Emphysema is a chronic lung disease that is almost always caused by years of smoking. Because
emphysema destroys air sacs, the lungs transfer less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing shortness
of breath. The lungs also lose their elasticity, so patients experience great difficulty exhaling.
Asthma is a potentially life-threatening disease of the bronchial tubes, the airways that branch
into the lungs. In an asthma attack, airflow in and out of the lungs is blocked. Smoking can
trigger asthma by irritating the bronchial tubes and allowing irritants to settle in the airways.
Diabetes type 2 is caused by the body's decreased ability to make sufficient or effective use of
insulin. Smoking constricts the blood vessels, aggravating diabetic symptoms like foot ulcers,
blood vessel disease, and leg and foot infections. Smokers with diabetes are also more likely to
suffer from nerve damage and kidney disease.
Smoking increases blood pressure by constricting arteries. High blood pressure directly increases
the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, especially when combined with other
risk factors.
A smoker's risk of heart attack is more than twice that of nonsmoker's, according to the American
Heart Association.
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