Smoking is a serious problem and in the last years many people finally began to understand how serious it is and what damage it can produce. More and more documented research show that maybe it’s not the nicotine per se that affects our health on a long and possibly irreversible term, but the rest of the toxins, carcinogens and poisons tobacco cigarettes contain. Many people try to quit or to at least reduce the risks by using alternative approaches. Talking about health risks, it’s not only the large area of heart conditions, lung disease, strokes, cancer and so on that pop to mind. We are talking also about visible signs that speak the truth about quitting while we still can. So let’s see ten of the marks on our body that should pull the alarm when we prepare to light another cigarette.
1. Skin tone goes downwards
One of the most visible tell-tale signs of smoking is on a person’s skin tone. No matter if they appear very pale or with uneven coloring, this is a sign that oxygen doesn’t travel properly to irrigate skin.
2. Sagging skin and wrinkles
Smoking is known for its negative effects on skin elasticity. The toxins travel to the collagen cells and slowly destroys them. Sagging skin and wrinkles on your body, not only on your face is a sign that you should consider paying a visit to the doctor.
3. Lip wrinkles
Those lines that form around a person’s lips have very much to do with smoking. It may sound superficial but specialists say it is a cause of concern if your mouth begins to look much older than it should normally look.
4. Damaged teeth
This is not news that smokers tend to develop tooth and gum decay lot faster than non-smokers. Yellow spots, bad breath and other oral hygiene issues are common among heavy smokers.
5. Yellow fingers
You can spot a heavy long term smoker from a hundred people if you see the specific yellow marks on his or her fingers. Tobacco affects the skin and the nails but on the brighter side, these color anomalies tend to disappear if the persons quits smoking.
6. Hair loss
Still at a debate point, as going bald and lose hair can be attributed to many causes, but smoking definitely doesn’t help. A research study on Asian men drew a cause and effect line between smoking and baldness.
7. Cataract
An illness far more aggressive and impairing than hair loss, cataracts may be one of those signs that smoking should be on the list of problems you need to immediately take care of. Surgery will help, but smoking affects the eyes too and you should know about these consequences.
8. Bone pains
Studies have found a connection between osteoporosis (quite standard at certain ages) and smoking. Not only lungs suffer from inhaling all those toxins, but your bones too. The damages they cause may lead to pain, bone malformations and bone fragility.
9. Psoriasis
While some children can develop this disease from early ages and some people never get rid of this chronic illness, recent studies show that some adults may develop the condition due to smoking. Of course, if such a thing might happen, an urgent visit to the doctor is a must. But besides the regular treatment, ask yourself if it’s not a good time to quit.
10. Bad odors and tastes
As a heavy smoker you probably are aware of the fact that you have a constant bad taste in your mouth that you can’t get rid with ease, that your hair smells bad and even your perspiration bears a smoking odor not pleasant to those around you.
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