacco use, alongside lung, throat, and kidney cancers. Most people associate smoking with lung disease, so…
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Smoking Cessation Medications: How Varenicline and Bupropion Work
Stop taking varenicline or bupropion and contact your prescriber immediately if you notice new agitation, hostility, aggressive behavior, depressed mood, or thoughts of suicide. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for thoughts of self-harm that feel urgent. If you have a seizure while taking bupropion, do not take another dose, and tell…
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Smoking and Anesthesia: What Surgeons Need Patients to Know Before a Procedure
Why Anesthesia Teams Ask About Smoking Anesthesia providers ask about smoking because it changes how your heart, lungs, and blood vessels respond to surgery and recovery. Tobacco smoke lowers the oxygen available to your tissues and makes it harder for wounds to heal. Knowing your smoking history — including vaping and smokeless tobacco — helps…
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Smoking and Fertility: Effects on Reproductive Health for Men and Women
How Smoking Affects Fertility in Men and Women Smoking is linked to lower fertility in both women and men, and it raises the risk of several pregnancy complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that smoking causes reduced fertility in women, and reduced fertility is also linked to men who smoke. Quitting…
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How Long After Quitting Do Lungs Start to Improve: A Realistic Timeline
How Long Does It Take For Lungs To Heal After Quitting Smoking? Lung healing starts fast and keeps going for years. Some changes, like a drop in the nicotine in your blood, happen within a day. Other changes, like a lower risk of lung cancer, take a decade or more. Full reversal is not realistic…
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Smoking and Anxiety: The Nicotine Paradox Explained
If You’re in Crisis, Get Help Now If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, or your anxiety feels sudden, severe, or out of control, stop reading and get help right away. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) any time, day or night. If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, or feel like…